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Eide Bailly adds longtime healthcare leader to national team
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17 hours ago
This piece is sponsored by Eide Bailly
After more than 35 years leading healthcare organizations, including some of the region’s largest and smallest providers, Paul Hanson is continuing his work in the industry from a new seat
Hanson, who most recently served as market president for Sanford Health in Sioux Falls, has joined Eide Bailly as a senior advisor and director in its National Health Care Industry Division, based in Sioux Falls
Earlier in Hanson’s career, he worked with rural healthcare organizations in the Upper Midwest, giving him a perspective that spans from small-town hospitals to major tertiary care systems
That range underscores the value Eide Bailly sees in adding Hanson to its team
“It’s a little bit of a new role,” said Geoff Knobloch, national industry director for Eide Bailly’s healthcare practice, who also is based in Sioux Falls
“We have a large advisory practice with about 80 people, and we haven’t necessarily had someone with this exact resume and skill set that Paul has compiled throughout his career.”
For Eide Bailly, Hanson’s addition reflects a continued investment in people who can help healthcare clients navigate a complex and uncertain industry
“I’ve been gratified as word of my new role has spread by how people have been happy I’m getting back into the business of being part of healthcare, just in a different venue,” Hanson said. “I’m incredibly excited for what’s ahead.”
A national practice, led from Sioux Falls
Eide Bailly’s healthcare practice is the firm’s largest industry practice, with hundreds of team members dedicated to serving healthcare clients nationwide
The practice supports a broad range of organizations, including hospitals, health systems, independent physician-owned groups, senior living providers and assisted living and skilled nursing facilities, as well as retail healthcare, dental and wellness-related organizations
It works with nonprofit, for-profit and publicly owned entities
“We try to be helpful to clients across the spectrum, understanding that healthcare is a massive piece of the overall economy,” Knobloch said
The firm’s work goes beyond traditional audit and tax services. Eide Bailly helps healthcare organizations with operations, strategy, reimbursement, regulatory compliance, financial modeling, risk advisory, technology, cybersecurity, data, artificial intelligence and other specialized needs
That breadth appealed to Hanson as he considered his next step
“It’s an opportunity to join a firm that’s been established in the Upper Midwest but also has reached out to be a national presence,” he said. “And it’s appealing that there are a number of rede benefits to a wide range of healthcare entities.”
For smaller organizations especially, that access can be valuable, Hanson said
“You don’t necessarily have those relevel with a relationship with Eide Bailly,” he said
The Sioux Falls connection also is significant
While Eide Bailly serves clients nationally, Knobloch said the Sioux Falls office is home to leaders with national responsibilities, including within the healthcare practice
“That’s the fun thing about our Sioux Falls office,” he said. “We have national leaders here that take on those roles from our Sioux Falls office, which is really cool.”
Navigating a changing industry
Hanson joins Eide Bailly at a time when healthcare organizations are facing pressure from multiple directions
Costs continue to rise, reimbursement is not always keeping pace, regulatory requirements continue to evolve, and patient needs are becoming more complex
“The migration of how healthcare is delivered seems to be one of the biggest components,” Knobloch said. “There’s constantly a significant amount of regulatory navigation necessary for clients.”
At the same time, healthcare organizations are working through inflationary pressure while trying to meet growing needs for advanced care across broad geographies
“You have to drive some innovation in how you approach that,” Knobloch said. “We see a situation where the complexity of care has continued to increase and evolve.”
That includes caring for more complex patients, meeting needs in areas such as oncology and advanced care, and determining how to deliver services effectively across both metro and rural communities
Hanson’s experience positions him to help clients think through those challenges from the provider side
“I would hope my relationships working with organizations from small to large will open doors to provide information to assist in their operations,” he said
Much of his work will focus on operations and strategy
“If you look at our healthcare client base, we’ll look at how they can operate more efficiently or effectively,” Knobloch said. “It covers that span of operations as well as the strategy piece — what are the newer innovative ideas, how to work with others, joint ventures, different types of relationships that allow for clients to be more successful.”
That could include helping organizations think through partnerships, mergers or other strategic relationships, Knobloch said
“Some of the strategy around what you think about in a merger would be something to explore, and that would be a great fit for Paul, who has been through that on the provider side,” he said
Eide Bailly also has teams that can support the financial modeling behind those conversations, helping organizations understand what a combined or restructured organization could look like
Bringing executive experience to clients
What makes Hanson’s background especially useful is the combination of rural and large-system experience, Knobloch said
“The most unique component is Paul started his career in smaller rural areas and worked his way up from the small end of the spectrum to the largest,” he said. “Having that mix of both is really unique — someone who can resonate with a small rural facility and understand the needs as you get into a more complex organization.”
Throughout Hanson’s career, he has been involved in healthcare and community organizations, including service on multiple state hospital association boards and nonprofit organizations
He currently serves on the Concordia College board of regents and the Bemidji State University Foundation board of directors
At Eide Bailly, he will work with clients nationwide
While he was familiar with Eide Bailly before joining the firm, Hanson said conversations with Knobloch over several months helped him better understand the depth of the firm’s re
One thing that stood out was Eide Bailly’s focus on innovation, creativity and managing risk
“That resonates with me so much in terms of what’s happening in healthcare,” Hanson said. “It’s balancing risk with being innovative and doing the things you need to do to be successful.”
He also saw value in the specialized talent Eide Bailly can bring to healthcare organizations
“Even in larger organizations, it can be difficult to have all the skill sets you need to move things forward,” Hanson said
“Eide Bailly has some great people, and it can benefit organizations of all sizes to re
That can be especially important in areas such as technology, human reh-level expertise but not always have it internally
“It’s value-driven,” Hanson said. “That resonated with me.”
For Knobloch, adding Hanson strengthens the firm’s ability to invest in leaders who can make an impact both for clients and in the communities where they live
“I’m excited to get Paul out there to talk with as many clients or potential clients as we can to keep up the brainstorming of how we can keep delivering healthcare as effectively as we can, especially in our rural communities,” he said
That is increasingly important as healthcare organizations weigh how to serve patients, sustain operations and plan for the future
Technology is becoming a larger part of the conversation, including artificial intelligence
“AI is in every topic,” Knobloch said. “We’re balancing the risk scenarios that come with AI implementation along with the operational advantages.”
The needs are broad, and Eide Bailly’s healthcare practice has continued adding specialists to address them. In some cases, that includes expertise people might not expect from an advisory firm
“You don’t think of a CPA firm employing non-accountants, even nurses, but we have individuals with those backgrounds on our team that can speak to some of the specific operational needs,” Knobloch said
For Hanson, joining Eide Bailly allows him to remain part of that larger healthcare conversation while working from Sioux Falls – the community he and his wife, Paige, love
“It was really important for Paige and I to look at if there was a way to stay in the Sioux Falls area,” Hanson said
“We love the community, and Eide opened up that door. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity.”
To learn more about how Eide Bailly supports the business of health care, visit eidebailly.com/industries/healthcare
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