Pride & Promise: Healthcare Leaders Share their Wins for '24 and their Hopes for '25

Wade Erickson, CEO, Horizon Health Elk Point, Elk Point, South Dakota 

Wade Erickson, CEO, Horizon Health Elk Point

In our ongoing effort to keep our metaphorical finger on the pulse of what's happening in our wide and diverse medical community, we invited regional healthcare leaders to share their insights about the year past and the year to come. Our hope is that you'll learn something new about the health systems around you, get to know some of the people at the helm, and find inspiration for your own organizations as we navigate a new year.  

1) What are you proudest/most excited about what your organization has initiated or accomplished in 2024?   

Following a worldwide pandemic and the end of the public health emergency where wellness and preventative healthcare was less of a priority, our healthcare teams have done an amazing job of reeducating our patients and communities about the importance of wellness and preventing vs. treating illness.  

This hasn’t been an easy task but our teams care so deeply for their communities including their family, friends and neighbors and truly know the value of keeping their communities well.  

2) What are you most looking forward to or hopeful about for your organization in the coming year?  

In addition to continuing to promote wellness and preventative primary healthcare, we are looking forward and excited about two specific new initiatives around improving maternal health outcomes and expanding our behavioral health program. We know these are two very important areas that are having a significant impact on our patients and communities, especially in rural areas where access and affordability are significant barriers to accessing care.   

As a rural FQHC, it is our passion and mission to ensure that everyone has the same access to high-quality, affordable healthcare regardless of where they live, work, and raise their families.