Kate Syverson serves as an assistant professor and the director of the healthcare leadership program. She obtained her bachelor’s degree (B.A.) in both social work and healthcare management from Concordia College and a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Minnesota. She also holds a certification in healthcare quality.
Prior to joining Concordia, she worked at Sanford Health in Fargo, North Dakota, for nearly 20 years. In her early career, she worked as a licensed social worker. She has experience working with individuals across the lifespan, family systems, and multicultural communities. As an integrated health therapist, she also worked with multidisciplinary healthcare teams to embed behavioral health services into primary care.
She credits her undergraduate coursework for helping her to pivot out of direct social work practice into both informal and formal leadership roles. She served as the director of quality and safety at Sanford Health for five years. In this role, she was responsible for overseeing performance in quality payment programs, Joint Commission accreditation, and Infection Prevention and Control. Later, as a director of operations for multiple subspecialty clinics, she was responsible for the leadership and direction of clinical and business operations. She has experience in both building and executing organizational strategic priorities aimed at driving performance outcomes, prioritizing population health, and improving patient safety.
Throughout her career, she has sought out opportunities to engage with learners. She has taught courses at Minot State at North Dakota State University and served as a faculty clinical instructor at the UND School of Medicine. She is excited about Concordia’s vision for the Center for Population Health and for the future of the healthcare leadership program. “To come back to Concordia and serve the programs that helped build my foundation is an honor,” she said.
Syverson lives in Fargo, North Dakota, with her husband, two children, and Labrador. She and her family are avid sports fans — spending most of their time in the gym or at the fields. They enjoy traveling and are working their way through visiting all 50 states.