Beatrice Community Hospital Hires New Chief Executive Officer

BEATRICE - A Montana hospital administrator has been hired as the new Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center Chief Executive Officer. The Board of Directors of the Beatrice Community Hospital announced Thursday that Richard Haraldson of Sidney, Montana will begin his new CEO duties January 1^st. Haraldson has worked in healthcare for 23 years, 17 of those years as a CEO. He has been CEO of the Sidney Health Center in Sidney, Montana since 2003. Haraldson has also held CEO and administrative positions with Banner Health Care in Torrington, Wyoming. Haraldson has a bachelor’s degree in health administration from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Wyoming. BCH Board Chairman Mitch Deines says the hospital, working through a Kansas City search firm, had over 200 applicants for the position.  The search firm narrowed the list to about two dozen candidates.  Deines said the CEO search committee brought seven persons to the area for interviews, before considering two finalists for the CEO position. [audio mp3="http://media3.floodradio.com/columbus/2017/10/Hospital-CEO1.mp3"][/audio] :31                  “a good fit” Deines says Haraldson’s experience in the area of health care services accountability, while in Montana....will be beneficial as head of BCH. [audio mp3="http://media3.floodradio.com/columbus/2017/10/Hospital-CEO2.mp3"][/audio] :39                  “in that, also” Deines says a difficulty for medical care providers moving toward electronic record-keeping is that it slows the overall process. [audio mp3="http://media3.floodradio.com/columbus/2017/10/Hospital-CEO3.mp3"][/audio] :25                  “on the system” Deines says Haraldson has had great success in physician recruiting, and is a certified public accountant with a background as a chief financial officer, prior to becoming a Chief Executive Officer. Haraldson will fill a vacancy left by the resignation of CEO Tom Sommers. Dr. John Findley who has been serving as interim CEO, will transition back to serving as full-time Chief Medical Officer. Haraldson’s wife Darci is a special education teacher. The couple have four sons and a daughter.