Longtime Healthcare Leader Sarah Held Joins Hazelden Betty Ford as Chief Nursing, Quality Officer

Center City, Minn. (Sept. 19, 2022) – Experienced health care leader Sarah Held has been named chief nursing and quality officer of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, the nation's leading nonprofit system of addiction treatment, mental health care, recovery resources and related prevention, education and research services.

Held has worked in health care for more than 25 years and will be responsible for ensuring consistent, quality patient care across Hazelden Betty Ford's continuum.

"I am excited and honored to join the team at Hazelden Betty Ford and be part of a mission that brings healing and hope to so many families and communities," Held said. "As Hazelden Betty Ford grows in pursuit of our vision to empower recovery and well-being for all, I look forward to working with our chief medical officer to ensure a foundation of world-class care that is seamless, exceptionally compassionate and effective."

For the past 17 years, Held has been a process-improvement-oriented nursing leader in Minnesota. Most recently, she served as the system director of nursing practice and clinical excellence for multiple areas at M Health Fairview. Prior to that, she supported three HealthEast Care System hospitals as the group director and the model unit director of surgical services.  Her experience also includes leadership roles at Allina Health and Methodist Hospital.  

"In addition to being tremendously experienced, Sarah is a passionate, supportive and engaging leader with a commitment to delivering best practices that put patients and families first," said Hazelden Betty Ford Chief Medical Officer Alta DeRoo, MD. "I know she will lead with heart as she focuses on growing our team and improving patient care."

Held will direct the overall operations of nursing and quality, with a focus on quality patient care, infection control, execution of quality improvement methods, recruitment and retention of nursing staff, nursing staff training, and installation and monitoring of operational best practices. Her role includes ensuring compliance with patient care quality standards related to licensing and accreditation requirements.  

Held earned her doctorate in nursing practice at the University of Minnesota, specializing in health innovation and leadership, with an additional certification in health care design. She also has a master's degree in business administration, with an emphasis in health care administration, from Argosy University and a bachelor's degree in nursing from Briar Cliff University.