About Us

Mission:  “An alliance of rural health care organizations working together to effectively provide value to members and strengthen the delivery of health care in the Medi-Sota service area.”

Medi-Sota, Inc. dates back to March of 1976 when the communities of Appleton, Dawson, Madison, Montevideo, and Ortonville came together with a common goal of attracting physicians to each of the communities through a joint effort, rather than a competitive effort. Through the years of added benefits to members, the consortium has grown to include 31 healthcare organizations.

Some highlights of past ventures include:
• Medi-Sota entered into a joint venture with MN West Community and Technical College to provide custom tailored education programs for staff in October of 1983. This working relationship still exists today and has been one thing that has kept the hospitals working together. Currently, the program offers minimum of 40 education programs per year.

• Medi-Sota, Inc. and the Rural Health Alliance received a joint grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation in August 1995, to develop a physician recruitment program for participating members. This successful program has resulted in the placement of many physicians and mid-level practitioners in our region.

• In 1998, Medi-Sota entered into a joint venture with Northland Healthcare Alliance from Bismarck, ND to develop a medical collection agency. Medi-Sota, Inc. has 20% ownership in the collection agency, named Recovery Resources, LLC.

• In 2001, the Rural Health Alliance and Medi-Sota, Inc. Board of Directors approved a joint staff recruitment and retention program to address the workforce shortage in the service area. The Office of Rural Health and Primary Care awarded a grant through the MN Rural Flex Program to assist with the start up costs for this program.

Previous funding opportunities that benefited the Medi-Sota membership:

• National Library of Medicine
• Southwest MN Initiative Fund – March, 1992
• Federal Rural health Care Transition Grant – October, 1993
• Otto Bremer Foundation – August, 1995
• Otto Bremer Foundation – December, 1999
• Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Grant – 2000
• MN Office of Rural Health and Primary Care – 2001
• Southwest MN Foundation –
• Otto Bremer Foundation – 2002
• MN Office of Rural Health and Primary Care – 2003
• Otto Bremer Foundation – 2004
• MN Office of Rural Health and Primary Care – 2005
• USDA RUS Distance Learning & Telemedicine Grant – December, 2005

• FCC Pilot Project - 2008


Organizational Structure
Medi-Sota is a 501 c3 non-profit healthcare organization.  The membership includes the board chair, chief of staff and administrator / CEO of each facility. The CEO's act as the Board of Directors and meet once a month. The Nursing Administrators also meets bimonthly.

Officers:
President: Kathy Johnson, Administrator, Johnson Memorial Health Services, Dawson
Vice President: Scott Larson, Administrator, Madison Lutheran Home
Treasurer: Mark Paulson, Administrator, Chippewa County-Montevideo Hospital.
Secretary: Richard Ash, Administrator, Ortonville Area Health Services