ST. PETER, MN — River’s Edge Hospital will welcome four finalists for the position of Chief Executive Officer.  The candidates will arrive on November 19 and will go through interviews with the Hospital Commission, City Council and executive team.  On November 20 the finalists will have the opportunity to meet with community members from 4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. at River’s Edge Hospital in the atrium.

The four finalists will be coming to St. Peter from Kansas, New Mexico, California and Minnesota.

Joseph Stratton
Joseph Stratton most recently served as CEO at Geary Community Hospital in Junction City, Kansas from 2013 to September 2019. During his tenure, Stratton developed several strategic partnerships in the Junction City area to enhance pediatric services, organize educational opportunities for students at the University of Kansas Medical school and Manhattan Area Technical School, and developed new service lines.  Stratton led a team of approximately 300 employees at Geary to improve patient experience, employee engagement, community relations and strategic planning.

Dennis Goebel
Dennis Goebel currently resides in Slayton, Minnesota.  He has 20 years of experience as a senior healthcare executive.  Most recently Goebel was the Administrator at Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium in Sitka, Alaska.   Goebel has also served as CEO at hospitals in Minnesota and North Dakota.  In previous roles Goebel has overseen building projects, led financial turnaround, and developed new service lines.

Eugene Suksi
Eugene Suksi is the CEO at Bakersfield Behavioral Healthcare in Bakersfield, California.  Suksi has also served as a CEO and Chief Operating Officer at critical access and acute care hospitals in California and Washington.  Suksi has broad experience in Lean process improvement, strategic planning, project management, and financial improvement.  In his career Suksi has overseen construction projects and has led several patient experience improvement projects.

Vincent DiFranco
Vincent DiFranco previously served as interim CEO at South Bighorn County Hospital District in Basin, Wyoming and currently resides in New Mexico.  DiFranco has extensive experience in leading healthcare systems, behavioral health, skilled nursing facilities, home health, and medical offices.  In his tenure as an administrator, DiFranco has developed strategic partnerships, led construction projects, demonstrated service excellence, and improved service line growth.

The Hospital Commission and City Council will be interviewing candidates on Thursday, November 21.