Harrel Chosen as PCDC President’s Priceless Pick

Mark Harrel has been selected as the Phelps County Development Corporation’s 2020 President’s Priceless Pick.

The award is given annually to someone who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in economic development.

PCDC President Phil Hinrichs selected Harrel for his leadership and vision in economic development work the past year.

“He has been a good advocate for us,” Hinrichs said. “And his involvement has been critical to some of the projects PCDC has been working on.”

Harrel has served as the CEO of Phelps Memorial Health Center since 2007. During that time, he’s led several hospital expansion projects, and PMHC has been recognized as a top critical-access hospital by The Chartis Center for Rural Health for five years in a row.

The hospital provides hundreds of well-paying jobs. Gallup named PMHC an Exceptional Workplace for the second consecutive year in 2021.

Under Harrel’s leadership, the hospital expanded its capacity to serve the area by bringing in new doctors, services and visiting specialists thus improving the quality of life for the region’s residents. He and his leadership team, including Loren Schroder, CFO, were instrumental in the creation of RuralMED, a diversified provider of home health and medical management services. RuralMED recently expanded its Phelps County offices in downtown Holdrege.

“Having a great hospital in a community is a key to its success and growth,” Hinrichs said. “Mark’s leadership has made our community a better and safer place to live and has improved our efforts to attract and retain businesses.”

PMHC also received the Huron Excellence in Healthcare Award in 2021, and Harrel was named the 2017 CEO of the Year & Best Overall Performance for Critical Access Hospitals by Quorum Health Resources.

Harrel’s leadership has also guided the creation of Adjacent Properties LLC, which is investing in community improvement projects, such as residential property and the renovation of the Sun Theater, with more projects in the planning stages.

“Mark has been a quiet community leader on many important economic development projects,” Hinrichs said. “We appreciate his guidance and his passion for community betterment in Phelps County. His contributions are indeed, priceless.”