July 24, 2024

A health care leader from Virginia has been named the new chief mission officer for Avera Health.

Dave Belde was named to the role after an extensive national search, the health system said. He succeeds Mary Hill, who retired at the end of June.

“As a health care ministry rooted in the Gospel, mission is central to Avera, and as such, our chief mission officer is a key member of our senior leadership team,” Sister Mary Kay Panowicz, chair of the Avera System Members, the Avera sponsors, said in a statement. “Dave will be a tremendous asset as Avera remains centered on our mission and alignment to Catholic health care ethics.”

Belde comes from Richmond and has 25 years of executive leadership experience in clinical, community, corporate and governance contexts.

Most recently, he has led his own consulting firm, TwinShip Advisors, with consulting services involving ethics integration, conflict resolution, community partnership development and strategic planning. Before that, he was with Bon Secours Mercy Health, based in Cincinnati, as vice president for community health for Maryland, Virginia and South Carolina, and senior vice president for mission services in the Richmond market. He has extensive previous experience in ethics and mission.

“Dave has an impressive background as a senior executive in Catholic health care and mission-based leadership,” said Jim Dover, president and CEO of Avera. “We are blessed to welcome an executive with a very high level of expertise, experience and education to lead in the vital areas of mission, ethics and spirituality at Avera.”

A native Minnesotan who grew up there, Belle earned his undergraduate degree from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota in Winona and went on to earn a master’s in theological ethics from Boston College and a Ph.D. in health care ethics from St. Louis University. He has served as an adjunct professor of health care ethics, theology and interdisciplinary studies in addition to serving on numerous boards and councils. Belle has authored numerous nationally published journal articles and co-authored an introductory ethics textbook, “Health Care Ethics: Theological Foundations, Contemporary Issues and Controversial Cases.”

As chief mission officer, Belde will provide strategic direction in leading the integration of the mission, vision, values, beliefs and history of the Benedictine Sisters and Presentation Sisters into Avera’s Catholic health ministry.

“It is abundantly clear to me that Avera is a special ministry dedicated to advancing the health and wholeness of the patients, families and communities it serves each day,” Belde said. “To have the opportunity to join such a rich and meaningful culture and to partner with committed leaders and co-workers to advance the mission of our founding congregations makes me excited, humbled and so very grateful to join Avera.”

Belde will begin his role Sept. 16.