MURIEL BOWSER
MAYOR
May 22, 2024
The Honorable Phil Mendelson
Chairman
Council of the District of Columbia
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 504
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Chairman Mendelson:
In accordance with section 2 of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-
142; D.C. Official Code § 1-523.01), and pursuant to section 211 of the District of Columbia Health
Occupations Revision Act of 1985, effective March 25, 1986 (D.C. Law 6-99; D.C. Official Code § 3-
1202.11), I am pleased to nominate the following individual:
Dr. Patrick Canavan
T Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
(Ward 1)
for reappointment as a psychologist licensed in the District member of the Board of Psychology, for a
term to end November 30, 2027.
Enclosed, you will find biographical information detailing the experience of the above-mentioned
nominee, together with a proposed resolution to assist the Council during the confirmation process.
I would appreciate the Council’s earliest consideration of this nomination for confirmation. Please
do not hesitate to contact me, or Steven Walker, Director, Mayor’s Office of Talent and
Appointments, should the Council require additional information.
Sincerely,
Muriel Bowser
Mayor
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at the request of the Mayor
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6 A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
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10 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
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15 To confirm the reappointment of Patrick Canavan to the Board of Psychology.
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17 RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that this
18 resolution may be cited as the "Board of Psychology Patrick Canavan Confirmation Resolution
19 of 2024".
20 Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the reappointment of:
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22 Dr. Patrick Canavan
23 T Street, NW
24 Washington, DC 20009
25 (Ward 1)
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27 as a psychologist licensed in the District member of the Board of Psychology, established by
28 section 211 of the District of Columbia Health Occupations Revision Act of 1985, effective
29 March 25, 1986 (D.C. Law 6-99; D.C. Official Code§ 3-1202.11), for a term to end November
30 30, 2027.
31 Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this resolution,
32 upon its adoption, to the nominee and to the Office of the Mayor.
33 Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
 PATRICK J. CANAVAN, Psy.D.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Vice President for Consulting Services, IdeaCrew, Inc. February 2017 – Present
Direct the consultation work of IdeaCrew, Inc. the health care IT leader which built the technology powering the D.C.
Health Benefits Exchange. An agile, open-source, in the cloud, modular software as a service technology. Serve as IT
project leader customizing and deploying this technology to the first partner state, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Successfully deployed the technology on time and on budget, offering Massachusetts members an excellent online
benefits shopping experience.
Consultation work is focused on hospitals, healthcare systems and other large organizations seeking clinical and
operational improvements. Led the assessment of a five-hospital state behavioral health system, making
recommendations that impact all aspects of treatment, administration and quality of care issues.
Senior Managing Director, Paladin Healthcare Management June 2015 – January 2017
Served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Howard University Hospital (HUH), under management contract with
Paladin. HUH is a 288 licensed bed facility, with an average census of 130 and academic affiliation with Howard
University, training more than 200 residents and supporting medical student training. As the COO, was a key member
of the Chief Executive Officer’s management and advisory staff, and participate in recommending and
formulating policies and strategies on business process engineering, information systems technology, budgeting,
human resources, procurement, security, facilities management, and property management and provide
managerial direction and guidance in support of the operation of the various programs within the hospital.
Key accomplishments include:
 Management lead for all non-Nursing unionized employees (techs, ancillary and support services workers.
Negotiated a contract that will greatly expand management rights and a continuation of benefits package that will
give management flexibility to modernize clinical practices, respond to changing conditions and lower costs.
 Supervised Patient Experience improvements throughout the hospital using the Press Ganey survey results.
Worked with faculty and emergency services leadership to attain coordinated renovation of waiting room and
increased ED beds. Increased customer satisfaction ratings in the key categories such as timeliness and the
overall patient experience;
 Led the renovation of the Emergency Department clinical, patient, administrative and public areas;
 Initiated top to bottom review of ancillary services with focus on laboratory processes, contracts and equipment;
radiology staffing and services; respiratory staffing; sleep center.
Chief Executive Officer, Saint Elizabeths Hospital
D.C. Department of Behavioral Health January 2007 – May 2015
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Managed the operation of the public psychiatric inpatient facility for the District of Columbia. With more than 290
licensed beds, and average census near 275 patients, Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital had both court-ordered and civil patients.
Operating budget exceeded $90M with almost 830 approved positions in FY15. Directed all clinical and administrative
operations and represented the hospital on key budgetary and resource issues to the Mayor’s Office, City Council, and
other important constituencies.
Key accomplishments included:
 Successfully managed the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Settlement Agreement by instituting significant
improvements across a wide range of clinical practices, including assessments, the day treatment program,
infection control, pharmacy and direct care staffing. The hospital fully complied with the 224 requirements under
DOJ and the Federal lawsuit was dismissed September 16, 2014.
 Revitalized the professional nursing staff by hiring over 160 new registered nurses in two years to successfully
meet a DOJ requirement of 6 hours of nursing care per day for each patient, with a staff mix of 50% registered
nurses.
 Planned and oversaw a reduction in expenditures and non-clinical staff to meet mandated budgetary cuts resulting
in reduction of staff by over 120 employees since January 2009 resulting in approximately $7,200,000 in annual
savings.
 Managed the completion and transition to the new $143M replacement hospital on time and with minimal
disruption to individuals in care and staff.
 Created a new “one hospital” culture which emphasized treatment and rehabilitation for both court-ordered and
civil individuals in care by eliminating forensic-specific units and treatment and assigning individuals in care to
units based on therapeutic need
 Streamlined administrative services and ensured higher levels of staff accountability including a major
reorganization of the clinical programs including the creation of a new Therapeutic Learning Center
Reinvigorated the Performance Improvement Department resulting in the completion of significant routine audits
and reports and a greatly enhanced investigatory capability.
 Implemented a hospital-wide electronic medical records system which included all patient information.
 Improved the quality of life for patients through the initiation of programs such as a Summer Concert series and
an Annual Friends and Family Day,
Director, Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
Government of the District of Columbia January 2005 – January 2007
Leader of the major regulatory agency in the District of Columbia. Supervised 430 full time staff and more than 100
contractors with a budget of $50.4M and revenues of $49M. Major areas of regulation included land use/zoning,
construction permitting, business licensing, housing inspection, commercial compliance, administration of boards and
commissions, professional licensing, rent control, consumer protection, and commercial investigations.
Key accomplishments included:
 Realigned of the agency to focus on two major business activities: 1) issuing important business and construction
documents, and 2) enforcing housing and commerce laws and regulations.
 Created the Office of the Chief Tenant Advocate.
 Restored the Office of Consumer Protection.
 Created the Homeowners Center for small home renovation projects.
 Formed the Illegal Construction Unit to increase safety in construction.
 Reduced the permit application backlog from over 5,200 to less than 400.
 Lowered the vacancy rate by 12% over two years.
 Consolidated 51 stand-alone databases into nine integrated systems.
 Achieved legislative successes including Rent Control reform, the establishment of the Green Building
construction code, and expanded Civil Enforcement authority.
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Director, Neighborhood Services, Office of the City Administrator
Government of the District of Columbia July 2000 – January 2005
Created and led this cutting-edge, 16-agency Neighborhood Services program, a community-based, interagency
collaborative problem-solving approach to create and sustain clean, safe, healthy, and economically vibrant
neighborhoods. Key accomplishments included:
 Successfully implemented an innovative model for achieving positive outcomes in areas formerly plagued with
persistent problems such as addressing highly violent neighborhoods with infrastructure and other problems.
 Established interagency, collaborative teams of agency Senior Staff and empowered ward Core Teams to lead,
champion, and implement cultural and performance change that mattered to neighborhoods.
 Facilitated systemic change toward performance-based accountability by integrating and linking neighborhood
outcomes with agency performance contracts, citywide strategic planning, and budgeting.
Special Assistant, Office of the City Administrator
Government of the District of Columbia March 1999 – July 2000
 Implemented Mayor’s Short-Term Action Team (STAT) activities for the human services cluster to support the
public commitments of the Mayor’s First 100 Days
 Managed day-to-day interaction between the City Administrator and health and human services agencies with a
particular focus on policy and budget issues.
 Managed the complex negotiations regarding the bankruptcy of a hospital in an economically depressed ward
with minimum health care options.
Clinical Administrator, D.C. Commission on Mental Health Services
Saint Elizabeths Hospital, John Howard Pavilion April 1996 – March 1999
 Administered the Forensic Special Treatment Unit and the Forensic Women’s Unit.
 Coordinated treatment, evaluations, and facilitated day-to-day operations of units for court-ordered individuals.
 Provided expert testimony in court.
 Supervised psychology trainees in APA accredited training program.
Forensic Psychology Fellow/Psychology Intern, D.C. Commission on Mental Health Services
Saint Elizabeths Hospital, John Howard Pavilion September 1993 – April 1996
EDUCATION
Doctor of Psychology, Illinois School of Professional Psychology, March 1995.
Master of Education, Counseling & Student Personnel, University of Delaware, June 1986.
Bachelor of Arts, English & Religious Studies, Villanova University, June 1984.
LICENSURE
Licensed Psychologist District of Columbia
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AWARDS
 2015 Robert L. Sloan Leadership Award, D.C. Hospital Association
 2015 Meritorious Service Award, Government of the District of Columbia
 2009 Distinguished Alumnus Award, Argosy University
ASSOCIATIONS
 American Psychological Association
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
 Board of Trustees, Capital City Public Charter School: authorized and facilitated the establishment of an Upper
School, extending the existing program (Pre K 3 to Grade 8) to include high school, now Pre K 3 to Grade 12
(2009 through 2014).
 Completed seven Century Rides (100-mile bike rides) to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
 Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of
Government, February 2000.
 Panelist at the Historical Society of the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia for the presentation:
"Duran and the Evolution of the Insanity Defense.”
 Faculty member, Psychiatry Residency Training Program, taught two courses: “Clinical Case Conference” and
“Administrative Psychiatry” to third and fourth year residents at Saint Elizabeths Hospital.
 Graduate of the District’s first Certified Public Manager program class in 1998.
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 Executive Office of the Mayor – Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointments
John A. Wilson Building | 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 600 | Washington, DC 20004
Dr. Patrick Canavan, Psy.D.
Dr. Canavan, Psy.D. is the Vice President of Consulting Services at
IdeaCrew, Inc.
Dr. Canavan has executive level experience in healthcare and an
outstanding track record in health facility turnaround and financial,
regulatory, and treatment reform. He oversees IdeaCrew’s work in IT-
enabled behavioral support, a fast growing new are aimed to improve
outcomes for people in recovery from mental illness. His
comprehensive approach to behavior support elevates access to care,
reduces barriers, and delivers transparency at a fraction of the traditional
market costs. Dr. Canavan has worked with a number of prestigious hospitals in the Northeast, and
led federal civil rights and financial management lawsuits to successful resolution. His leadership
experience includes serving as Chief Executive Officer of St. Elizabeths Hospital and as Director
of the District’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.
A Ward 1 resident, Dr. Canavan received his Doctor of Psychology from the Illinois School of
Professional Psychology, his Master of Education in Counseling and Student Personnel from the
University of Delaware, and his Bachelor of Arts in English and Religious Studies from Villanova
University.
 GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser
Office of the General Counsel to the Mayor
To: Tomas Talamante, Steve Walker
From: Betsy Cavendish
Date: May 10, 2024
Subject: Legal sufficiency review of Resolution nominating Patrick Canavan as a member
of the Board of Psychology
This is to Certify that this office has reviewed the above-referenced resolution and
found it to be legally unobjectionable. If you have any questions in this regard, please do not
hesitate to call Erika Satterlee, Deputy General Counsel, Executive Office of the Mayor, at 202-
724-1303, or me at 202-724-7681.
______________________________
Elizabeth A. (Betsy) Cavendish
______________________________________________________________________________
The John A. Wilson Building • 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW • Suite 300 • Washington, D.C. 20004 • Office (202) 724-7681