Orthopedic surgeon, caregiver helps guide Sanford

Mark Lundin, MD, is a Sanford trustee and guardian at Sanford Health.

The Orthopedic Surgeon serves patients in Fargo, ND in the Sanford Orthopedics and Sports Medicine region. In addition, Dr. Lundin leads the leadership team of the Department of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.

Prior to joining the Sanford Health team, Dr. Lundin was part of an independent group of orthopedic surgeons in Fargo that eventually joined the organization. Shortly thereafter, in 2015, he was invited to a management position, which he was initially reluctant to accept, and eventually proudly accepted.

“The Board of Trustees is in an incredible position and is made up of a very unique and diverse group of people,” said Dr. Mark Lundin in an interview with Sanford Health News. “What I enjoyed the most was getting to know these people, the relationships we forged together, and the opportunity to see the executive team grow and develop as true leaders of a large system.

“I have a background in surgical specialization that is important for the board of directors to understand because we look at medical problems differently, solve problems differently, and get different satisfactions,” Dr. Lundin added.

Committees focused on quality, safety, finance

Dr. Lundin sits on two committees as a Trustee: Quality and Safety and Finance. Both, he says, are critical to operational efficiency.

“When a person visits any of our facilities, wherever they are, I think they expect two main things: quality and safety.

“I am so proud of the hard work that the committee and system leadership have put in to create objective measures of the quality of care we provide,” he said. “This gives us benchmarks that we can then compare to other similar systems in the plant.”

Lundin noted the changes currently taking place across the country in the health sector, including rising health care costs and lower reimbursement rates. This, in turn, he said, made health systems work as efficiently as possible.

“I am very proud of how hard our operatives are working,” said Dr. Lundin.

He credits the generosity of philanthropist Danny Sanford for providing the foundation for many of the organization’s initiatives, and as steward of his financial donations to the organization, Lundin says the trustees’ priority is to invest dollars wisely.

Read: Sanford Announces $300 Million Funding for Rural Health Access

Commitment to caring for the countryside, growth

“Sanford, as an organization, has gone to great lengths to become the leading rural health care delivery system,” said Dr. Lundin.

He compares some of the challenges that high-quality rural care faces, including access, transportation, and affordability, to some of the same challenges that urban populations face, and credits Sanford as an industry leader in finding solutions.

“If we can come up with the most efficient way to deliver high-quality health care in rural areas, this plan should be easily delivered to both urban and downtown zip codes,” explained Dr. Lundin. “This is incredibly important work for us, but it will give us the opportunity to improve healthcare across the country.”

Read: Sanford Health redefines rural health care

“I think Sanford should have a seat at the decision table because that will ultimately determine the quality of health care and its affordability, and the right of people to have access to their quality health. Care.”

Diversity of boards of directors is “critical” to the organization

Each of Sanford Health’s boards of trustees is elected by the entire board and is currently elected to up to 3 three-year terms. The Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board of Trustees is responsible for identifying, evaluating and recommending potential new members based on their qualifications and experience. The trustees represent a wide range of backgrounds, with strong backgrounds in business and finance, healthcare, technology, and the non-profit sector.

Lundin says the different perspectives help challenge his fellow trustees and allow them to make better decisions.

“I think every decision we make as a board of directors should be seen through that lens, and as long as we stay true to our mission and values, we will do the right job and make the right decisions,” Lundin said. .

He describes his ministry as a priority of the heart.

“It is your heart that allows you to respect, understand and make the right decisions in relation to a wide range of people,” he added. “This board of trustees has a big heart and I think we’re in a really good place.”

In addition to serving on the board of directors and caring for patients, Dr. Lundin has a long history of equestrianism. His pride lies not in the success of his medical career, but rather in the people who believed in him, including his wife, children and colleagues.

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