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Micah Aberson, one of Sanford Health’s senior executives, will leave the health organization to pursue new opportunities, he confirmed to the Argus Leader on Thursday.
Aberson, 39, has been executive vice president overseeing the Sanford Health Plan, Sanford World Clinic, Sanford Profile, Sanford Foundation. He has been with the health system seven years.
His departure will be Nov. 1. Sanford’s board and leadership was notified of his decision Wednesday to leave.
“It’s been a fun run,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of great opportunities. I’m indebted to the organization for investing in me.”
Aberson first joined the organization to lead the Sanford Foundation, and he quickly rose to the top of the system’s leadership. He said he was proud of the health system’s achievements during his time there, including the development of the Lorraine Cross Award, a $1 million award that honors cutting-edge medial research, the expansion of Sanford’s world clinics, construction of the Sanford House and the launch of the Sanford International, a PGA golf event.
In a statement, Sanford President and CEO Bill Gassen praised Aberson’s leadership.
“I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Micah for his many contributions to our organization, to include leading development of the Sanford Lorraine Cross Award, the Sanford International golf tournament and many unique philanthropy and marketing initiatives,” Gassen said. “Micah’s leadership has inspired many of us, and he will be missed.”
But Aberson was also a first-hand witness and participant to some of Sanford’s most tumultuous moments, and his departure comes nearly a year after former President and CEO Kelby Krabbenhoft left Sanford. Krabbenhoft had nearly a quarter century at the helm.
Krabbenhoft’s departure came at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic was spiking in the state. Krabbenhoft was also leading a merger with Utah’s Intermountain Healthcare, a merger that was unpopular with the state’s business and political community because it meant that Sioux Falls would no longer be the headquarters for what would have been a sprawling health system.
Following Krabbenhoft’s departure, Sanford’s board appointed Gassen, the system’s chief administrative officer, as president and CEO. A week later, Gassen announced that Sanford was calling off the merger with Intermountain.
A year earlier, Sanford’s merger with Des Moines, Iowa based UnityPoint Health had also unraveled.
Prior to the Intermountain merger collapse, Krabbenhoft told reporters that he hadn’t heard from billionaire banker T. Denny Sanford, whose initial $400 million donation to what was then Sioux Valley Hospital, altered the course of the system, including its name.
Earlier this year, T. Denny Sanford pledged an additional $300 million to the system, signaling that any break between the system and its namesake donor had been repaired under Gassen, Aberson and the rest of Sanford’s leadership team.
Aberson, who came to Sanford from the advertising industry, said he doesn’t have future plans and doesn’t know if he will stay in health care. But he said his family is in South Dakota and hopes to stay in the state.
“My roots are in South Dakota,” he said.
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