Senior Leadership Team
Chief Financial Officer/Vice President of Finance
Betty Arvidson started her RiverView Health affiliation as a member of the Board of Directors, where she served for five years before accepting the position of Chief Financial Officer/Vice President of Finance in 2012.
A native of Blackduck, Minnesota, Arvidson, husband Bruce and their two daughters moved to Crookston in 1994, where she has been active in community events for many years. She is a graduate of Bemidji State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business.
Chief Operating Officer/Compliance Officer
Chris Bruggeman serves as the Chief Operating Officer and the Compliance Officer. He oversees Information Technology, Plant Operations, Environmental Services, Nutritional Services, Quality, Risk Management, Compliance, and the RiverView Recovery Center. Bruggeman holds a Master's degree in Health Services Administration from the University of South Dakota, a Bachelor's degree in Information Network Management from the University of Minnesota, and has completed Lean Training. He is also board-certified in Healthcare Management as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Bruggeman is a Crookston native and has been with RiverView Health since 2007. He and his wife, Stacey, live in Crookston with their three children.
Vice President of Patient Services, Chief Nursing Officer
April Grunhovd has been with RiverView Health since August 2009. A native of Beltrami, Grunhovd holds a Master's of Science in nursing administration from the University of Mary, Bismarck; a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Minnesota State University, Moorhead; and several certifications including: board certification in infection prevention and control, advanced cardiac life support, trauma nursing core course, operations level first receiver (Hazmat), FEMA Incident Command and LEAN leadership.
Grunhovd and husband Brian have two children and live in Fertile.
President/Chief Executive Officer
Carrie Michalski is RiverView Health's President/Chief Executive Officer. Michalski, an Argyle native, has been working with the employees of RiverView for nearly 20 years. She started her RiverView career as the Administrator of Hillcrest Nursing Home when RiverView operated the facility in Red Lake Falls. In 2004, she became the Vice President of Senior Services, adding Home Care and the Care Center in Crookston to her list of duties as Administrator. She was named Vice President of Operations in 2010. During that time, she also served as interim President/CEO of RiverView for many months. Today she finds herself permanently back in the that lead seat. Michalski has a degree in healthcare administration from Concordia College, Moorhead.
She and her husband, Jay, who owns and operates a family farm east of Argyle, have three daughters.
Vice President of Ancillary Services
Lance Norman has been with RiverView Health since 2011. He is the Vice President of Clinics and Ancillary Services. He oversees the outpatient departments that include the Laboratory, Clinics, Diagnostic Imaging, Rehab Services and the Care Center. Lance is a graduate of the University of North Dakota's Transitional Masters of Occupational Therapy Program and is nationally certified in hand therapy. He currently serves as adjunct faculty at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences.
Lance and his wife DeNae reside in Grand Forks and have four children.
Vice President of Human Resources
Jean Tate is RiverView's Vice President of Human Resources. She oversees the Human Resources Department, Education Department and the Area Health Education Center. Tate started her RiverView career in 1986 when she became the bookkeeper for Glenmore Recovery, now RiverView Recovery Center. Since that time, she's held every position in the Human Resources Department, until becoming the department leader in 2001. The Gentilly native graduated from St. Cloud State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Management, with an emphasis in personnel.
Board of Directors
Garrett Borowicz, Crookston, is a native of Stephen with a Bachelor's Degree in Land Surveying from St. Cloud State University. He is a vice president for Widseth. Borowicz is a member of the Crookston Lions Club, Crookston Youth Basketball Association, Minnesota Society of Professional Surveyors, and the National Society of Professional Surveyors.
"I view RiverView Health as one of the greatest assets to the community of Crookston and the surrounding area. RiverView and its employees are involved in our community through partnerships and volunteer organizations, which impacts our community in a positive way. It is my pleasure to serve on this Board."
Tim Brinkman is originally from Blue Earth, MN. He graduated from St. Cloud State University with a degree in mass communications and a minor in economics. He currently serves as CEO and general manager of Garden Valley Telephone Company; a position he has held since June 2015. Prior to joining the Garden Valley team, he was the business operations manager for Park Region Telephone. Brinkman has held several leadership roles in a variety of service groups, including Sertoma, Rotary, Chamber of Commerce offices as well as Economic Development Authority offices.
"I am a firm believer in giving back to the community I live in,'' he shared. "Without volunteers, small communities would not be able to survive and thrive...Along with communications companies and schools, hospitals are the lifeblood of any community. I can think of no better way to begin my involvement than by being accepted to serve on a board for a respected healthcare organization such as RiverView Health.''
Brinkman and his wife, Christine, reside near Erskine. They have five children.
Reed Engelstad, Red Lake Falls, is a native of Grygla. He serves as the Dakota Heritage Bank branch president. Engelstad holds a Bachelor's Degree in Finance from Moorhead State University. He is a member of Bethany Lutheran Church, Pathfinders Snowmobile Club, and served on the Red Lake Falls School Board for 20 years.
"I am interested in being on the RiverView Health Board because I feel quality, accessible healthcare is one of the most important things needed in our small communities. It is very important that we have a strong and supported medical facility to see that through."
Treasurer
Grant Gunderson is a native of Mahnomen and graduated from the University of North Dakota with a degree in electrical engineering. He joined Minnkota Power Co-Op in Grand Forks in 1997 and currently serves as a project engineer in the substation engineering department. Living in Crookston for nearly 20 years, Gunderson has been most active with youth sports, volunteering to coach baseball and basketball. Gunderson and his wife, Gina, have three children: Gunnar, Emma and Evelyn.
Of his position on the RiverView Board of Directors, Gunderson stated: "I recognize the importance of community involvement and civic duty. RiverView provides critical healthcare services to our region, and serving on the RiverView Board is a wonderful opportunity for me to contribute to the betterment of our community.''
Stephanie Harbott is a native of Granger, Washington. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington, and a law degree from the University of North Dakota. She became a partner at the law firm of Fitzgerald, Reynolds, Harbott, Knutson & Larson in 2008 after joining the firm as an associate attorney in 2002. Living in the area for the last 17 years, she has been active in the community serving as a board member of the United Way of Crookston, Crookston Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Crookston Figure Skating Club. Harbott and husband, Corey, have three children: Audrey, Thor and Maddie.
Regarding her position on the RiverView Board of Directors, Harbott stated: "We are so blessed to have such a wonderful healthcare facility right in Crookston. My husband and I had our three children at RiverView and we had a wonderful experience with each. The doctors, nurses, surgeons, lab technicians, staff, and on and on were knowledgeable, competent, caring and thorough. We continue to use RiverView for our healthcare and I hope to be a part of maintaining the same level of quality during my time on the board and help to sustain it after I am gone.''
Dr. Erik Kanten has been a member of RiverView’s medical staff since 1988, and recently served as a member of the Board of Directors from 2000-2010.
Originally from Milan, MN, Dr. Kanten received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota and completed his residency in family practice through the University of North Dakota.
Lori Keller was appointed to the RiverView Board in 2020.
A Crookston native, Keller graduated from Bemidji State University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Finance. She received her CPA licensure in 2007, and after working as a CPA in Ham Lake, MN, and Fargo, she returned to Crookston in 2011 and began working at Phil Thompson and Associates, where she is a partner. She has been a member of the Minnesota Society of CPAs since 2007.
Keller is a member of the Crookston Chamber of Commerce and Crookston Rotary Club.
“I am excited to serve on the RiverView Health Board because I believe RiverView has a direct and significant impact on our community,’’ Keller shared of her new role. “Being a Crookston native and a local business owner, I am vested in this community, and I hope my skills and experience will aid the Board in making positive choices to increase local healthcare opportunities and our quality of life.’’
Kari Koenig was employed at RiverView from 1989-2012 as a nurse on the Inpatient Unit.
She also began working at Northland Community and Technical College (NCTC) in 1993, where she became program director of the Mobility Nursing Program in 2012. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from the College of St. Scholastica and a Master’s in Nursing Education from Minnesota State University, Moorhead.
A Warroad native, Koenig and her husband, Joe, reside in Crookston. They have four children.
“For many years, I was able to maintain a call position at RiverView, while continuing with my primary job at NCTC. With added program director responsibilities in 2012, I was not able to maintain this position and also found it necessary to assign my student clinical groups at RiverView to another faculty member,’’ Koenig shared. “Many people have since heard me say how much I miss patient care and the RiverView community and that I would like to find a way to give back to RiverView in the future. The opportunity to serve on the Board will allow me a chance to be a part of an organization I believe in and support. I feel my long-term nursing career, background with RiverView, experience with nursing education and my current leadership role will provide me with the tools needed to contribute to the association.’’
General Surgeon Dr. Brett Vibeto joined RiverView in 2016. He received his medical degree from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine, Grand Forks. He completed his residency in general surgery at Texas Tech University, El Paso. Prior to his employment with RiverView, Dr. Vibeto offered general surgery, laparoscopic surgery, and endoscopy services in Williston, ND. He is board-certified with the American Board of Surgery.