Bethel Alum Named Chief Financial Officer of North Memorial Health

While much of Daniel Fromm’s job requires him to be behind a desk with spreadsheets, he makes a point to step out of his office daily. Whether on a homecare visit with a nurse or making rounds with a physician, he stays connected with the people behind the numbers—because, ultimately, that’s why he chose this line of work.  

Fromm, a 1987 Bethel alumnus with a B.A. in business administration, was named chief financial officer of North Memorial Health in June. He entered the job with more than 25 years of experience in healthcare and finance, prepared to meet this unique season head-on. “It’s challenging to work in a healthcare environment, pandemic aside. You’re dealing with illness and profound issues every day,” Fromm says. “But, in the current environment, it becomes that much more extraordinary. It increases the emphasis on mission and the need to do our best to meet the profound needs people have.”

North Memorial Health serves patients in a variety of locations across Minnesota’s Twin Cities, and one thing Fromm appreciates about his job is the opportunity to connect with community-based healthcare more directly. “We have a presence in North Minneapolis, and we serve a population that’s dealing with health disparities on a daily basis,” Fromm says. “That’s really reconnected me to the reason I got into healthcare in the first place and to the missional aspect of the work that we do.”  

Though he isn’t a caregiver, Fromm can see the impact of his work. He works to address the issue of affordability, figuring out how to drive greater value and increase access for patients, especially those without insurance. “There’s a long history of how the financial model of healthcare has been developed, and we’re in the midst of a sea change,” he says. “Care is changing, and in my role, I’m trying to figure out how a viable financial model can be developed to support that.”

Throughout his career, Fromm has leaned on his faith and viewed his vocation as his mission field, and he credits his Bethel experience for playing a role in melding his faith and his business skills. “I learned a lot from my professors about what it means to be a Christian in the business world. I didn’t know what that looked like, or even know it was possible,” Fromm says.

In recent years, Fromm has enjoyed reaching back to mentor students through the BethelBiz program. He’s seen it as a way to help young professionals, similar to the help he received as a student. His advice to them and to other young business professionals: Seek as much advice as possible.

“I tell the students I mentor that they’d be surprised how few people actually reach out to someone who’s been in the profession for a long time,” Fromm says. “When people do reach out, I truly enjoy that interaction. There are many Bethel alumni in the business community who would love to help students take some of those early steps forward in their careers.”  

Bethel is where faith, skills, and passions come together.

Students in any of Bethel’s business and economics programs are equipped with a comprehensive education that prepares them to be world-changers wherever they find themselves after graduation. That isn’t unique to business, though. You’ll find that in any of Bethel’s 100+ areas of study.

Start Exploring