Vice president retiring from Sanford Health

March 30, 2023

Contact:
Jessica Schindeldecker
Sanford Health Senior Communications Specialist
(701) 200-6080/Jessica.Schindeldecker@SanfordHealth.org

FARGO, N.D. – After 36 years of distinguished leadership, Bruce Viessman, vice president of operations for the Sanford Health Fargo network, will retire on March 31.

“Bruce made countless contributions that will have a lasting impact on our organization,” said Tiffany Lawrence, Sanford Fargo president and CEO. “While leading our network, he built meaningful connections with our rural communities and expanded Sanford into the Grand Forks and Devils Lake markets. His dedicated work helped improve access to health care for our most underserved populations.”

Viessman received his bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn. and his master’s of science in management from Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minn.

Viessman joined Sanford Health in April 2008, as the chief financial officer for the Sioux Falls region and later for the Sanford Health network. In 2017, he became the vice president of operations for the Fargo network. Before joining Sanford Health, Viessman spent 21 years as the chief financial officer for what is now Sanford Worthington Medical Center.

Viessman will be remembered for his infectious laugh, can-do attitude and unwavering dedication to the Sanford network. His incredible understanding of the challenging landscape in rural health care and his unique background has played a huge part in making Sanford the premier rural health care system it is today.

“It has been a great honor to have been a part of an amazing team of leaders and staff,” said Viessman. “We have shown our ability to handle change and raise the bar for health care in rural communities and will continue to set the standards for health care delivery in the future.

Susan Jarvis, vice president of operations for Sanford Fargo, will assume the operational oversight responsibilities for the Fargo network locations in addition to her current role. Susan joined Sanford Fargo in 2010 as the executive director of emergency, trauma and critical care services before moving to vice president of operations in 2017. She became president and CEO for Sanford Bemidji in 2019 and returned to Fargo in January 2023 to serve as the vice president of operations for Sanford Fargo.

About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization serves more than one million patients and 220,000 health plan members across 250,000 square miles. The integrated health system has 47 medical centers, 2,800 Sanford physicians and advanced practice providers, 170 clinical investigators and research scientists, more than 200 Good Samaritan Society senior care locations and world clinics in 8 countries around the globe. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.