On Monday, Aug. 23, Erik Olson officially became the full-time, permanent director of Harney District Hospital (HDH) Family Care Clinic.

He took the reins from Interim Director Darcy Crisp who was serving in the position until a permanent director was hired.

Erik has a master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Minnesota, and he’s been working in the healthcare field for about 25 years. The vast majority of his healthcare experience is in clinic operations.

After living, working, and raising a family in Minnesota for about 18 years, Erik decided it was time for a change and moved to Butte, Mont.

While working in Montana, he received a promotion, which required him to move to Topeka, Kan.

When the health system in Topeka was sold, Erik and his wife, Kimberlee, decided to open a home care business in Sandy, Utah (about 10 minutes outside of Salt Lake City).

“That was a fun and interesting business and a good experience, but it was like you never ‘turned off.’ You kind of had to live it 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Erik said regarding his home care business.

After about three years, the Olsons decided to sell their business and look for other opportunities.

When asked why he chose HDH, Erik said, “I love the leadership team here.”

He added that he was drawn to HDH because it isn’t part of a big, corporate healthcare system. He also noted that he and Kimberlee prefer living in a small community.

Erik said he’s excited to join the team at HDH, and he’s looking forward to getting to know everyone, building strong relationships, and supporting the staff who do the hands-on work in the clinic.

Erik and Kimberlee have five children and seven grandchildren. In their spare time, they enjoy reading, hiking, and exploring the outdoors.