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Todd Linden is a nationally recognized rural healthcare leader and former health system CEO with more than three decades of experience advancing innovation, strategic growth, and community-centered care delivery.

Todd served for 24 years as President and CEO of Grinnell Regional Medical Center in Iowa, where he transformed the organization into one of the nation’s most innovative rural health systems. Under his leadership, the medical center achieved national recognition for its commitment to quality, patient safety, and innovative care models designed to improve community health.

During his tenure, Grinnell Regional implemented numerous pioneering initiatives, including the development of an integrated community wellness and fitness center within the hospital, the creation of an integrated medicine center, and the introduction of advanced technologies such as the da Vinci surgical robotic platform. The organization also became widely known for groundbreaking research demonstrating that copper alloy surfaces significantly reduce hospital-acquired infections, a study cited by more than 120 publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and The Washington Post.

Todd is widely respected for his ability to cultivate cultures of innovation and align health systems around strategic growth and quality improvement. Under his leadership, Grinnell Regional was recognized as one of America’s Safest Hospitals and became a model for rural healthcare transformation.

Earlier in his career, Todd served as administrator of Green County Medical Center, becoming a hospital CEO at just 28 years old. Today, he advises healthcare organizations, boards, and emerging healthcare companies on governance excellence, leadership effectiveness, strategic planning, innovation adoption, and care delivery transformation.

Todd has received numerous national honors including the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees Award, the Iowa Hospital Association Excellence in Leadership Award, and recognition by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of the “50 Rural Hospital CEOs to Know.” He has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate on healthcare and economic development issues and has participated in policy discussions with both Presidents Clinton and Obama.

Todd holds both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Iowa and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He continues to serve on several boards and teaches healthcare leadership as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Iowa.

Across his career, Todd has focused on helping healthcare organizations strengthen leadership, cultivate innovation, and deliver sustainable care models that improve health outcomes for the communities they serve.