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Meet New Samaritan CEO, Doug Boysen

After the retirement of longtime President and CEO Larry Mullins, Doug Boysen took over the leadership role at Samaritan Health Services on Jan. 1, 2018. Boysen, 46, has worked at Samaritan for over 10 years and is passionate about the important role the organization plays in improving health in our local communities.

Get to Know Our New CEO

Home town: Nevada, Iowa. (Nevada is a very small town close to Ames, Iowa, which is home to Iowa State University.)

Family: Wife Kerry (a Corvallis physical therapist in private practice, focusing on women’s health); daughter Clare (age 11); son Ben (age 10); and Beatrice (yellow Lab)

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business, University of Northern Iowa; master of health administration and law degrees from the University of Iowa. (I am a Beavers fan, though!)

Books on my night stand: I am an avid reader. I am currently reading “Benjamin Franklin: An American Life” by Walter Isaacson. I spend a great deal of time driving to various Samaritan sites and often listen to audio books while on the road. I am currently listening to “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg.

Hobbies: I enjoy spending time outside, whether it’s fly fishing, hiking, backpacking or golfing. I also enjoy traveling and spending time with my family.

Favorite vacation destination: As a family, we enjoy spending time in Central Oregon. I also enjoy traveling to new destinations. We spent last spring break in Costa Rica and we really enjoyed our time in that country.

Memorable piece of advice: I’ve been fortunate to have many great mentors in my life. Toward the end of my college career I was confused about whether I should pursue a law degree or a master of health administration degree. I had a business professor who I relied on for career and life advice, and he pointedly said, “Why limit yourself? You can do it all.” Whenever I think I might be limiting myself, I recall his words.

Favorite quote: Last summer I was in Denmark and I often heard the saying, “We are better off when we are all better.” That perspective really resonated with me as Samaritan strives to build healthier communities together. So many factors make up the health of our communities, including the availability of healthy foods, affordable and stable housing, strong education and accessible health care.

From the President

As I begin my tenure as president/CEO, I want to introduce myself and provide an overview of what I will be focusing on initially in my new role.

After spending 10 years here, first as vice president/general counsel and then as chief administrative officer, I can say without a doubt that Samaritan is an exemplary organization. We are well positioned to successfully navigate the challenges of our rapidly changing health care landscape. For this, we can thank our governing boards, organizational leaders (in particular my predecessor, Dr. Larry Mullins), outstanding providers, and especially our caring and committed employees and volunteers. I am honored to work alongside so many passionate “Samaritans” who are making a difference in our communities.

In the months leading up to this leadership transition, I visited with hundreds of our employees and physicians. In listening to them talk about what they do and how Samaritan can support their important work, several consistent themes have emerged. First, our employees are proud of what they do and of the care they provide to our patients and families. They embody the patient-centered focus to which we aspire, and that we would want when we, or a loved one, needs medical care.

Our employees and physicians also understand the importance of achieving health care’s triple aim: excellent quality and patient experience, a healthier population, and effective cost containment. In order to deliver high-quality services while also making health care more affordable, we must think in fundamentally different ways about how we provide care and in what setting. As we continue our efforts to achieve the triple aim, I will use this space to keep you informed of our progress.

Samaritan’s relationship with the communities we serve is one of our highest priorities. Given that, we will maintain our commitment to serving all patients in our region, but also to serving our communities in other capacities. This commitment includes direct and in-kind support of dozens of local health care initiatives, as well as increasing our community engagement efforts by connecting our employees with local organizations and agencies in efforts ranging from access to healthy foods to introducing students to career in health care. This community work is integral to our mission, and we know that it is making a difference in the overall health of our community.

As local residents and health care consumers, you can help shape the ongoing development of our health care system. You can share your thoughts directly with me by sending an email to Doug@samhealth.org, or invite me to a meeting of your local group or organization. I look forward to working with you to  “build healthier communities together.”

Sincerely,

Doug Boysen, JD, MHA
President/Chief Executive Officer