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Service was opportunity of lifetime
J. Patrick Traynor
Fargo
(Editorial Note: Among the Minot agencies associated with the N.D. Department of Health and Human Services are First District Health Unit and North Central Behavioral Health Clinic.)
As I reflect on my last 15 months in Bismarck, there's one word that keeps coming to mind: "blessed."
Blessed that Gov. Kelly Armstrong gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to work on a set of issues I am so passionate about. Blessed that the boards of Dakota Medical Foundation and Impact Foundation encouraged and supported me for the entirety of my civil service leave. And blessed that I had a team back home that I could entrust to steer the ship while I was gone.
When the Governor and Lieutenant Governor tapped me to serve as interim director of the Department of Health and Human Services last May, I was honored. But in retrospect, I was unprepared.
I was unprepared for the size and scope of the health challenges that our state faces.
More than 70 percent of North Dakotans are overweight or obese. More than one in 10 are diabetic, with more than 20 percent suffering from prediabetes. 10 percent of residents have multiple chronic conditions, including kidney disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
And that's to say nothing of the current mental health epidemic we face. More than 20 percent of people report suffering from depression -- with 18 percent of high school students admitting that they seriously considered suicide in the past year -- and nearly 60 percent of people regularly question their life's purpose and meaning. Also, about half of people say they're addicted to their mobile devices.
This is an untenable situation, and I applaud Gov. Armstrong's leadership as we work to reverse these alarming trends and make North Dakota the healthiest state in the country.
I am tremendously proud of the people we hired and everything we accomplished during my time at HHS. We developed a North Star across the agency to ultimately become a national model for effectiveness and efficiency and laid the groundwork for future success. Here are a few highlights:
- We launched the five-year, $1 billion Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) centered around four pillars of workforce stabilization, preventive care, localized access, and technological modernization.
- We created a new internal audit division, as well as a fraud, waste, and abuse unit.
- We developed a data-and-performance metrics division to help the agency better track progress toward its ambitious goals.
- We returned more than 1,000 employees back to the office to reduce isolation and build cohesive, winning teams across the agency.
- We launched the Lead with Light leadership initiative, which will help current and emerging HHS leaders cultivate a sense of hope, purpose, kindness, civility, and gratitude throughout the agency.
Above all, what my time at HHS showed me was that we cannot truly tackle any of our health and well-being challenges until we get serious about addressing their root causes. No pill can ever replace the benefits we get from exercising 30 minutes a day, eating whole foods, limiting screen time and alcohol use, and spending more time in the sun and in nature with our family and friends.
We know what's good for us. We just have to encourage one another to adopt healthy habits.
I'd like to extend my sincere appreciation and gratitude to the 3,000-plus dedicated employees of HHS who, last fall, rose to meet the unique challenge of navigating a government shutdown while completing a lengthy and complex RHTP application process. It was a massive undertaking, and I am forever grateful for how they rose to the occasion.
I know that my successor, Conner Swanson, is in good hands, and I wish him wisdom, courage, and patience as he assumes this important role.
Giving tribute to Minot 'giant'
Duane Brekke
Minot
I am writing this letter in response to the wonderful story in the Tuesday, Sept. 22, Minot Daily News regarding Minot State University's celebration of a new classroom dedicated to Gary Hovdestad.
The article tells what Gary did in giving back to his university. I want to tell you about the man, Gary, who became a giant in his field and highly respected. The impact he has had in the state, not just in Minot, has been phenomenal because he just was so intelligent.
Gary started school in Deering at 4 years of age. His family later moved into Minot, and his father died when he was only 12. While helping take care of his mother, he graduated from high school at age 16. He worked for Steenstrup Jewelry while enrolled at Minot State. He later worked for Brady Martz, where he was encouraged to pursue a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) credential. Gary had studied business at Minot State, which did not have an accounting degree at that time. The only preparation program leading to a CPA was in Grand Forks. Gary took the CPA test and passed. However, he couldn't receive his certification right away because, at age 20, he was too young.
During his 45 years as a CPA and consultant, Gary was sought out not only in North Dakota but by clients in Montana and Canada. He was a lead consultant for several Minot businesses that became multi-million dollar enterprises with his assistance.
Gary and I served on the Minot State Alumni Board together and were among the six individuals who started the Board of Regents. Gary also served as president of First Lutheran Church and was on the First Lutheran Foundation Board for many years. He served on the State Board of Accountancy, which oversees the CPA profession.
Always a hard worker and a brilliant individual, that's the Gary I've known. That's the Gary the community should know about.