North Platte, Neb., January 3, 2024 – Danelle Franzen, MBA, MLS (ASCP), FACHE,
Great Plains Health chief operating officer, recently became a Fellow of the American
College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the nation’s leading professional society for
healthcare leaders.
“This is one of the most distinguished accomplishments that a healthcare leader can
earn,” said Ivan Mitchell, Great Plains Health chief executive officer. “By becoming an
ACHE Fellow, Franzen has demonstrated her commitment to serving our patients, our
community and the broader healthcare profession.”
Fellow status represents achievement of the highest standard of professional
development. In fact, fewer than 9,000 healthcare executives hold this distinction. To
obtain Fellow status, candidates must fulfill multiple requirements, including meeting
academic and experiential criteria, earning continuing education hours, demonstrating
professional/community involvement and passing a comprehensive examination.
Fellows also are committed to ongoing professional development and undergo
recertification every three years.
“The healthcare management field plays a vital role in providing high-quality care to the
people in our communities, which makes having a standard of excellence promoted by
a professional organization critically important,” said Deborah J. Bowen, FACHE, CAE,
president and CEO of ACHE.
Franzen also serves as the 2024 chapter president elect for the ACHE – Nebraska and
Western Iowa Chapter and will serve as the chapter president in 2025. As the Great
Plains Health chief operating officer, Franzen is responsible for the overall operations of
the health system and ensures that the organization’s strategic objectives are carried
out through its daily activities. Before assuming this position in 2022, Franzen served as
chief provider network officer for two years. She began her healthcare career as a
medical laboratory technician at Great Plains Health and has had several positions of
increasing responsibility in laboratory and management.
Franzen earned a master’s degree in business administration from Bellevue University
in Bellevue, Nebraska. She earned a bachelor’s degree in clinical laboratory science
from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, and an associate’s degree from Mid-Plains
Community College in North Platte.
