Farrow bids farewell

Talk about it

President of the River Falls Area Hospital Randy Farrow said last week he’s resigning to become CEO of the Mankato Clinic in Mankato, Minn. He said his last day at RFAH will be July 3.

“It was a very difficult decision,” Farrow said about the move. “I hadn’t been looking around…”

He and his family plan to move to Mankato, about a two-hour drive from River Falls. Farrow and his wife, Jean, have many family members living there so already feel connected to the community.

The hospital president said he’s also familiar with the area from attending school near Mankato at Gustavus Adolphus College, where he earned a business/administration/economics degree.

He said some of the people he knows from college now work at the clinic he’ll be overseeing.

“As I learned more about it,” Farrow said about the new job, “my interest level grew.”

The whole process started with a recruiter calling him, which Farrow says wasn’t that unusual of an occurrence. After meeting with his new employers, hearing more about the job and realizing all the personal connections, the possibility made sense.

He said the Mankato Clinic has seven locations and about 120 providers. It offers service in an area with an approximate population. He describes it as a multi-specialty physician group practice.

“It’s an independent group, not a system,” Farrow said.

Being a clinic, it’ll be a bit different than the job he’s been doing at RFAH for the last four years.

Farrow explains that a clinic focuses more on outpatient care and isn’t a 24-hour-a-day operation like a hospital. The soon-to-be CEO said the Mankato community seems involved and civic-minded, much like River Falls.

“I like this Mankato Clinic,” he said. “They seem like a progressive group.”

Farrow said his new employer plans to implement an electronic medical records system in September, plus has sights set on adding a surgery center. Both are projects similar to ones he helped RFAH plan and finish during his four-year tenure in River Falls.

He said Mankato also looks to expand services, which is an exciting time to be CEO.

For example, Farrow’s initial talks with his new employer revealed that it’s starting a concept much like a (rapid service, walk-in) Minute Clinic.

Farrow said even though it will be hard leaving River Falls, he calls the new job “an opportunity to take on new challenges and continue growing professionally.”

In an e-mail to colleagues Farrow said, “I have never had the opportunity to work with such a friendly, positive and committed group of individuals. You are second to none…You have left a positive and lasting impression on me that I will carry forward…”

Farrow said the RFAH board met last week to start discussing its approach to interim leadership and to outline the process to search for a new president.

Tags: business, ri er, falls, hospital, debbie, griffin