David Westgard Hometown: Plaza, ND Current Home: St. Paul, MN Major: Zoology Additional Education: UND, B.S., Medicine; University of Washington, M.D. Email: dsolwestgard@gmail.com David Westgard M.D., M.S., retired in July, 2014 after 43 years in medicine. At the time of retirement, Dr. Westgard was serving as Chief Medical Officer for the Olmsted Medical Center in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Westgard graduated from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle in 1971. He did his residency in Family Medicine at San Bernardino County Medical Center in California from 1971-1974 and then served in the United States Air Force at Mather Air Force Base in Sacramento, California. He entered full-time private practice in 1976 by joining the multi-specialty SkempGrandview Clinic where he practiced medicine for 24 years in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He was responsible for development of their Family Practice department of 40+ physicians in 11 rural clinics and in the main clinic in La Crosse, Wisconsin. During this time, he served as President and Chairman of the Board of Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians; President and Medical Director of Greater La Crosse Health Plans, an indemnity insurance company owned by FranciscanSkemp Healthcare. He was a Bush Foundation Medical Fellow in the class of 1988, completing a master’s degree in Administrative Medicine and Preventive Medicine from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He served from 1995 through 2000 as Vice President of Medical Affairs/Business Development for FranciscanSkemp Healthcare, part of the Mayo Health System. Dr. Westgard served as Treasurer for the Minnesota Medical Association for three years and continues to serve on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Medical Association Foundation. He has served in multiple leadership roles within several integrated healthcare systems. His areas of special interest have been in information services, quality improvement, medical management of health plans, and the integration of health care delivery systems with insurance and financing functions. Dr. Westgard and his wife, Solveig, now live in St. Paul where they enjoy being close to their three children and six grandchildren.
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