Oct. 25, 2022

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Rachel Wagemann, executive director of cancer services for Sanford Health — Sioux Falls.

Name: Rachel Wagemann

Age: 34

Hometown: Aberdeen

What brought you to Sioux Falls?

I was traveling back and forth to Sioux Falls for work about three times a week, so I was familiar with the community and knew that when the time was right, we would eventually move to call Sioux Falls home. My husband had an opportunity to transfer to Sioux Falls, so we took the leap and moved in 2014.

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

Sioux Falls is a vibrant and energetic community that somehow remains humble despite all it has to offer. There is so much to be excited about, especially the investment the community makes back into its people. I was grateful to participate in Leadership Sioux Falls – Class 36 and was amazed with the people that I met and the history I learned. We have a lot to be proud of, from the way we manage growth to how we promote diversity, equity and inclusion. It is a place that I feel fortunate to be raising my kids, knowing they will have so many opportunities, whatever their passion may be.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

The people I work with, truly. I have been very fortunate my whole career to be surrounded by some of the smartest, hardest working, most compassionate people. Sioux Falls is fortunate to have two high-caliber health care systems, and I’m continually amazed at our ability to compete with some of the most significant players in the industry. For example, our pharmacy team was just awarded with a grant opportunity to stand up a new pharmacy residency program. While we have several pharmacy residencies already at Sanford, this one was extra special as we are one of only four health systems in the nation to have been awarded with this opportunity. With larger health systems like Henry Ford and Johns Hopkins in our company, it’s hard not to take pride in how Midwest health care is leading the charge. This work isn’t possible without the dedication of every member of the health care team. From our transporters to our radiology technicians, pharmacists, nurses and physicians, it takes every one of them to not only provide the day-to-day care needs of our community but to continue to evolve the practice of medicine and elevate care to a new level. Serving these teams and individuals as their executive director is truly an honor.

How did you get connected to your industry?

I had a very unique “upbringing” into the industry. I had started as a nurse as I knew from a very young age I wanted to be in health care. From there, I transitioned into several different health care IT roles, where I had an incredibly successful and fulfilling career. My recent transition into operations brings me closer to the direct caregivers I worked with during my times as a nurse and allows me to use so much of what I learned during my time in health care IT. This background allowed me to see health care from a variety of different angles and engage with so many different people, roles, teams and organizations both locally and across the nation that share in the passion of improving health care delivery. I’ve been very fortunate to have incredible mentors that not only share their time, knowledge and expertise but their connections as well. As a certified business relationship manager, I know that relationships are key in all that we do, so I take every interaction as a chance to learn from others, so I stay as connected as possible with those that have helped shape my career.

Describe Sanford Health in three words.

Clinical expertise, commitment and dedicated.

What is something someone might be surprised to learn about you?

I have a small obsession with houseplants, although this likely isn’t very surprising to anyone that has been in my office.

What’s your favorite way to give back to your community?

My favorite way to give back is to spend my money locally. Believe it or not, I haven’t shopped at Amazon for over four years — yes, even throughout the pandemic. I love to find small local businesses that bring their passion to the community. Places like The Deku Tree, Josiah’s, Layered Elements and many more places are what make Sioux Falls so great. Investing in these businesses so they can thrive is a great way to foster a deeper sense of community. I also firmly believe that my work in health care is one of my most significant contributions to the community. Finding ways to educate others on the importance of health and wellness while also advocating for our caregivers is my way of making sure our community stays healthy and receives the best care possible when they need it.

What’s one business you’d like to see in Sioux Falls that isn’t here now?

I would love to see a zero-waste market thrive and be successful in our community – a market where you can trust the products, the ingredients in the products and know that you’re able to obtain them plastic-free and waste-free, preferably from local sources. This is something that I think the Sioux Falls community is ripe for and would further invest in the future sustainment of where we call home while also increasing health and well-being. While there are pockets of this in a variety of businesses around town, having a single location to patron would make doing the right thing the easy thing.

If you had $1 million to start a business, what kind of business would it be?

See above. 😊