FAIRMONT — With a new year comes new hopes and aspirations. Equally exciting are opportunities to meet and welcome new people to the community.

Fairmont residents now have a chance to do just that, with the recent addition of a new site administrator for Mayo Clinic Health System, Amy Long. She is taking the reins from Bob Bartingale.

With roots in the northern Iowa and southern Minnesota area, Long is happy to be moving to Fairmont.

“I grew up not far from here, in the Thompson and Buffalo Center area, and my father actually raced at the Fairmont raceway during his high school years, so it’s a little bit like home in that regard,” she said.

Long is more than prepared to take on her role, with an extensive education and plenty of previous experience.

“I got my [bachelor’s degree] in psychology and sociology from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, and after that I got my master’s in health care administration from Des Moines University.

“I began my career at Waverly Health Center, and then moved to Minnesota and spent two years with the Department of Human Services in St. Peter, and was there for two years. Then this past July, I joined the Mayo Clinic Health System, and have been in St. James until this transition to Fairmont.”

Long says she was drawn to health care because of a deep-seated passion for people.

“Health care is a business, but it’s a business of caring about people, and my passion lies specifically with the community aspect, with caring for families and a population,” she said. “Health care has evolved over the last 10 to 15 years to be less focused on a person with a complaint or a disease and just focusing on that disease and then not seeing them or caring about them, to the population health care model where we now are a driver in improving the health and wellness of an entire community.

“The Fairmont Medical Center is doing just that, and it is very invested in the community,” Long said. “Being a part of Mayo Clinic and the resources that come with that, having access to some of the best medical research and physicians in the entire world, that’s what interested me both personally and professionally.”

Long says one of her main goals is to learn from the existing site leadership team, staff and community members.

“I want to really listen and learn their perspective on what’s going well, and what some of the challenges are, both past and present, and see what ideas they have for areas of opportunity,” she said. “Then I really want to build on what’s in place. There’s a lot of community engagement efforts going on, recruitment, improving the facilities and equipment, and I want to continue all of that.”

Long has been involved in her various communities, and is looking to get involved in the Fairmont area as well. She wants the community to know she has an open door, and is looking forward to hearing about positive experiences and learn about areas of opportunity.

“It’s my goal to develop trust, and I don’t want people to be shy,” she said.