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(HOWARD, SD) - Horizon Health Care has named Wade Erickson as chief executive officer of Horizon Health Care, effective July 2, 2021.
Erickson, who currently serves as chief financial officer of the organization, will succeed retiring CEO John Mengenhausen, who has led the organization for the past 38 years.
Erickson has served as chief financial officer of Horizon since 2000. In this position, he has been instrumental in growing the organization from a small community health center, with a budget of $2.5 million to a mid-sized organization with a current budget of $31 million. To meet the organization’s growing needs, Erickson successfully led the organization and his finance team through the establishment of several departments including centralized billing, coding, and credentialing. He also led the efforts to establish the 340B Prescription Drug program for Horizon.
“We are excited to leverage the knowledge and passion for the organization’s mission that Wade will bring to his new position,” said Ryan Jensen, Horizon Health Care Board Chair. “Our board of directors are grateful to John for the excellent leadership he has brought to Horizon Health Care. As we look towards the future, we believe Wade is the perfect fit to guide us into the next era of serving South Dakota.”
Mengenhausen was initially hired as the business manager for then-Miner-Hamlin Health Care Project in 1983. Over the next three decades, his role evolved to chief executive officer as he led the organization through significant growth and federal changes to become South Dakota’s largest community health center and a leader in rural health care.
Mengenhausen and Erickson have worked closely together to oversee numerous mergers/acquisitions and successors of interest, established six New Access Point clinics, and expanded Horizon’s service line to include dental care, currently delivered in eight dental clinics across the state, and behavioral health care, delivered in person and via telemedicine. In 2016, Mengenhausen worked with his Board of Directors to establish the Horizon Health Foundation to ensure future health care access for rural communities.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to succeed John and lead Horizon Health Care on our new path forward,” said Erickson. “I have been fortunate to work with John over the years and learn from his success. Now, I am looking forward to building on the strong foundation and legacy he has created to continue to ensure our communities have access to affordable, high-quality health care.”
Erickson and his wife, Nancy, reside in Howard and have four children.
For over 40 years, Horizon Health Care has been providing personalized, affordable, high-quality medical, dental and mental health care through a rural, community-based network in South Dakota. Horizon is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that serves the medical, dental and mental health care needs of South Dakotans in rural, medically underserved areas through 110,000 patient visits annually in 32 community health centers in: Aberdeen, Alcester, Bison, Bryant, De Smet, Eagle Butte, Elk Point, Faith, Fort Thompson, Howard, Huron, Isabel, La Plant, Lake Preston, Martin, McIntosh, Mission, Plankinton, Wessington Springs, White River, Woonsocket, and Yankton. For more information please visit www.horizonhealthcare.org.