Ms. Russell is CEO of Mitchell County Regional Health Center. Appointed CEO in 2014, she leads three rural health clinics and a critical access hospital. Mitchell County Regional Health Center has been named a Chartis Center for Rural Health “Top 100 Critical Access Hospital” five times. During her tenure, she has driven significant growth in outpatient services and provider recruitment. She has more than 35 years of experience, having served in a variety of clinical nursing roles early in her career. Prior to assuming her current role, Ms. Russell was CNO at the health center. A devoted advocate for improving the quality of rural healthcare, she has served on the board of directors of the Iowa Hospital Association since 2018. Currently, Ms. Russell serves as the chairman of the Iowa Hospital Association’s board of directors. Ms. Russell also served on the American Hospital Association regional policy board for the Midwest region. Locally, Ms. Russell served the Osage Development Council, Mitchell County Economic Development Council, Mitchell County Substance Abuse Council and Osage Rotary. In 2005, Ms. Russell co-authored The Joint Commission’s Ernest Codman Quality award-winning abstract titled “Improving Diabetes Care and Outcomes in a Rural Primary Care Clinic.”
