Being a fifth generation rural Iowan, Shannon Black said she’s witnessed her family members rely on rural health care for the entirety of her life.
“That was something that really struck a chord with me, that I was really passionate in wanting to make sure that we were able to maintain services and remain viable for generations to come for the people who do live in rural communities,” Black said.
On Feb. 19, Shannon Black stepped-in as the new CEO of Manning Regional Healthcare Center.
Working in the health care industry for 20 years, Black previously worked as a Clinic Administrator for UnityPoint Health in Waukee and Jefferson.
She’s also worked for Greene County Medical Center for 10 years, saying she wore “many different hats” for the Critical Access Hospitals.
“I had some really great mentors there that took me under their wing and taught me a lot about the Critical Access industry and what all that entails,” Black said. “I had the opportunity to gain a lot of invaluable experience while I was there.”
Black received her bachelor’s degree in health care administration from Walden University. She’s working for her master’s degree in health care administration from the University of Phoenix, expecting to graduate this upcoming April.
Black grew up in Jefferson and graduated from Jefferson-Scranton High School. Now known as Greene County High School, Black also serves as the school district’s cheerleading coach.
Continuing to live there, Black also served on Jefferson City Council for eight years.
Having experience working in local government, Black said the leadership skills from city council has helped her as a hospital CEO, especially for developing “big picture” ideas.
As a councilwoman, Black was involved with Jefferson becoming a Main Street community and city’s downtown restoration project.
“I got to be part of a lot of those great projects and got to see how those come to fruition from start to finish, and that definitely has helped me in this position as well,” Black said.
During the transition to her new position, Black said it felt seamless.
“Everyone here made me feel welcome right away,” Black said. “Everyone has been very warm and kind and helpful, so it’s been a very nice transition.”
Black also praised the modern structure of the building, as well as the hospital’s range in services.
“It has been very impressive to come into a town the size of Manning and see a facility like this,” Black said. “The residents of these communities are extremely fortunate to have such a nice facility and such great services so easily accessible to them.”
With both Jefferson and Manning being Main Street communities, Black said she was already familiar with the town. When she first arrived, Black said toured through Manning and learned more about its history, forming working relationships with city leaders.
“I think the hospital and the city should have a good relationship and work closely together for the benefit of the communities, for sure,” Black said. “I’m looking forward to getting more involved in the Manning community and helping to build those relationships between the community and those entities in the hospital as best I can.”
Black is married to her husband Chad, who serves on the Jefferson Fire Department and a soccer coach for Greene County High School.
They have four children: Gwen, 23, who lives in Ames, Nathan, 20, a sophomore of Grandview University, Nick, 14, an 8th grade student at Greene County Middle School and Grace, 11, a 5th grade student at Greene County Middle School.