Austin Hatcher Foundation Names Mindy Brown First Chief Programs Officer to Advance Its Lifelong, Whole-Person Model of Pediatric Cancer Care
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (November 10, 2026) – The Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer has named Mindy Brown, MS, CTRS, its first Chief Programs Officer, effective November 2026. Brown joined the Foundation as a recreational therapist in 2023 and has led its Family Services Department since early 2025. She will now oversee its entire clinical team and guide the strategy and growth of its programs for children and families affected by pediatric cancer.
The appointment follows Brown’s completion of the Integrative Health & Lifestyle Certificate Program (IHeLp) through the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. The program provides advanced, evidence-informed training in integrative health, lifestyle medicine, whole-person care and health behavior change, an approach Brown will build into the Foundation’s clinical and integrative health services.
“Integrative health lets us look at the whole person, not just the presenting problem,” said Brown. “Completing the Integrative Health & Lifestyle Certificate Program gave me the education and network to bring clinically backed resources to our families and to work together as a clinical team to support the whole family.”
Today, more than 85% of children diagnosed with cancer in the United States survive at least five years. That progress has changed what families need. The effects of diagnosis and treatment on a child’s body, learning, relationships, and family life can last for decades, and parents and siblings carry their own share. Psycho-oncology, care that addresses the psychological, social, and behavioral side of cancer, has become an expected part of pediatric cancer treatment, but much of that support ends when hospital care does.
The Austin Hatcher Foundation was created to fill that gap. Since 2006, it has provided free, lifelong support to children with cancer, their siblings and their parents, from diagnosis and treatment through survivorship or bereavement. The Chief Programs Officer role builds on 20 years of that work, making the Foundation’s model sustainable and scalable to establish it as the standard of care for families affected by pediatric cancer.
As Chief Programs Officer, Brown will oversee individualized services, family programs, family intake and outreach, virtual family programming, and clinic operations. Her team delivers services including mental health counseling, neurocognitive testing, occupational therapy, music and art therapy, recreational and play therapy, academic advocacy, and more.
Her appointment comes as the Foundation formalizes its senior leadership team to support its continued growth. Brown joins Amy Jo Osborn, CEO, President and Co-Founder; James M. Osborn, MD, MSPH, Co-Founder, Chairman of the Board and Director of Integrative Neurofunctional Care and Research; Jenny Stickley, JD, Director of Human Resources; Katey Koon, Director of Marketing and Communications; Morgan Brummel, Creative Director; Lindsey Parker, Director of Development; and Nicole Spradlin, Executive Administrator.
“The Chief Program Officer role reflects both the growth of the Austin Hatcher Foundation and its commitment to keeping families at the center of that growth,” said Amy Jo Osborn, Co-Founder and CEO. “The future of pediatric cancer support must reach beyond treatment to address the emotional, educational, and practical challenges the entire family faces for years to come. Mindy brings a deep understanding of our families, trusted leadership, and a clear commitment to our mission. She will help expand our reach while preserving the personal, comprehensive care that defines the Austin Hatcher Foundation.”
Brown’s integrative health training builds on more than a decade in recreational therapy and behavioral health, and on the same whole-person approach the Foundation’s programs have always been designed around. That approach shows up in programs like Industrial Arts Therapy, where children with cancer and their siblings build and restore custom vehicles and learn trades such as welding and woodworking as a form of therapy.
For families, Brown’s appointment strengthens how all parts of their care work together. Counseling, therapies, school support, and family programs can be planned together for the whole family, parents and siblings included, around the physical, emotional, social, and lifestyle factors that shape health, and adjusted as a family’s needs change over the years. Brown will apply her integrative training to continue developing that care so it keeps pace with families from diagnosis and treatment through survivorship or bereavement.
“I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to serve as Chief Programs Officer,” said Brown. “Building on my years as a recreational therapist, my priority is to keep growing our programs while making them more accessible to families with limited resources or support, locally, regionally and nationally, wherever they are in their journey: active treatment, survivorship or bereavement.”
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About Mindy Brown, MS, CTRS
Mindy Brown is Chief Programs Officer at the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer, where she leads strategy, development, and growth for programs serving children and families affected by pediatric cancer. She joined the Foundation in February 2023 as a recreational therapist and was named head of the Family Services Department in early 2025. Before that, she spent six years leading recreational therapy services in child and adolescent behavioral health at Parkridge Valley, and earlier provided recreational therapy services through the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. She holds a B.S. and M.S. in Therapeutic Recreation from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist with a specialty designation in Behavioral Health from the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification, and completed integrative health training through the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine.
About the Austin Hatcher Foundation
Founded in 2006 and based in Chattanooga, TN, the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer is a nationally recognized leader in psycho-oncology care for families affected by pediatric cancer. Through an integrative care model, the Foundation provides free, lifelong, evidence-based support for every member of the family, from counseling and school advocacy to its innovative Industrial Arts Therapy program, serving children, siblings, and parents from diagnosis through survivorship or loss. Learn more at hatcherfoundation.org.
Media Contact: Katey Koon, Director of Marketing and Communications – katey@hatcherfoundation.org
