Autism Care Partners (ACP) has appointed Dr. Ivy Chong as chief clinical officer and Kris Gochenour as chief financial officer, completing its executive leadership team as the provider expands behavioral health and therapy services across the Northeast.
The appointments strengthen ACP’s leadership in both clinical operations and financial management as demand continues to grow for autism diagnosis and early intervention services. The company provides applied behavior analysis (ABA), diagnostic, speech, occupational and feeding therapy services across five states in New England and New York.
Dr. Chong brings three decades of experience supporting individuals with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities. A licensed psychologist and doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D), she has led large-scale clinical organizations with a focus on quality improvement, organizational growth and the development of scalable care delivery systems.
Before joining Autism Care Partners, Dr. Chong served as chief clinical officer at Little Leaves Behavioral Services and senior vice president of children’s services at the May Institute, where she oversaw multi-site clinical operations and strategic initiatives. Earlier in her career, she held leadership and faculty positions at the Scott Center for Autism Treatment and the Florida Institute of Technology.
In addition to her operational leadership experience, Dr. Chong has remained active in the field of behavior analysis. She has served as a subject matter expert for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board since 2005 and currently serves as the board’s treasurer. She also holds academic appointments at Brock University and the University of Massachusetts Lowell and has presented extensively at national and international conferences on autism care and behavioral health.
Gochenour joins ACP with more than 17 years of healthcare finance leadership experience spanning applied behavior analysis, behavioral health, home health, physical rehabilitation and post-acute care. Throughout his career, he has led finance organizations through periods of growth and operational change while developing financial systems that support expanding healthcare organizations.
Most recently, Gochenour served as chief financial officer at Verbal Beginnings, where he strengthened financial operations, improved revenue cycle performance and expanded the organization’s use of data-driven decision-making to support growth. Earlier, he served as chief financial officer of the Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP) and held senior financial leadership roles within integrated health systems and post-acute care organizations, developing expertise in reimbursement strategy, financial planning and multi-site healthcare operations.
Gochenour is a Certified Public Accountant and a Fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. He earned an MBA in Finance from Saint Joseph’s University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Temple University.
The executive appointments come as autism service providers continue investing in clinical leadership and operational infrastructure to address increasing demand for early diagnosis and multidisciplinary treatment. Organizations in the sector are expanding integrated care models that combine behavioral, speech, occupational and feeding therapies while strengthening financial operations to support growth across multiple markets.
Chief Executive Officer Jim Spink said the addition of Dr. Chong and Gochenour positions Autism Care Partners for its next stage of growth. He said their leadership, expertise and commitment to patient care will help the organization continue delivering high-quality interdisciplinary services to children and families.
Owned by Coppermine Capital, Autism Care Partners operates a network of centers providing autism evaluations and therapeutic services throughout New England and New York. Coppermine Capital is a private equity firm that invests in middle-market companies across the United States, partnering with management teams to support operational improvements, strategic growth and long-term value creation.
