Meet New Samaritan CEO, Doug Boysen February 5, 2018 After the retirement of longtime President and CEO Larry Mullins, Doug Boysen took over the leadership role at Samaritan Health Services on Jan. 1, 2018. Boysen, 46, has worked at Samaritan for over 10 years and is passionate about the important role the organization plays in improving health in our local communities. Get to Know Our New CEO Home town: Nevada, Iowa. (Nevada is a very small town close to Ames, Iowa, which is home to Iowa State University.) Family: Wife Kerry (a Corvallis physical therapist in private practice, focusing on women’s health); daughter Clare (age 11); son Ben (age 10); and Beatrice (yellow Lab) Education: Bachelor’s degree in business, University of Northern Iowa; master of health administration and law degrees from the University of Iowa. (I am a Beavers fan, though!) Books on my night stand: I am an avid reader. I am currently reading “Benjamin Franklin: An American Life” by Walter Isaacson. I spend a great deal of time driving to various Samaritan sites and often listen to audio books while on the road. I am currently listening to “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg. Hobbies: I enjoy spending time outside, whether it’s fly fishing, hiking, backpacking or golfing. I also enjoy traveling and spending time with my family. Favorite vacation destination: As a family, we enjoy spending time in Central Oregon. I also enjoy traveling to new destinations. We spent last spring break in Costa Rica and we really enjoyed our time in that country. Memorable piece of advice: I’ve been fortunate to have many great mentors in my life. Toward the end of my college career I was confused about whether I should pursue a law degree or a master of health administration degree. I had a business professor who I relied on for career and life advice, and he pointedly said, “Why limit yourself? You can do it all.” Whenever I think I might be limiting myself, I recall his words. Favorite quote: Last summer I was in Denmark and I often heard the saying, “We are better off when we are all better.” That perspective really resonated with me as Samaritan strives to build healthier communities together. So many factors make up the health of our communities, including the availability of healthy foods, affordable and stable housing, strong education and accessible health care.
