Member Spotlight: Westfall Associates

Westfall Associates dates back to 1985 when a group of local psychiatrists and the developer of Clinton Crossings formed a unique partnership to provide mental health services to the greater Rochester community in an outpatient, private practice setting. Westfall Associates, currently led by president and CEO Jeff Smith, employees 19 people. "Our current specialty, treating substance use disorders, was added early on to be able to help people who presented with both a mental health and substance use disorder, or what we call co-occurring conditions," Smith said.

The original partnership was dissolved in 1999. Westfall now primarily provides treatment for substance abuse and co-occurring mental health and chronic pain disorders, as well as a nicotine recovery program. "The support of a professional counselor and others with the same problem can be invaluable to getting over the hump and maintaining long-term recovery from nicotine addictions which can be extremely difficult for most people to conquer on their own," Smith said.

What's New
Westfall Associates recently launched program services for employers through an affiliate called "Westfall at the Workplace". Smith said that with a growing focus on employee wellness, and statistics that 25 to 30 percent of Americans (including the loved ones and co-workers of those affected) are struggling with a variety of abuse and dependency issues "we should design services for employers to help them manage the associated costs and risks to their organizations, which can be quite significant."

Challenges
Smith said that over the past several years he has seen a shift in service costs to the patient in the form of deductibles or higher co-pays. "I would say at least a third of our patients now have a high deductible plan, which is not a problem if the plans are funded properly. However, too often we find that patients and/or employers are not putting enough money in their HSA plans and we're finding ourselves in more of a collector position than we have been historically," he said. He added that their industry requires a quite deal of paperwork, which has prompted him to look into integrating an electronic medical records system into their practice to create a more efficient workflow.

Rochester Business Alliance Member
Westfall Associates has been a member of the RBA since 2005. In addition to the networking opportunities and temporary staffing services that RBA provides, Smith cites values of his membership as the leadership of CEO Sandy Parker and the business information to which he has access. "The information and learning opportunities that are available there on a regular basis, allow me to stay current on local, state and national developments that impact the business community in Rochester. The RBA is a strong, respected voice representing small business, which is what we are," he said.

Contact Info:
Jeff Smith, President and CEO
Westfall Associates
919 Westfall Road
Bldg B, Suite 60
Rochester, NY 14618
www.WestfallAssociates.com

By Kevin Donahue, director of membership and business development