(Harlan, Iowa) – Officials with Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, last week, announced their Chief Executive Officer, Barry Jacobsen, will be retiring at the end of the year. In making the announcement, Myrtue Medical Center officials acknowledged Jacobsen’s nearly three decades of leadership. Jacobsen announced in 2024, his plans to retire from the Critical Access Hospital after 28 years of dedicated service to the hospital and community of Shelby County and following the successful completion of the medical center’s Clinic expansion, which is expected to be completed in December.

Barry Jacobsen joined Myrtue Medical Center as Chief Financial Officer, a position he held for 12 years before being appointed CEO in 2009. Throughout his tenure as CEO, the hospital has earned consistent national recognition for excellence in rural healthcare. Jacobsen has also led several major facility expansions and renovations, including the enhancement and expansion of the Outpatient Specialty and Surgery areas, the development of the Petersen Family Wellness Center and Lewis Family Aquatic Center, renovation and expansion of the Emergency Department, and, most recently, the expansion and renovation of the Clinic.

Myrtue Medical Center photo of CEO Barry Jacobsen

During his time as CEO, Myrtue Medical Center was named three years as an overall Top 20 Critical Access Hospital by the National Rural Health Association for overall quality, patient perspectives, finance and market share, placing Myrtue among the top 1 percent of over 1,300 critical access hospitals nationwide. Most recently, the hospital earned the Top 20 distinction in 2025 for quality.

In addition, the hospital has been recognized as a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital 11 times over the past 15 years by the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX™, demonstrating Jacobsen’s commitment to delivering high-quality care, strong leadership, and dedicated service to the community. In a statement, Jacobsen said “Serving this community has been a great honor. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside dedicated professionals who, together, have achieved many milestones that I will always be proud of. As I look toward retirement, I will leave knowing the Health System is in an excellent position for the future, and I am confident this exceptional team will carry forward our mission and continue delivering outstanding care for years to come.”

Plans for leadership transition will be announced in the coming weeks.