Our leadership team is comprised of seven departmental managers each representing a different area in our facility. They meet weekly to discuss strategic initiatives, policies and procedures, review financial reports, and touch base on current events throughout the organization.
Andrea Swenson
Chief Executive Officer
Andrea Swenson started as the CEO and Nursing Home Administrator at Kittson Healthcare in 2023. Andrea initially started working at Kittson Healthcare during high school as a dietary aid and CNA in the nursing home. She graduated from the University of North Dakota in 2010 with her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and worked in the hospital and ER setting for about seven years. From there, she moved to the position of Director of Clinic Nursing and Patient Safety working with infection control, quality, and risk management. Andrea then graduated in the winter of 2023 with her Master’s of Healthcare Administration through Rasmussen University in addition to obtaining her license to practice as the Nursing Home Administrator. As a lifelong resident of Kittson County, Andrea and her husband live with their three boys in rural Lancaster.
Neil Frizzell
Chief Financial Officer
Neil has over 42 years of experience helping companies/facilities improve their accounting, finance, and operations. Neil’s focus for the past 36 years has been in healthcare as a Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Administrator for hospitals (PPS & CAH), provider clinics, skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes, assisted and independent living facilities. Two of the facilities that Neil was associated with were recognized as “Top 100 Rural Hospitals for Quality and Financial Benchmarks”. Neil has successfully managed multiple departments and projects including accounting, finance, budgeting, account receivable, accounts payable, health information management, HIPAA compliance, human resources and payroll. With special emphases on healthcare revenue cycle, managed care contracting, operational analysis and efficiencies, information technology project management, nursing home operations and payroll-based journal (PBJ) reporting to just name a few of his areas of specialization. Throughout his career, Neil has proven to be an exceptional leader and mentor. He has led meetings with all levels of management. Experienced guest speaker at state and national healthcare seminars. A recurring theme in his career has been problem solving and improving financial operations. This overlapped with leading business improvements in systems, accounting procedures, and financial analysis. Improved financial analysis has aided healthcare facilities in identifying revenue growth and cost saving opportunities through expense analyses.
Tawnya Sorenson
Director of Nursing and Administrator of Hospital Services
Tawnya’s career spans over 46 years of serving Kittson County in Minnesota. She started her career as a Certified Nursing Assistant, Licensed Practical Nurse, and then a Registered Nurse. Tawnya has worked in Long Term Care and all other areas of the hospital including Emergency Room, Obstetrics, Operating Room and Medical/Surgical. She holds certifications in Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Comprehensive Advanced Life Support, and FEMA Incident Command. Tawnya’s passions are caring for others with safe, competent, and compassionate care. Tawnya currently lives in Hallock, MN. She is a member of Grace Lutheran Church and volunteers with Kittson County Hospice. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends and most outdoor activities.
Jodee Sugden
Administrator of Home Health & Assisted Living
Jodee graduated from the University of North Dakota with her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing in 1996 and started working flex time at Kittson Healthcare hospital in 1997. She accepted a full time job in homecare in 1998 and has worked there ever since (25+ years). She accepted the Administrator role for Kittson Healthcare Home Care and Assisted Living in 2014. Jodee continues to see her Home Care/Assisted Living patients too, as that is where her true passion lies. Since becoming full time at Kittson Healthcare, she has filled in with such roles as a clinic nurse, public health/school nurse, nursing home nurse and Interim Nursing Home Administrator. She loves the roots of Kittson County and is happy to be part of the leadership team that promotes a phenomenal local healthcare facility striving to do their best for our community or anyone that is visiting our amazing community. Jodee and her husband, Mike, live in rural Hallock and have three grown boys, Riley, Ben, and Landon Sugden.
Jennifer Peterson
Director of Clinic Nursing & Patient Safety, Infection Control, and Emergency Preparedness
Jen has worked at Kittson Healthcare in multiple roles for over 30 years. She began her career as a Certified Nursing Assistant while attending Kittson Central High School. Upon graduation, she became an EMT and continues to serve on the Kittson Healthcare Ambulance. Jen has spent the past 16 years at Kittson Healthcare’s Hallock Clinic where she began her nursing career as a Medical Assistant, continuing on to a LPN, and is currently practicing as a RN. Jen moved into her present role in January 2023. She enjoys seeing patient satisfaction and is actively focused on employee engagement. She believes Kittson Healthcare is an invaluable asset to the people of Kittson County and the surrounding areas. Jen is passionate about providing healthcare services close to home as she was born and raised in Hallock and feels incredibly blessed to be able to raise her kids here. Lastly, she is excited to be a part of the leadership team and strives to keep the organization moving forward in a positive direction.
Laura Hanson
Director of Nursing
Laura has been providing care for others for numerous years. She began working as a dietary aide while obtaining her Certified Nursing Assistant license. After high school, she graduated with her LPN and pursued her Registered Nursing (RN) degree through Northland College, Thief River Falls, MN. While working in multiple direct care positions such as behavioral health, respite/home care, hospital/ER, and Med/Surg, she discovered a passion for teaching. Laura earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Bemidji State University, Bemidji, MN. She graduated with honors and was inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success. Laura takes pride in being a dedicated team leader and has a drive to improve quality of care. Laura has been a RN at Kittson Healthcare since 2014. She is proud to be part of Kittson County and is grateful that she can provide care to our local residents and communities. Laura lives in Lancaster, MN where she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and soaking up all the sunshine she can get. She enjoys having the opportunity to make Kittson Healthcare the wonderful organization that it is!
Nicole Lubarski
Director of Human Resources
Nicole has longevity and passion for human resource objectives. Earning her Master’s degree in Human Resource Management from Capella University in December of 2021 and going on 7 years experience in a human resources field, she brings skills to Kittson Healthcare offering strategic direction to achieve financial success and a stable workforce. Having a strong passion to inspire the workforce and support personal growth for everyone, her goal is for an overall innovative culture for Kittson Healthcare team members and the communities it serves. Her various roles in human resources will collectively promote and support not only employees, but those who impact Kittson Healthcare such as stakeholders, with a positive direction of professional developmental growth, which leads the workplace in a successful direction.
