Business notebook: St. Brigid's earns excellence award

St. Brigid’s at Hi-Park was one of seven Benedictine Health System participating organizations to receive a Benedictine Community of Excellence award this year.

The award is based on service diversity, quality, leadership and culture, strategy, person-centered care, environments of care and technology, community engagement and employee engagement. It was presented at an annual leadership conference last month in Duluth, Minn.

“We are proud of everyday endeavors of our staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to provide the best care for our residents,” St. Brigid’s CEO and Administrator Mike Schultz said.

Other organizations receiving the award included Madonna Living Community or Rochester and Saint Anne of Winona.

• Mike Larson has been named chief administrative officer of Mayo Clinic Health System’s medical centers in Cannon Falls, Lake City and Red Wing, as well as their regional clinics in Zumbrota, Plainview and Wabasha, Minn., and Ellsworth and Alma, Wis.

Larson has served in various health care leadership positions in Red Wing for 20 years. His most recent role was senior vice president of finance and operations.

In his new position, Larson will work with President and CEO Tom Witt to provide strategic oversight to each of the medical centers. Larson also will champion integration efforts across the eight locations.

• Kathleen Olson of Red Wing was recently elected president-elect of the National Extension Association of Family & Consumer Sciences Board.

She will serve a three-year term and be president in 2013, making her the first Minnesota educator to serve in that role.

Olson worked as extension educator and county director in Goodhue County, as well as regional extension educator for family relations in Rochester prior to retiring in January 2012.

• Diana Alfuth was recognized as the University of Wisconsin-Extension Academic Staff Council Academic Excellence awardee this month at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Alfuth is the Pierce County Extension horticulture educator. She was nominated by fellow Extension agents, who cited her for developing and teaching hundreds of horticulture programs.

Alfuth’s work also includes advising the St. Croix Master Gardener Association and responding to the needs of the commercial horticulture industry.

• Sen. John Howe and Paul Hugunin received the Minnesota Grape Growers Association’s highest public service award, MGGA President Ron Barnes said.

Howe introduced legislation in 2011 and 2012 that was helpful to the local Minnesota grape and wine industry. Hugunin is the director of “Minnesota Grown” at Minnesota’s Department of Agriculture and helped expand the state’s grape and wine industry by inclusion in the “Minnesota Grown” initiative.

• Red Wing resident Brandon Schmidt of St. Paul Pipefitters Local 455 volunteered his time Sept. 29 servicing furnaces for the needy as part of a program called “HEAT’S ON.”

Schmidt was one of 176 volunteers statewide who checked and serviced 182 furnaces.