Ascend Medical Welcomes Dr. Leslie Cole as Chief Behavioral Health Officer
Ascend Medical is proud to announce that Dr. Leslie Cole has joined the organization as our first-ever Chief Behavioral Health Officer—a milestone that reflects Ascend's deep and enduring commitment to Whole Person Care.
Why this Matters?
For nearly four decades, Dr. Cole has helped shape Georgia's behavioral health landscape through clinical practice, teaching, mentorship, and leadership. Known for high standards, depth of care, and the development of exceptional clinicians, his career has been defined by one central conviction:
Mental health is not secondary healthcare. It is foundational healthcare.
Ascend's decision to bring Dr. Cole into executive leadership is not simply an organizational hire—it is an illumination of identity.
Ascend is building a model in which behavioral health is fully integrated into the medical home, embedded shoulder-to-shoulder with primary care, metabolic care, and wellness services. This is care that treats the whole person: mind, body, and emotional life—addressing root causes rather than fragments.
Dr. Cole joins Ascend to help build what too many clinicians have long sought but rarely find:
A practice environment marked by clinical excellence, interdisciplinary support, professional sustainability, and a culture where therapists are valued as essential leaders in health outcomes—not peripheral referrals.
In this role, Dr. Cole will guide:
- The development of Ascend's integrated behavioral health model
- A mentorship-driven culture of therapist excellence
- Recruitment of outstanding clinicians across Georgia
- Clinical standards that support both patient outcomes and clinician longevity
Ascend is not building another high-volume therapy practice.
Ascend is building a behavioral health platform designed for the long term—for clinicians who want depth, meaning, collaboration, and a future beyond burnout-driven care.
Dr. Cole shares:
"Ascend represents what healthcare can become when behavioral health is treated as central, not supplemental. This is a place where clinicians can thrive while doing the best work of their careers."
Ascend is actively recruiting exceptional therapists who are aligned with this vision of Whole Person Care and are seeking a serious clinical home.
If you have believed there must be a better way to practice—there is.
Ascend is building it.
Interested in joining the behavioral health team?
