This network—the Horizon Health Alliance—is the result of an initiative to partner with other behavioral healthcare organizations to meet the growing demand for services. Together, Horizon Health Alliance’s affiliated partners will provide a comprehensive spectrum of quality coordinated care for patients and their families. Endeavor Health Services, the inaugural affiliate, will continue to operate independently, while collaborating with the Alliance in key areas.
“We are excited to join forces. Every person deserves high quality care in their own community and through the Alliance we will do this more effectively. By sharing resources that we have in common, we will improve overall operations and, with that, patient care,” said Elizabeth Mauro, CEO, Endeavor Health Services.
"Social isolation caused by the pandemic, coupled with difficult economic times, has negatively impacted our community’s mental health, and increased the misuse of drugs and alcohol. This affiliation will bring together some of the best behavioral health professionals in our area to address the growing need for more comprehensive care and eliminate barriers to patients seeking treatment,” said Anne Constantino, former CEO, Horizon Health.
The Horizon Health Alliance affiliates will employ over 1,000 people and serve 30,000 patients. Horizon Health Alliance and Endeavor Health Services are collaborating in four key areas: Training, DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) Strategies, Marketing, and Pharmacy. Affiliating with Endeavor helps us expand our service footprint, create more opportunities for our staff and patients, and share resources to improve overall operations.
Horizon is the 8th largest not-for-profit in WNY. With over 800 employees and $70 million in annual revenue, Horizon is a fully comprehensive behavioral health treatment provider operating 196 inpatient beds for addiction treatment and 13 outpatient counseling and psychiatry practices in Erie, Niagara, and Genesee counties. Horizon was founded in 1975 and has been voted one of the “Best Companies to Work for in New York” for 15 consecutive years.
Visit Horizon Health ServicesEstablished in 1972, Endeavor Health Services is a not-for-profit provider of outpatient behavioral health counseling services with a strong focus on child and adolescent mental health counseling as well as community-based services in five counties in Western NY.
Visit Endeavor Health Services
Erin DiGirolamo joined Horizon Corporations in 2006 and serves as the organization’s Chief Executive Officer. She came to Horizon after 16 years in Ernst & Young’s Healthcare Consulting Division where she conducted turnaround projects. Her experience serves her well, as Erin’s responsibilities at Horizon include both optimizing operational efficiencies and ensuring financial stability. In her role, Erin is responsible for the strategic and operational aspects of the organization’s financial planning, management, and development. She leads many operational change initiatives across all service lines and especially loves leading the marketing team.
As a “status quo” challenger, she is frequently asked to participate in statewide committees related to major change initiatives, including:
Erin was a 2007 recipient of Business First’s “Forty Under 40″ award and the 2008 “CFO of the Year” awardee. She was a proud member of the Leadership Buffalo class of 2008. Erin received a B.S. Degree in Accounting from St. Bonaventure University, and a secondary concentration in Pharmacy from West Virginia University. She is a resident of Orchard Park and mom to two busy children. Erin is currently a board member of Hospice & Palliative Care of Buffalo.
Brandy Vandermark-Murray was appointed President of Horizon Corporations in June 2023. She previously served as Senior Vice President of Operations at Horizon Corporations, where she had executive oversight of operations for all behavioral health programs. She has 20 years of clinical experience as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and Certified Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) and has been instrumental in implementing integrated care throughout the organization.
Over the past 10 years, she has held various operational leadership roles within Horizon and played a critical role in expanding substance use services across Western New York. Her work includes the restructuring and expanding of the only community-based detox program in Erie County, as well as developing and opening both a young adult and women’s intensive residential program that were both the first residential programs in NYS to enter the new 820 regulations, allowing for more intensive clinical services to be offered in residential substance use programs. Brandy is committed and passionate about providing quality behavioral health treatment to all community members in conjunction with providing a quality and supportive work environment for those in the field.
Outside of Horizon, Brandy has served as an adjunct professor at Canisius College in Buffalo for the past 5 years. She teaches in the Graduate School of Mental Health Counseling, focusing on areas of substance use and the impact the opioid epidemic has had on communities and the behavioral health field. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and has a graduate degree in Mental Health Counseling from Canisius as well. She enjoys spending time with her alma mater and developing new counselors in the field.
In recognition of her outstanding contribution to the field of substance use, Brandy has been awarded the ASAP Eileen Pencer Women’s Leadership Award. She has been instrumental in developing women’s specific programming for Horizon, including the expansion of training in perinatal mental health treatment and collaboration with local medical providers for early intervention. She enjoys community outreach and providing education on impacts mental health and substance use have on communities, individuals, and family systems. She is a strong advocate for the behavioral health workforce and for patient quality of care. Brandy serves on the boards for the Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers (ASAP) of New York State and the Coalition. She is an active member of the Therapeutic Community Association of NYS. Brandy is actively involved in her community in Western New York. She is a graduate of Leadership Buffalo Class of 2022 and currently serves on various community boards. These activities give her opportunities for volunteering, connecting with others and sharing her expertise in behavioral health with others.
Brandy lives in Snyder, NY, with her husband and two children.
Elizabeth L. Mauro, LCSW-R was appointed to her current position as Chief Executive Officer of Endeavor Health in 2007. Since her appointment, Elizabeth has led the growth and expansion of the organization from Erie County into Niagara, Orleans, Genesee, and Monroe Counties. Her most recent accomplishments include:
Endeavor currently operates 35 different programs and is licensed in the areas of Adult Mental Health, Child Mental Health, Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services and Integrated Services.
Elizabeth is from the Buffalo area and a graduate of The State University of New York at Buffalo’s Graduate Program in Social Work. She has been with Endeavor for the past 30 years and has held various positions including Corporate Compliance Officer, Supervisor of Child Mental Health Clinics, Site Team Leader, and Mental Health Counselor.
Elizabeth is the recipient of the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Association of Social Workers, NYS Western Division. She serves on the Board of Directors of People Inc., a not-for-profit health and human services agency. Elizabeth is a founding partner, Treasurer and Advisory Board member of Value Network IPA, LLC along with serving on the Behavioral Health Quality Improvement Committee for Amerigroup Partnership Plan, LLC for Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of WNY and the Utilization Management and Quality Management Behavioral Health subcommittees for Your Care Health Plan, Beacon Health Options. She served as the Advisory Board Chair for the Oishei Healthy Kids Children’s Health Home Care Management Committee upon its inception.
Elizabeth is a recipient of a scholarship to Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Education program; an Adjunct Professor at St. Bonaventure University Graduate School of Education; a past teacher/moderator for The Harvard Business School Club of Buffalo; and currently serves as the Western Region Representative Board Member for the New York Council on Community Behavioral Healthcare.