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Dec. 19, 2025: After 28 years of dedicated service, Craig Wolhowe, Vice President of Clinic & Provider Services, is retiring from Lakewood Health System, closing a remarkable chapter of leadership defined by integrity, humility, and a genuine love for both community and care.
Wolhowe joined Lakewood in June 1997, at a pivotal moment in the organization’s history. The clinic and hospital had just completed an integration, and Lakewood was looking for a new clinic administrator to help unify teams, support staff, and guide a growing system forward.
“I still remember the committee,” Wolhowe recalled. “There were about 80 applicants … they brought it down to 12, then to 3, and then to 1.” When he received the offer, he went home to his wife, Michelle, and said, “We better start praying, because I’ve just been offered the position to come back to Staples.”
Like many young adults heading off to college, Wolhowe had once declared he’d never return to his small hometown of Staples. But values shift as life grows. He and Michelle — then living in Eagan and beginning to raise their family — made the decision to come home. It turned into a choice that shaped the rest of their lives.
“It was probably the biggest part,” Wolhowe said, “to be involved in our community, our church and to give back in the hometown I grew up in.”
From one building to a growing system
Wolhowe began his Lakewood career when the organization looked very different than it does today.
“When I started in ’97, there were seven physicians and one PA, and about 250 employees [at what is now Lakewood Care Center and Senior Campus],” he said. “Everybody knew everybody. You saw everyone in the cafeteria … it really helped the culture.”
Over nearly three decades, Wolhowe witnessed and helped lead tremendous growth by expanding services, launching new programs, supporting community needs, and helping Lakewood remain strong as an independent health system.
“We’ve always tried to ask, ‘What makes sense for patient care?’ ” Wolhowe said. “If it makes sense, then let’s do it.”
Today, Lakewood has grown into a robust and comprehensive health system with 947 employees dedicated to caring for Staples and surrounding communities. That team includes 20 family practice physicians, 24 family practice and advanced practice providers across family medicine and specialty care, 23 specialist physicians, 7 certified registered nurse anesthetists, and 11 behavioral health providers.
When reflecting on milestones, Wolhowe pointed to moments like Lakewood receiving the “Critical Access” designation and the impact of becoming “Medical Home-certified” — a model designed to keep care coordinated and centered around the patient.
“It really was saying: how do we become more of an advocate for patients?” he explained. “How do we support them so they’re not making multiple trips, especially when they’re driving 45 miles?”
He also spoke proudly about Lakewood’s role as a teaching site, in particular the Rural Physician Associate Program (RPAP), which has brought dozens of students to Lakewood and helped recruit future providers.
“These people have been here,” he said. “They know what Lakewood is all about and they say, ‘This is the real deal.’ ”
Defining Lakewood’s culture
When Wolhowe talks about what makes Lakewood special, he doesn’t start with buildings, technology, or growth. He starts with culture.
He describes Lakewood as a place that feels like another family, where teammates truly know and support one another, and where kindness is woven into every role, no matter the title on a badge.
“I think the culture here, it’s like another family,” Wolhowe said. “You find your people. You share what’s going on in your lives … and it’s a small-town thing in the best way.”
Wolhowe often shares a story about a patient who came to Lakewood for OB care and later learned her family would be moving back to the Twin Cities. Even so, she chose to deliver her baby at Lakewood.
“She said, ‘I don’t feel like a number,’ ” Wolhowe recalled. “And she didn’t just say the doctor was great. She talked about Guest Services, the nurse, lab, dietary … all these different people from one visit. That’s the culture. Everyone makes a difference.”
For Wolhowe, that philosophy of “every person, every interaction, every day” is what has defined Lakewood throughout his career and why patients continue to choose care close to home.
A servant leader at heart
Wolhowe describes his leadership philosophy as “servant leadership” that he defines as showing up, pitching in, and putting the mission above title.
“I’m not afraid to do a task that’s unbecoming just because of my title,” he said. “My title means nothing. I will do whatever I can to support Lakewood Health System. Because ultimately, we’re here to take care of patients.”
That mindset echoes how retired President & CEO Tim Rice describes Wolhowe: “committed, genuine and caring.”
Rice said that even in moments of fun at community parades, Christmas skits and town hall meetings, Wolhowe’s leadership was clear.
“It showed he was not into positional power,” Rice said. “He was focused on doing what needed to be done to ensure we were delivering important messages, and doing what was best for our patients and residents.”
Beyond his steady leadership, Wolhowe is well known for bringing humor and joy into the workplace — especially at Halloween. Staff eagerly anticipated what creative costume he would dream up each year, from Elvis to an inflatable T-Rex.
His final Halloween appearance this October was one to remember: a homemade, human roller coaster crafted from cardboard, Styrofoam noodles, paint and clothing. It was a perfect reflection of how Wolhowe helped build morale and a culture where work could be meaningful yet still fun.
Reflections on a valued leader
Dr. Julie Benson began working with Wolhowe in 1997 and recalls both his professionalism and approachability. “[Like] the time he had to pull me into his office to ask me not to swear in the ER,” she recalled with a laugh.
Behind the humor, she sees Wolhowe as a patient, behind-the-scenes advocate who quietly gets things done.
“He is a good judge of character,” Benson said, adding, “He sees the good in people.”
Former administrative assistant Dana Fischer, who worked alongside Wolhowe for 10 years, says his leadership was felt in everyday moments. His approach, she said, was “authentic and honest.”
“When I think of Craig and the legacy he leaves, I think of all of the amazing relationships he’s fostered, the years of mentorship — not only to Lakewood personnel but also in the community. His unwavering commitment to Lakewood is second to none,” Fischer said.
On her very first day in 2005, she witnessed something that stayed with her.
“I took notice of how Craig greeted everyone by name,” she said. “Everyone in every position was treated with the same respect and kindness.”
Coming full circle
Wolhowe will officially retire at the end of the year. He and his wife Michelle are celebrating with some traveling, family time and new adventures, including coaching, pickleball and staying connected to the community he loves.
“I never imagined I’d end my career back in my hometown,” Wolhowe reflected. “But it’s been such a blessing.”