Daniel Elchert, PhD, Appointed Incoming CEO of the National Register of Health Service Psychologists

The Board of Directors of the National Register of Health Service Psychologists is pleased to announce the appointment of Daniel M. Elchert, PhD, as Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Elchert emerged as the candidate of choice after a lengthy national search to find a replacement for the current CEO, Dr. Morgan Sammons, who has announced his intention to retire at the end of 2022. Dr. Elchert will begin his employment with the Register in July 2022. He will serve as the Director of Strategic Partnerships until Dr. Sammons’ departure, at which time he will step into the CEO role.

Daniel M. Elchert, PhD (he/him/his), obtained his doctorate in psychology from the University of Iowa. He is a licensed clinical psychologist, statistician, and public policy analyst. Until accepting the position with the National Register, he was the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow with the National Science Board Office, the nation’s largest funder of basic research in psychological science. Prior to his position with AAAS, he served as Health Policy Fellow on the staff for the Chair of the United States Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, where he focused on mental and behavioral health and substance use disorder policy. Dr. Elchert was the only licensed clinical psychologist on the staff of this Committee. Dr. Elchert has advanced many National Register priorities, including the National Register’s Associate Program, FindaPsychologist.org, and The Clinical Consult podcast series. His scholarship has appeared in journals, including the Journal of Health Service Psychology and his advocacy has been cited in the Washington Post and other national news outlets. Dr. Elchert maintains a patient caseload in a private practice setting.

When asked his thoughts about his new position at the Register, Dr. Elchert stated: “I am honored to serve in this leadership role at the National Register, which now more than ever has become the professional home for health service psychologists. My primary focus will be on communicating the indispensable role that health service psychologists play in the delivery of high-quality healthcare services. The National Register has long been an essential organization assisting health service psychologists in the provision of the highest quality clinical service delivery in mental and behavioral health, substance use disorder, and consultation services to healthcare delivery systems in the US and across the globe. I’m excited to join the National Register and continue to advocate for the profession of health service psychology.”

The Board of Directors of the National Register welcomed Dr. Elchert with the following statement: “The Board is exceptionally pleased with the selection of Dr. Elchert as incoming CEO of the organization. Dr. Elchert’s career, to date, has been notable for his achievements and his deep engagement with how public policy affects the delivery of psychological services. As an Early Career Psychologist, we believe that Dr. Elchert is ideally suited to build on the current strengths of the Register and to lead the organization into the future. We are certain that he will continue the remarkable trajectory of growth and influence established by our current CEO, the venerable Dr. Sammons. We welcome, with great anticipation, Dr. Elchert and we extend our heartfelt gratitude and warmest wishes to our good friend and colleague, Dr. Sammons, on his pending retirement.”

About the National Register of Health Service Psychologists

The National Register of Health Service Psychologists was established in 1974 and is the largest credentialing organization for psychologists and psychology doctoral students. We are an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving healthcare by identifying psychologists who meet specific education and training standards, and by verifying these professionals to consumers, healthcare organizations, and regulatory bodies. The National Register currently credentials 10,000 Health Service Psychologists and has approximately 5,000 psychology doctoral student and postdoctoral trainee members of the Associate Program. For more information, visit www.nationalregister.org.

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Address press inquiries to Andrew Boucher at andrew@nationalregister.org or phone 202-783-7663.