March 30, 2023

A three-star Army general originally from South Dakota has been named the next president and CEO of Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center.

Dr. Ronald Place will take over the position from David Flicek, who is becoming chief operating officer of Avera Health while remaining chief administrative officer of Avera Medical Group.

Place will begin his new role May 13.

“After a robust national search and incredibly strong candidate pool, the final selection of Dr. Place was made by a comprehensive group of administrative and physician leaders and our board of directors,” said Flicek, who has been at the helm of Avera McKennan since 2017. “Dr. Place’s demonstrated health care leadership, military and medical practice background along with his dedication to mission makes him ideally suited to lead the Avera McKennan region into the future.”

As the top executive in the Avera McKennan region, Place will provide senior leadership for all aspects of care delivery within the region. That includes Avera McKennan, Avera’s 545-bed flagship tertiary hospital in Sioux Falls, as well as Avera McKennan sites such as the Avera on Louise Health Campus, Avera Behavioral Health Hospital, Avera Human Performance Center, sports and fitness facilities, Avera Prince of Peace Retirement Community, Avera Research Institute and more. He also will serve as a member of the Avera senior leadership team and provide guidance on designated service lines to support the overall delivery model for the system.

Place has led a $53 billion operation for the Department of Defense. According to a statement from Avera, he played a key role in merging three health service organizations under one umbrella for the U.S. government.

Place retired from his military service earlier this year. He was the director of the Defense Health Agency in Washington, D.C., providing executive leadership on organizational, operational and policy matters pertaining to worldwide Department of Defense medical programs for 9.6 million patients, including 140,000 staff in 45 hospitals and over 650 medical and dental clinics.

Place is originally from Huron. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of South Dakota and his medical doctorate degree from Creighton University in Omaha. He also holds a master’s degree in national security strategy with a health policy concentration from the National Defense University in Washington.

In his medical training, Place completed a general surgery residency at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington, as well as a colon and rectal surgery fellowship at University of Texas – Southwestern in Dallas. He has served as a chief surgeon, deputy commander and commander at multiple Army medical centers.

In a statement, he said he feels drawn to Avera because of the deeply rooted mission.

“My time in the Army was an incredible opportunity to see what selfless leadership can look like. I believe in empowered mentorship to guide others to their greatest potential. Relationships are incredibly important not only with our co-workers, families and friends but with the communities we serve,” Place said.

He and his wife, Carol, who is originally from Yankton, have three grown children and eight grandchildren.