Memorial Medical Center is pleased to welcome Karen Hansen to its Board of Directors.

Karen was born and raised in Ashland. She graduated from Ashland High School in 1975. After high school, she attended Northland College for a year and transferred to the St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing in Duluth, graduating with her Registered Nurse license in 1979. In the mid 1990s, she completed the Bachelor’s of Science Nursing program at Viterbo College in LaCrosse, and went on to achieve her Master’s Degree in Management from St. Scholastica.

Karen recently retired from a long-time career at MMC that began in 1977 as a Nurse’s Aide. In 1979 she became an RN and worked at MMC until 1981, then left to provide care at a private clinic. She returned to MMC in 1983 and was employed at the hospital until she retired in June of 2021. Karen served as Director of Nursing from 1992 until 2012, when she became Chief Operating Officer. She served in that role for 9 years.

Karen and her husband live west of Ashland near Mason, WI in a country home that they have owned for 40 years. She is enjoying retirement and spending lots of time with family; especially with her 5 grandchildren. Karen volunteers at the MMC Thrift Store and is just wrapping up a long-time service as a trustee for Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church. She helps out at the Ashland Chamber of Commerce events as needed. Some of her favorite pastimes are biking, golfing and tending her flower garden. She also spends time boating on Lake Superior. She and her husband own a motorcycle that they enjoy taking out for day-long road trips.

Jason Douglas, CEO of Memorial Medical Center says, “We are so pleased to welcome Karen Hansen to our board of directors. I’ve had the privilege of working with her for the past 8 years at MMC and I’m thrilled to be able to continue our professional relationship. Her deep knowledge of the history of MMC along with her intelligent perspective as a nurse and leader will be a real asset to the organization. We are honored to have her join our board.”

The current Board of Directors include Jason Douglas, President and CEO of MMC; Christine Iverson (Chair); Thomas Jokinen (Treasurer); Richard Setzke; Matthew Anich; Aistis Tumas, MD; John Smylie (Vice-Chair); Tyler Wickman; Taylor Pearson (Secretary); Patricia Schraufnagel; Thomas Cunningham, MD; Peggy Van Hollen-Kman; Karen Hansen; Monica Lee, MD.