Dr. Varkey leads a vast network of 16 hospitals and 50 clinics across 39 predominantly rural communities in Minnesota and Wisconsin, guiding over 13,000 employees with a vision of transforming Mayo Clinic Health System into a “category-of-one” rural health leader. She has overseen major facility expansions in Mankato, Minn. and La Crosse, Wis., integrating advanced digital and telehealth solutions to enhance access and patient experience. Under her leadership, Mayo Clinic Health System launched an integrated command center and unified operations across sites, improving responsiveness and care coordination. Her focus on workforce development has led to partnerships that trained allied health professionals and strengthened top-ranked residency programs. Dr. Varkey also champions rural research and innovation, securing extramural grants and launching community symposia to tackle rural health challenges collaboratively.
