Coinciding with the University of North Dakota’s founding year, 1883, the 18:83 Speaker Series seeks to gather leaders to give pocket-sized presentations on development and leadership. This semester’s programming for the series concluded with Dr. Josh Deere’s, the president of Altru Health System, speech on finding your authentic self at the Memorial Union’s Social Staircase, last Wednesday, April 30.
Deere, a University of North Dakota alumni graduating from UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences in 2006, became the president of Altru Health System after serving as a physician leader for more than a decade. Deere recounts his journey to president with three words: embrace, engage, and evolve.
“It’s an opportunity for me to reflect, and it’s also an opportunity for all of you to learn,” Deere said before beginning his presentation. “We’re going to talk about how a kid from Kennedy, [Minnesota], ends up on this stage today.”
Throughout personal troubles and triumphs, Deere’s grandmother was a source of stability for him. Unfortunately, Deere’s grandmother passed away in a fatal car accident on a trip back from Grand Forks, where he had just gotten his braces removed.
“I’m 14; I’m scared; I’m worried, and up at Altru’s Legacy Hospital. The staff came in and said, ‘would you like to look at your grandma? She’s passed,” Deere said. “From that moment forward, I made the decision I would be a physician. Maybe not understanding what all that entails, I was going to embrace this challenge.”
With this goal in mind, Deere engaged in academics and athletics, playing basketball at Mayville State University. Progressing into medical school, Deere was convinced he wanted to be a surgeon. However, he discovered that he loved family medicine instead.
“So, I ended up [in] family medicine, and at the same time, I married my wife, Liz, who supported me through this crazy journey,” Deere said.
About six months into his practice, Deere was offered to be the chair of his department, which was made up of about 50 people. After some hesitancy, he became the chair.
“Throughout my career, when opportunities arise, I always thought, ‘can you do this job different or better than whoever was in the seat prior?” Deere said. “If the answer is yes and you can bring something unique and different to the table, why not you?”
A few years later, Deere became the president of Altru Health System, feeling he could carry the influence to make everyone better.
“Lastly, as this talk has evolved over the couple years that I’ve done it, we need to get better,” Deere said. “That means no matter how great you did on a case, how good a surgery went, and how great someone’s experience is, we can always do better.”
Dylan Campbell is a Dakota Student Section Editor. He can be reached at [email protected].
