HURON — The Huron Regional Medical Center (HRMC) Medical Staff recently elected Dr. Nathan Loewen as chief of staff.

Dr. Loewen is a family medicine with obstetrics physician with New Life Clinic. Additionally, Dr. Anthony Loewen, a general surgeon with New Life Clinic, was elected vice chief of staff. Dr. Richard Ellison, general surgeon with HRMC Physicians Clinic, was elected as secretary/treasurer.

Rounding out the medical executive committee (MEC) are two at-large members: Dr. Sara Castellanos, obstetrician and gynecologist with the Women’s Wellness Center, and Dr. Alese Fox, family medicine with obstetrics physician with HRMC Physicians Clinic.

The medical staff and officers are responsible for recommending privileges to the HRMC board of directors. Physicians and other health care providers, such as dentists, mental health professionals, certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants, who treat patients and perform services at HRMC must apply for privileges. As independent practitioners, their performance and privileges are reviewed every two years to ensure compliance with the highest standards in patient care and safety, as well as state and federal regulations.

As chief of staff, Dr. Loewen serves as the chief administrative officer of the medical staff and is responsible for the enforcement of the medical staff bylaws and rules and regulations and for the staff’s compliance with procedural safeguards. The chief of staff also appoints committee members and a chair for all medical staff committees, appoints hospital department medical directors and presides over medical staff and executive committee meetings. He also serves as a nonvoting medical staff representative to the HRMC board of directors, representing the views, policies, needs and grievances of the medical staff to the board.

Dr. Loewen and the MEC work closely with HRMC’s new chief medical officer (CMO) Dr. Cy Haatvedt.

This new CMO position began July 1, 2021 and is designed to provide physician input to HRMC’s administrative team on a regular basis in addition to support and communication with the MEC and medical staff. Dr. Haatvedt serves as the CMO on a part-time basis and reports to HRMC president and CEO Erick Larson.

More information about HRMC’s medical staff is available online at www.huronregional.org/find-a-doc.