After 33 years of employment by West River Health Services—25 of those years as chief executive officer—Jim Long is moving on to the next chapter in his life, and he is a little hesitant to experience what life is like after leaving the workforce.

By COLE BENZ
Record Editor

“I’ve just always had a job, so I’m a little apprehensive of what it’s going to be like, but I’m not too worried,” Long said. “This has been my life for 33 years. It’s going to be different.”

Long started his career in the finance industry, a certified public accountant by trade, he eventually landed a job as Business Manager for the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe on Lake Traverse Reservation before gaining employment with McGladrey accounting firm in Pierre, S.D.

Long decided to seek out other opportunities after his job at McGladrey forced him to travel often. And at the time he had a young family and wanted find employment that would allow him “to be home more.”

Initially hired on as certified financial officer, Long was in that role for eight years under three different administrators (Glen Doyle, Jim Hubbard, and Brian Doctor). When the CEO position opened, he put in for the job, thinking it would start the process and encourage other candidates to apply.

“I’ll put my hat in the ring,” Long said.

But as fate would have it, the board hired him.

He described the beginning stages of his tenure as a “baptism under fire.” He was a finance guy and didn’t expect to be in the role.

“I didn’t seek the role, I more or less fell into it,” Long said.

Throughout his tenure with West River, Long has overseen major updates to the facility including a new front entrance, new surgical suites, a new clinic, the centennial addition, and the addition and purchase of a new MRI scanner.

“We have torn into every one of the different additions of the hospital that were done in prior years,” Long said.

Though the facility has seen major improvements under the watchful eye of Long, he said the one thing he’s most proud of has nothing to do with the building itself, but it’s medical team. West River has recently been voted as a top 20 critical access hospital among a pool of over 1300 facilities, two years in a row.

“That’s the entire organization, you can’t say that was one person, or this group of people,” Long said. “It really takes the entire organization in order to achieve that.”

He has faith in the administrative team he is leaving behind, and that helps him feel very comfortable to be retiring now. He said they are young, energetic, and bright. They aren’t just willing to accept change, but they are willing to help create it, Long said.

“I look at the entire team, including Matt, and think ‘yeah, what a great team I’m leaving behind,’”  Long said. “I’m leaving behind a really good team.”

He said the administration now mirrors that of the administration in place when he first started working at West River.

Long has stayed on as a consultant to new CEO Matthew Shahan, and thinks that his last day will be sometime in June. He already has plans for the immediate future, and that includes quality time at his lake cabin in South Dakota. Long also said his daughter is expecting in August, so they will go down to Texas to spend some time with the newest edition to the family before jetting off to Ireland in September.

“I don’t think I’m going to be bored,” Long said