Dr. Pendergast has worked in the healthcare field as a clinician, administrator and consultant in both the public and private sectors in the United States and internationally for over thirty years.
BOSTON, MA, March 19, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ — Dr. David Pendergast has been included in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Drawing on years of expertise in the healthcare industry, Dr. Pendergast excels as the founder and president of Pendergast Counseling & Business Development Services.
Dr. Pendergast has worked in the healthcare field as a clinician, administrator and consultant in both the public and private sectors in the United States and internationally for over thirty years. He has a Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling Psychology from Fordham University in New York City, which he received in 1987. He received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University in 1997. He was an Instructor in Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, holding appointments at both Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham & Woman’s Hospital in Boston, MA.
Dr. Pendergast’s experience in healthcare has been diverse and has included work both on the provider side and the insurance side of healthcare. He was Chief Psychologist at an inpatient unit at Medfield State Hospital where he also did Forensic Mental Health evaluations and was Chairperson of the Medfield State Hospital and the Bridgewater State Hospital for the Criminally Insane Liaison Committee. He was Director of Aftercare at the Erich Lindemann Mental Health Center, the largest public mental health center in downtown Boston, which provided multiple layers of aftercare programming for the seriously mentally ill. While at the Lindemann Center he was on the Steering Committee, the Human Rights Committee, Research Committee, Security Committee, and the Medical Records Committee. At Harvard Community Health Plan and later, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, he was responsible for the management and delivery of behavioral health treatment services for the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and a portion of Massachusetts. Dr. Pendergast was responsible for building behavioral health treatment networks for all levels of care, ensuring the quality of those services and coordinating behavioral health with primary healthcare. He was also responsible for writing the behavioral health section of Harvard Pilgrim’s corporate responses to Request for Proposals (RFPs). Dr. Pendergast’s Major Committee Assignments at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care included Medicaid Behavioral Health Request for Response Team and (main author), Mental Health Network Management Design Team, Mental Health Integration Design Team, Medical Groups Division, Network Software Project (Team Co-Chair), Medicare Mental Health Task Force: Community Resources (Chair), Medicaid Health Task Force, Chronically Relapsing Substance Abusers (Sub-Committee, Co-Chair), Pregnant Addicts (Sub-Committee, Co Chair), Chronic Mentally Ill Task Force.
Dr. Pendergast was Senior Vice President of Business Development at ClaimTrust.com, which provided medical claims editing and Medicare Compliance oversight for medical providers ranging in size from medical group practices to major hospital systems and health insurance companies.
Dr. Pendergast was Chief Executive Officer of United Medical Group-USA, a company that built and managed all aspects of healthcare systems in economically underdeveloped regions of the world and/or emerging economies. Projects were usually managed with the government of the nation involved or joint ventures with indigenous companies.
Dr. Pendergast was hired by the Disability Rights Center of the United States Virgin Islands to be the Expert Witness in a Class Action Lawsuit challenging the government of the United States Virgin Islands for their treatment of the mentally ill. The plaintiffs argued that the treatment of the consumers of mental health services were below the standards required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The government of the United States Virgin Island relented to the plaintiff’s case and signed a Consent Decree agreeing to work with United States Virgin Islands Disability Rights Center, consumers and their families to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act to serve the needs of consumers and their families. Dr. Pendergast was appointed as a Commissioner by the Federal Court to work with the Commission working with consumers, family members and the government of the United States Virgin Islands to develop a new system to meet consumers needs.
Dr. Pendergast was President of the Board of Directors of North Suffolk Mental Health Association for three years. North Suffolk Mental Health Association serves several of the most economically and ethnically diverse communities in Boston through 800 plus employees and 74 programs. North Suffolk Mental Health Association provides behavioral health and substance abuse treatment, housing, and various other social services for individuals with mental illness, developmental disabilities, and social issues, including specialty programs for Southeast Asian, Hispanic, and the Hard of Hearing Hearing Communities.
Dr. Pendergast served as Co-Chairperson and then Chairperson of the New England Alumni Council of the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
Dr. Pendergast was elected by the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Alumni to the Alumni Executive Council of the Kennedy School of Government for a four-year term. He was elected Secretary/Treasurer of the KSG Alumni Executive Council in 2001 and was elected First Vice Chairperson of the Alumni Executive Council in 2002. He was re-elected First ViceChairperson of the Alumni Executive Council in 2003. The Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Executive Council is currently called the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Board.
Awards Received by Dr. Pendergast:
Omnicron Delta Kappa, Men’s National Leadership Honorary Society
North Suffolk Mental Health Appreciation Award (For Your Commitment, Hard Work and Dedication to Consumers)
Friends of Metro Boston, Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, Service Award
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Mental Health Recognition Award, “Outstanding Leadership in Pioneering a Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Mental Health Network in Maine”
Though hard work and dedication have brought him far in his career, Dr. Pendergast credits his success to his father, a role model of achievement and his mother, an unsung hero who radiated care for others. Looking toward the future, Dr. Pendergast intends to become a better person and maintain a positive outlook on life while advocating for everyone to get the respect they deserve.
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