The president of Rapid City Regional Hospital will become the new president of Avera Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls.

Michael Gibbs will start his new role May 1 and also serve as cardiac and vascular service line leader for Avera Health.

Gibbs has 14 years of experience in health care administration, most recently at Rapid City Regional Hospital as president, and before that as chief operating officer. He has also held leadership positions at Sanford Health in Fargo, N.D., and Gordon Memorial Hospital in Gordon, Neb.

“The Avera Heart Hospital is tremendously successful, with national recognition and looked to as a destination for excellent heart care both locally and regionally,” Gibbs said. “I’m proud to join this team. I feel closely aligned to the Avera mission that views health care as a Christian ministry, and I look forward to an exciting future.”

Gibbs holds a master of health care administration degree from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; a master of biomedical ethics degree from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio; and a bachelor of speech communication from the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks. He is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

The Avera Heart Hospital, which opened in 2001, employs 540 people, and offers 53 critical-care beds plus surgical suites, catheterization labs and all related ancillary services, in addition to an emergency room continuously staffed by physicians.

The hospital is owned by Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center and the physicians of North Central Heart.

Gibbs succeeds Jon Soderholm, who served as CEO of the Avera Heart Hospital from its beginnings in 1999.

“After a thorough national search for qualified candidates, we are confident of our choice in Mick Gibbs,” said Dr. Dave Kapaska, regional president and CEO of Avera McKennan. “Having a strong history of visionary leadership, he brings expertise and experience to this role, as well as strong communication skills and a spirit of collaboration. We’re thrilled to welcome him to Avera.”