Haxtun Health Board Names Mick Brant as New CEO

The Haxtun Health Board of Directors voted to appoint Mick Brant as the rural health system's new chief executive officer, moving forward with a two-year contract after a finalist search that brought multiple candidates through on-site visits, interviews and community meetups in Haxtun over several weeks.

Board Member Rod Salvador confirmed the sequence of steps leading to the appointment: an initial offer was made to Brant, contract negotiations reached their final stages, the board voted to appoint him, and a final contract was sent to Brant for signature following board signatures. Interim CEO Julia Biesemeier said Brant's two-year contract is set to begin on Nov. 3.

Biesemeier described the search process in her report to board members at a late-August meeting, noting that CEO finalist candidates had attended a number of on-site visits, interviews and community meetups over the preceding weeks. Brant was one of several candidates who went through that process before the board settled on him as its choice to lead Haxtun Health.

The appointment carries weight for a health system that serves as a critical access point across the northeastern corner of Colorado, providing hospital, clinic and other services to communities in the region. Finding stable executive leadership for rural health systems in that part of the state has long been a challenge, making the two-year commitment notable for a board that conducted a deliberate, community-involved selection process.

No details about Brant's prior professional background were available from board statements, and the contract had been sent to Brant for signature at the time of the board's announcement. With Biesemeier serving in an interim capacity through the transition, the organization's leadership structure is expected to shift formally when Brant takes the reins in November.