Altru still waiting for final acquisition of Devils Lake hospital. The final step? Approval from the Vatican
May 9—DEVILS LAKE, N.D. — Altru Health System's acquisition of CHI St. Alexius Health Devils Lake, once expected to be completed by the end of March, is waiting on one last step before it can be finalized, Altru CEO Todd Forkel said.
That step? Approval from the Vatican.
"It's really a wait-and-see as that final step gets done," Forkel said.
The hope of a
springtime takeover
came and went as Altru continues to wait for the current owner, CommonSpirit Health, to get the faith-based hospital taken off the Catholic registry — an act that needs approval by an office at the Vatican. It's the last step before the acquisition, which started in
June 2024
, can be completed. While waiting, Altru has named a future CEO for the hospital — Ellendale, North Dakota, native
Tanner White
.
White said he's excited to begin his work at the hospital, and it's important for him to get involved in the community. Devils Lake Mayor Jim Moe said previously that the new CEO will be put on some committees in the city, and White is ready to get started.
"I spent 14 years in Aberdeen (South Dakota) and I've been involved in all different sorts of committees, from the chamber to local golf course board to everything in between," he said. "Going to the Devils Lake region, I think it's important to get myself involved in those boards and committees, so I look forward to jumping at those opportunities as they present themselves."
A hospital plays a pivotal role in a community, Forkel said, and he believes White will get involved early on.
White has seven years of experience working with South Dakota-based Avera Health in multiple leadership roles, including vice president of network operations, director of therapy services and regional manager of philanthropy, an Altru announcement said. He also served as a liaison between Avera Health and several critical-access hospital boards, which led to him apply for the Devils Lake position.
"I just really have come to love rural health care," he said. "I grew up in rural North Dakota, so I know what it means to provide good, quality care, and I decided it's time to take the next step, and maybe get hands-on in my own critical-access hospital."
Altru conducted a regional search through the upper Midwest for the CEO position and received more than 30 applications, said Forkel, who also has ties to Avera and Aberdeen and knew White. Forkel said there's a comfort level in knowing White will be a good fit for the organization.
"I got to see firsthand that he's a high-quality leader," Forkel said. "He's really good at building a great organizational culture and so that really has always stood out in the past, and definitely during the interview process. He's great at getting input from staff, building relationships, recognizing others for the work that they do and connecting them to purpose."
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