Lew Zeidner – CEO, EOSIS

In this powerful episode of The Voice of Hope, host Dr. Ken Huey sits down with Dr. Lew Zeidner, CEO of EOSIS (formerly Meridian Behavioral Health), a leading provider of mental health and addiction treatment services across Minnesota.With decades of executive leadership—including roles at Fairview Health Services and M Health Fairview—Lew shares his journey from paramedic and crisis services to transforming complex healthcare systems. He opens up about his "why": ensuring equitable, high-quality care regardless of resources or ability to pay.Lew discusses practical leadership lessons, including bridging vision and execution, managing anxiety as a leader, handling resistance to change, balancing operational efficiency with patient experience, and the promising role of technology and objective outcome measures in behavioral health's future.He also shares an inspiring story of a patient who, after years of chronic addiction and struggle, found recovery and landed his dream job driving a Zamboni—proof that hope endures even in the toughest cases.If you're a clinician, leader, or anyone passionate about mental health and addiction recovery, this conversation offers real-world insights on building better systems and lives.Tune in for bold ideas, empathy-driven strategy, and a reminder that transformation is possible.