Communities heal when care meets people where they live, which is the organizing idea behind Steven Priest, president and chief executive officer of Spero Health Inc., and the network he built to address substance use disorder through local access and steadfast support. Priest arrived in Nashville right out of college and devoted his career to healthcare leadership, learning how systems change when services are close, consistent and coordinated.
Spero Health operates as an integrated healthcare services organization specializing in affordable outpatient treatment for individuals recovering from opioid dependence and related challenges. Medical care, counseling and social support are delivered through community clinics and telehealth so help is reachable. The model accepts Medicaid and many commercial plans, which lowers barriers that often keep families from starting. Priest pairs that structure with a culture that treats every person with dignity and clear expectations, then measures progress in stability that lasts beyond a single appointment.
The entrepreneurial path started with a conviction that neighborhoods needed a trusted provider focused on recovery, not a patchwork of referrals. Priest recruited clinicians who value teamwork, built playbooks that keep standards tight and invested in technology that helps care teams track needs across visits. Growth followed because outcomes traveled by word of mouth and partners saw a dependable ally for patients who required coordinated attention. Since the company’s founding in 2018, thousands have received lifesaving care through this approach, a result of disciplined operations joined with compassion.
Vision for the coming years is straightforward. Priest aims to widen access while protecting the heart of the work, ensuring each site feels personal and accountable. Efforts center on strengthening collaboration with health plans, primary care and community groups so transitions are smooth and individuals do not get lost between appointments. Training deepens the bench so new teammates learn the craft, and data tools sharpen insight without distracting from human connection. The measure of success remains the same, more people finding a path to sustained recovery with fewer obstacles in the way.
Industry peers point to Priest’s steadiness and service mindset. Recognition as a Titan 100 Honoree reflects leadership that blends enterprise discipline with a mission anchored in hope. He is described as a builder who listens first, communicates clearly and insists that promises made in intake are kept through discharge and aftercare. That posture has earned trust from clinicians, patients and community partners who rely on Spero Health’s consistency.
Career notes include executive roles across large multi-site organizations and smaller entrepreneurial settings, experience that shaped judgment in complex environments. Priest also gives time as a board member with mission-driven nonprofits, extending his commitment to communities beyond the clinic.
Priest centers recovery on access, coordination and humanity. Through that approach, he becomes a stabilizing presence in addiction treatment, helping Spero Health deliver care that rebuilds momentum for individuals and families, and strengthens the neighborhoods around them.