Aspirus Health Minnesota Market President Nick Van Deelen to Retire

Nick Van Deelen, MD, Senior Vice President and President of Aspirus Health's Minnesota Market, will retire, the health system announced March 19, 2026, triggering a national search for his permanent successor and an interim leadership arrangement spanning two states.

Jeff Wicklander, Senior Vice President and President of Aspirus' Central Region, will provide focused leadership support to the Minnesota Market while the search proceeds. Aspirus said it has a robust leadership transition plan in place to ensure organizational stability.

"Our priority remains the same: delivering excellent, compassionate care to the patients and communities we serve," said Connie Bradley, Senior Vice President of Acute Care Services for Aspirus. "This transition has been thoughtfully planned, and we are confident in our leadership team and the strength of our operations."

Van Deelen played a central role in one of the region's most significant recent health care developments: the 2024 affiliation between Aspirus and Duluth-based St. Luke's. Aspirus credited him with advancing system integration and strengthening collaboration across the combined network following that merger. The organization said his clinical expertise and leadership helped position Aspirus for long-term success in Minnesota.

Van Deelen's retirement is the second major leadership change at St. Luke's in recent memory. An earlier announcement from Aspirus St. Luke's detailed that Eric Lohn, Co-President and CFO of St. Luke's, retired on April 12, at which point Van Deelen was elevated to sole President of St. Luke's and of Aspirus Health's Minnesota Region. Chris Johnson, previously VP of Strategy and Finance, was simultaneously promoted to Interim Chief Operating Officer, with both executives beginning their expanded roles on April 15.

Aspirus Health President and CEO Matt Heywood acknowledged both transitions in the St. Luke's announcement. "I want to express my gratitude to Eric for his exceptional leadership and support during our affiliation process and for his contributions in building a strong foundation at St. Luke's over the last decade," Heywood said. "I also want to thank Dr. Van Deelen and Chris for their past contributions and for stepping into these larger roles. I am confident they and our entire team of leaders will guide us through the integration process and drive continued enhancements that will benefit Duluth and the surrounding communities."

Aspirus did not specify Van Deelen's last day in its March 19 announcement. The organization said the entire Aspirus system thanks Van Deelen for his contributions and wishes him well in retirement.