Nursing Leadership

Erica DeBoer, RN, MA, CCRN, CNL, serves as Sanford Health’s chief nursing officer. A member of the organization’s executive leadership team, DeBoer provides clinical expertise for Sanford Health’s work in quality, safety, research and care management. She also oversees the integration of clinical initiatives.

DeBoer has nearly 30 years of experience as a front-line registered nurse, including roles in critical care, clinical leadership and education. She most recently served as Sanford Health’s senior executive director of nursing and clinical services and clinical informatics. DeBoer has also served as adjunct faculty for nursing programs at South Dakota State University and the University of Sioux Falls.

The Sanford Health nursing practice DeBoer oversees is the largest division of the enterprise workforce supporting patient and resident care, including nearly 9,000 nurses across the post-acute, ambulatory and inpatient settings. She believes nurses are a critical part of the fabric that binds the many facets of health care work together to achieve safe, high-quality care that exceeds patient expectations.

DeBoer is particularly interested in the link between patient experience and employee experience, knowing that changes in one sphere often directly drive improvements in the other. She sponsors a variety of initiatives in both areas at Sanford, including the use of predictive analytics to inform care and plan workforce needs, leveraging technology to automate non-value-added work so teams can focus on patient care, reducing clinical variations in care, and improving health equity and reducing the barriers patients face in accessing care. DeBoer says nurses are an incredibly flexible, innovative resource in these efforts and are essential to meeting the needs of our patients and communities.

Active in several professional associations, DeBoer holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from South Dakota State University and a Master of Arts in Nursing from Augustana University.

DeBoer resides in Lennox, South Dakota, with her husband, Shane, and their two children.

Wendy Kopp, PhD, MSN, RN, CENP, serves as chief nursing officer for the Sanford Bismarck region. She is responsible for nursing practice and clinical services for ambulatory and inpatient care units within a shared governance model. She promotes an environment that empowers nurses to provide safe, reliable, patient-centered nursing care. She provides leadership and vision for the philosophy, development and advancement of nursing to measure, assess and improve the quality of nursing care delivered to patients.

Kopp is a member of both the American Nurses Association and the North Dakota Nurses Association, and she serves on the Bismarck Cancer Center Board of Trustees.

Kopp began her career as a registered nurse in a float pool/telemetry unit in 1989 at legacy Medcenter One, now Sanford Health. She worked in a variety of front line and clinical positions before transitioning to the academic setting where she served as the director and associate professor of practice at North Dakota State University School of Nursing. Kopp has over 35 years of experience in both the clinical and academic environments.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of North Dakota, her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Mary and her Doctor of Philosophy in Occupational and Adult Education from North Dakota State University.

Kopp enjoys biking, kayaking, running and spending time outdoors. She and her husband, Bill, have five children and seven grandchildren.

Renee is the Chief Nursing Officer for Sanford Health in Bemidji.

Renee earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND, and her master’s in business administration management from the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND.

With more than 30 years of experience in health care at the bedside and leading both hospital and ambulatory departments, Renee began her career in Bemidji as a nursing assistant when she was in high school. She joined Sanford Health in 2018 as the director of Sanford Bemidji Medical Center’s emergency department.

In 2019, she expanded her role to oversee all of Sanford Bemidji’s regional emergency/trauma services; telemetry, observation and medical surgery units; Direct Connect; and behavioral health services. During her tenure as executive director, Renee lead the expansion of multiple services and facilities, including the Sanford Bemidji Crisis Center, as well as provided integral leadership throughout Sanford Bemidji Medical Center’s COVID-19 response. In 2022, she took on her current role as Chief Nursing Officer for Sanford Health’s Bemidji region.

Calling Bemidji home, Renee and her husband appreciate spending as much time as they can with their three sons and spoiling their three grandchildren. In addition to her passion nursing and her family, she also enjoys traveling and photography whenever she gets the chance.

Theresa Larson, MSN, BSN, RN, is a nurse and leader with 35 years of experience at Sanford Health. She began her nursing journey as a licensed practical nurse on a medical-surgical unit. After 11 years in that role, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, which opened doors for her to expand into procedural areas and the intensive care unit.

In 2001, Larson transitioned to a clinical setting and began working at the Roger Maris Cancer Center. It was here that her leadership career began. Over the years, Larson has held various leadership roles while managing specialty clinics, procedural departments and inpatient units, demonstrating her versatility and expertise in nursing administration.

Today, Larson serves as chief nursing officer for Sanford Health in Fargo. Her dedication to nursing excellence, advancing patient care and fostering a culture of continuous improvement demonstrates her passion for nursing and the health care system.

Kelly Hefti, MSN, RN, CNP, COHN-S, is chief nursing officer for Sanford USD Medical Center and Clinics. She is responsible for overseeing nursing practice and clinical services for ambulatory and inpatient care units within a shared governance model. Hefti provides leadership and vision for the philosophy, development and advancement of nursing care to deliver safe, quality care to patients. As a catalyst for integration and collaboration, she’s an advocate and champion for the organization’s journey toward high reliability, or Sanford Accountability for Excellence (SAFE). Recognizing the need to grow and develop the nursing workforce, she is a proponent for the organization’s nursing internship program, nurse residency and ongoing opportunities for professional advancement. She, along with over 2,600 nurses and nurse leaders, is proud to be part of a five-time Magnet-designated organization.

Hefti is a member of the Sioux Empire United Way Community Impact Team for Seniors and Disabilities and serves on nursing advisory boards with several academic partners.

Hefti’s career at Sanford Health began in 1991 as a summer extern. As a registered nurse, she started in the cardiovascular surgical department, where she also became a clinical care leader. After earning certification as a family nurse practitioner, she spent 20 years serving the employees of Sanford Health in Employee Health Services, eventually becoming senior director. Hefti began her career in executive leadership as the executive director of the heart and vascular service line before transitioning to chief nursing officer.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Nursing from Augustana University and her Master of Science in Nursing from South Dakota State University.

Hefti enjoys reading, watching hockey and spending time with family. She and her husband, Brian, have one son and one daughter.

Amy Thiesse is chief nursing officer for the Sanford Health Network in the Sioux Falls region. She oversees the profession of nursing and the provision of nursing services in the rural communities in four states – Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota. Thiesse has over 30 years of nursing experience in tertiary and frontier hospitals, as well as in ambulatory and nursing home settings. 

From 2010 to 2019, Thiesse was a nursing and clinical services consultant for the Sanford Health network team. Prior to that, Thiesse served as the director of nursing at Sanford Health Vermillion Care Center for 10 years.

Thiesse earned her nursing degree from St. Luke’s School of Nursing in 1991. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Mount Marty College in 2008, a Master of Science in Nursing with a focus on leadership and management from Walden University in 2013, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing with a focus on health care administration from Walden University in 2020.

Thiesse and her husband, Dave, reside in Vermillion, South Dakota. They enjoy traveling and spending time at the lake with their children and grandchildren.