Mayo Clinic Health System names new regional vice president for northwest Wisconsin

Richard A. Helmers, M.D., has been named regional vice president, Mayo Clinic Health System northwest Wisconsin.

Dr. Helmers will be the physician leader for Mayo Clinic’s community practice in northwest Wisconsin, a region that includes five hospitals and 12 clinics. He succeeds Randall Linton, M.D., who has served in the role of president and CEO for the past 15 years. Dr. Linton will retire this spring after 36 years of service with Mayo Clinic Health System.

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Helmers to Mayo Clinic Health System in northwest Wisconsin,” says Dr. Linton. “I’m confident that he has the leadership, skills and vision to build upon and uphold Mayo Clinic’s primary value: the needs of the patient come first.”

For the past five years, Dr. Helmers has served as vice dean for practice at Mayo Clinic. He has served more than 20 years with Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, in various leadership roles, including chair of the Pulmonary Division, vice chair of the Department of Medicine and chair of the Mayo Clinic Clinical Practice Committee in Arizona.

A native of Sibley, Iowa, Dr. Helmers holds a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, and received his medical degree from the University of Iowa College of Medicine in Iowa City, Iowa.

“I am incredibly honored and excited to join Mayo Clinic Health System in northwest Wisconsin,” says Dr. Helmers. “I look forward to working together to continue the great success the region has achieved.”

Dr. Helmers will work closely with Dr. Linton to ensure a smooth transition of leadership responsibilities this spring.

In this transition, the title of the position has changed from president and CEO to regional vice president, northwest Wisconsin, to better align with other similar job titles and organizational structures within Mayo Clinic.