Sobrius names veteran finance executive Rich Armentrout as CFO

Sobrius has appointed Rich Armentrout, MBA, CPA, as chief financial officer as the Virginia behavioral health provider prepares for continued growth. The hire brings more than 30 years of healthcare finance leadership across behavioral health, hospitals, senior living and nonprofit care.

Why it matters: - Sobrius is adding a finance leader with deep behavioral health and hospital-system experience as the company expands across Virginia. - The appointment is meant to support responsible growth, capital planning and operational discipline in a sector where reimbursement, staffing and expansion can strain margins. - Armentrout’s background in turnarounds, multi-site oversight and major transitions gives Sobrius a CFO built for scaling.

What happened: - Sobrius appointed Rich Armentrout, MBA, CPA, as chief financial officer. - The Galax, Virginia-based behavioral health provider announced the hire on September 8, 2026. - Armentrout brings more than 30 years of executive financial leadership across national behavioral health systems, acute care hospitals, senior living organizations and nonprofit healthcare environments.

The details: - Armentrout’s background includes senior roles at Acadia Healthcare, Universal Health Services, Culpeper Regional Hospital, Sunnyside Presbyterian Communities and multiple critical access hospitals. - At Acadia Healthcare, Armentrout served as regional CFO for 15 behavioral health hospitals across five states. - In that role, Armentrout oversaw financial operations, budgeting and reporting while meeting five-day close cycles. - At Universal Health Services, Armentrout served as regional CFO for 12 behavioral health hospitals. - Armentrout also led financial operations during CEO transitions and electronic medical record conversions. - His experience includes major capital projects, mergers and acquisitions, Medicare program implementations and financial leadership during facility startups and closures. - Sobrius operates residential, partial hospitalization and low-intensity substance use disorder treatment programs. - Sobrius has locations in Bassett, Galax and Lynchburg, Virginia. - Armentrout holds an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Bob Jones University and is a certified public accountant. - Armentrout has served on multiple boards, including Ashland University.

Between the lines: - Sobrius is signaling that its next phase of growth will be paired with tighter financial oversight. - The company is leaning on leadership with experience managing complexity, which suggests expansion will likely involve more facilities, more capital needs or both. - Nelson Smith, CEO of Sobrius, said Armentrout’s experience overseeing complex behavioral health portfolios, improving operational performance and supporting clinical teams will help the company expand responsibly. - Armentrout said he wants to help Sobrius grow sustainably, invest wisely and strengthen the financial foundation that supports clinicians and patients.

What's next: - Sobrius will rely on Armentrout to help guide future expansion across Virginia. - The company is positioning the CFO hire to support operational excellence and broader access to care. - More information is available on Sobrius’ website.

The bottom line: - Sobrius is betting that a veteran healthcare finance executive can help turn growth into a durable business model while it scales behavioral health care in Virginia.