Sanford Fargo launches sonography program

BY KAYLA PRASEK

Sanford Health is launching an 18-month sonography program at its Fargo, N.D., medical center.

The hospital-based program will be the first of its kind in the state of North Dakota to teach sonography. The program, which is privately sponsored by Sanford, will offer two tracks — cardiac and general vascular ultrasound.

“The classroom teaching, scanning lab and clinicals will all be done in one location,” says Chris Walski, ultrasound services manager. “You might do a lab in the morning and then head into clinical in the afternoon to apply what you’ve learned.”

Sanford started its own sonography program to fill a workforce need in a quickly growing field, while also addressing a lack of educational opportunity in the Fargo region, says Jess Brendsel, cardiac sonography manager. “We’re seeing a tremendous amount of growth in this field but there isn’t the educational option in the region. People ask us all the time how they can get into this field, but you have to leave the region to receive the right education. This fills that educational need, while exposing the students to the field and filling our workforce need, without having to leave Fargo.”

Employment of diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular sonographers is projected to grow about 40 percent by 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to a news release from Sanford.

Other similar programs exist within the Sanford Health system, but they all are associated with a university system, Walski says. Sanford Fargo’s sonography program will be the first Sanford is solely sponsoring.

But that doesn’t make it unique among large health care systems, Walski says. “It’s not that unusual for a larger health care system to sponsor programs like this because they have the resources. It’s a nice arrangement for the students and the health care system when facilities can provide the classroom time, real labs and clinical experience right there, without making the students ever leave.” PB

Kayla Prasek Staff Writer, Prairie Business 701.780.1187

Commissioning Solutions hires Rector

Commissioning Solutions Inc. in Fargo, N.D., has hired Ned Rector as director of retro-commissioning.

Rector is a mechanical engineer with more than 30 years of building mechanical systems experience. He has worked on several high-profile mechanical projects and has been involved in many aspects of the mechanical engineering and mechanical construction business. His professional roles have included consulting engineer, mechanical contractor, heating, ventilation and air conditioning service manager and capital projects director.

Regional Health names chief nursing officer

Laura Wightman has been named chief nursing officer of Rapid City, S.D.-based Regional Health. In this new position, Wightman will oversee nursing throughout the health system. She will work closely with market presidents, physician and nursing leadership in Regional Health’s hospitals, clinics, hospice, home care and senior care facilities. She will lead efforts in nursing leadership development, standardization of patient care and implementation of best practices throughout the health system.

Wightman comes to Regional Health from St. Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, Calif., where she was chief nursing officer. Wightman previously worked as chief nursing officer for Mercy Hospital Grayling in Grayling, Mich. Her career in the Michigan marketplace included senior leadership roles as administrator of a surgical center, director of a heart and vascular service line, site director of perioperative services and clinical director of home care. Wightman earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Rush University in Chicago, Ill., and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in nursing from Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich. A Six Sigma green belt, she is board certified as a Nurse Executive Advanced and is a certified executive coach.

Roseth joins Mortenson Construction

Mortenson Construction in Fargo, N.D., has hired Ken Roseth as senior business development manager for its North Dakota operations. Roseth will be responsible for developing business and growing relationships for Mortenson across the state.

Before joining Mortenson Construction, Roseth held senior leadership positions in facilities management, including senior director of corporate services and facilities at Noridian Mutual Insurance Company/Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota and vice president of support services and facilities management at Innovis Health (now Essentia Health) in Fargo.

Roseth received his bachelor’s degree in construction management from North Dakota State University and his master’s of business administration from the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D.

Jeff Glas has been named business banking manager for Wells Fargo in Bismarck and Minot in North Dakota. In his new role, Glas leads a six-member business banking team and works with business customers to help meet their deposit, cash management and credit needs.

Glas began his Wells Fargo career in 2010 as a business banking trainee in Des Moines, Iowa. He then worked as a business relationship manager in Colorado before transferring to his most recent role, senior business relationship manager in Bismarck in 2013.

A Grand Forks, N.D., native, Glas has a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s degree in business administration, both from the University of North Dakota. He is an active community volunteer for the Bismarck Cancer Center and United Way.

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