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LRH to hire search firm for CEO quest
Published Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Steve Rufer
The Lake Region Hospital board will select a job search firm as part of the process to hire a replacement for former Lake Region Hospital CEO Peter Jacobson, who resigned Friday. Lake Region Healthcare board chairman Steve Rufer said an executive committee, consisting of board members, will likely function as the search committee.
“We hope to select a job search firm as soon as possible,” Rufer said late Tuesday afternoon. “When final candidates are selected, the full board will make the final decision about a new CEO.”
Jacobson joined Lake Region Healthcare in January 2007 as CEO, replacing long-time CEO Ed Mehl. Prior to joining Lake Region Hospital, Jacobson served as CEO of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Park Rapids.
On Tuesday Jacobson reiterated that he plans to stay in Fergus Falls and will pursue other leadership opportunities in the health care field. His wife, Ann, is a pastor at Hope Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls. The couple has three children.
“I wish Lake Region Hospital and its employees, who are wonderful and telented individuals, the very best,” Jacobson said.
As the search moves forward for a replacement for Jacobson, one thing is clear. He had many supporters in both Park Rapids, where he formerly served in the health care field, and in Fergus Falls.
One former Fergus Falls resident, Bill Steen, who graduated from Fergus Falls High School in 1967 and who now lives in Park Rapids, said residents in that community were sorry to see Jacobson leave but were confident he would do a good job in Fergus Falls.
“We knew that Fergus Falls would be getting a dedicated community man,” Steen said, “but that Park Rapids would be losing a great health care leader.”
A few health care professionals, and other staff members at Lake Region Hospital, when contacted Tuesday, said they had a good rapport with Jacobson the past several months.
Most expressed surprise at Jacobson’s departure.
Jacobson, a native of Grand Forks, had family ties to Otter Tail County in previous years. He oftentimes spent his summers at Otter Tail Lake.
Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by Grannyma (anonymous) on April 2, 2008 at 7:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Too bad the board of directors didn't look into why these certain people wanted Peter Jacobson out of LRHC!
Anyone else who comes in as the new CEO will have the same problems, if he (or she) wants to change these "certain people's" methods of operation.
Their inabliity to change caused a lot of heartache to a good family and an excellent CEO.
Posted by Tmalve (anonymous) on April 3, 2008 at 2:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Grannyma, I believe the Board did look into why the certain people wanted Peter out. These certain people did not like the fact that Mr. Jacobson had a "different" set of leadership skills, as I think any new CEO is going to have. I wish we could hear Mr. Jacobsons side of it.
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