The Arizona Daily Star, March 4, 1998

Psych center gets new CEO from Texas
By Jane Erikson

Desert Hills Center for Youth and Families - steeped in investigations into the death of 15-year-old Edith Campos and other client injuries and assaults - has a new chief executive officer.

Desert Hills spokesman Kirke Cooper confirmed yesterday that the new CEO is Dick Hardin, who comes to Tucson from The Brown Schools, a group of behavioral health treatment centers based in Austin, Texas.

Attempts to reach Hardin yesterday were unsuccessful. Cooper would provide no additional information, saying that he plans to release more today.

Cooper refused to answer questions about Desert Hills' previous acting administrator, Paul Bosse.

Johnie Golden, manager of behavioral health facilities licensing for the Arizona Department of Health Services, said yesterday that she was introduced to Hardin during a visit to Desert Hills on Monday.

Golden said she had seen nothing in writing about Hardin's appointment, and had no information on Bosse.

Golden's office is investigating Campos' death, as is the Tucson Police Department; CHAMPUS, the health insurance program for the military, which covered Campos' stay at Desert Hills; the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations; the Child Protective Services division of the Department of Economic Security; the Department of Juvenile Corrections; and other agencies that place children and teens at Desert Hills.