Three extraordinary clinical leaders who are working tirelessly to improve health and health care have joined the Stratis Health board.

“We are thrilled to welcome Julie, Arlene, and Roli to our board,” said Kelly Fluharty, board chair. “They are joining Stratis Health at a critical time as we work to improve health and lead health care transformation. The new board members are all physicians, representing diverse experiences and perspectives. Their wealth of knowledge and unique perspectives will shape and strengthen how we champion quality health and care.”

 Julie Benson, MD, FAAFP, CMD, is a family medicine physician at Lakewood Health System in Staples, MN. She has a special interest in healthcare for people of all genders and ages, particularly hospice and palliative care. She is the Medical Director for Senior Services and Hospice and Palliative Care at Lakewood. The Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP) selected Dr. Benson as the 2017 Family Physician of the Year. Dr. Benson is a member of the American Board of Family Medicine, Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians, American Medical Directors Association, and Minnesota Gerontological Society. She is also currently serving on the Palliative Care Advisory Council for the Minnesota legislature.

Arlene Bierman, MD, MS, is a general internist, geriatrician, and health services researcher who focuses on improving access, quality, and outcomes of health care for older adults with chronic illness and/or multimorbidity and has published widely in these areas. Former Chief Strategy Officer of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), previously she served as director of AHRQ’s Center for Evidence and Practice Improvement. Before joining AHRQ, she held tenured appointments as a professor in Health Policy, Evaluation, and Management; Public Health; Medicine; and Nursing at the University of Toronto. Dr. Bierman has served on influential intra- and interagency committees, including the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Healthy Aging and Age-Friendly Communities, and the White House Office of Science and Policy Interagency Committee on Social Determinants of Health.

Roli Dwivedi, MD, FAAFP, DABFM, is an Associate Professor and the Mac Baird Vice Chair in Community Engagement and Advocacy within the Department of Family Medicine & Community Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School. She also serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Clinical Officer at the Community-University Health Care Center (CUHCC). She is the Immediate past President of the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians, a board member of the Minnesota Association of Community Health Centers, and a member of the Federal Urban Health Network (FUHN). Dr. Dwivedi is deeply committed to serving underserved populations, advancing global health, and providing culturally sensitive care. Her work focuses on reducing health disparities and mentoring the next generation of medical students and residents.

The Stratis Health Board of Directors includes diverse representation from clinical leadership, health system and health plan leadership, business-sector expertise, public health, academia and research, and consumers. The new board members will serve three-year terms, effective January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2028.

For more information, contact Amanda Bruss (abruss@stratishealth.org).