Patient Access Representative

Essentia Health names new executive vice president. * By Staff report Herald Review * Aug 17, 2026 * 0 DULUTH - Essentia Health has named Jason Craig as its new executive vice president of administration and operations. Craig began his new role Aug. 3 and will work closely with Essentia Health CEO Dr. David Herman to oversee system operations and support high-quality, sustainable care across the health system's service area in Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. Before joining Essentia, Craig served as regional vice president for the Wisconsin region of SSM Health, where he focused on improving access to care. He also spent more than 12 years in several leadership positions with Mayo Clinic. "Over the course of my conversations and interactions, I have been deeply impressed by the dedication, compassion and commitment to excellence that define Essentia," Craig said in a news release. "My priority in the coming months will be to listen, learn and build trusting relationships across the organization." Essentia Health CEO Dr. David Herman said Craig's experience in operations, patient experience and strategic growth will strengthen the organization as it continues expanding access to care, particularly in rural communities. Craig holds bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He succeeds Jodi Mansfield, who retired earlier this summer after serving in an executive leadership role for eight years. (0 Ratings) Load comments Newsletters.

A new initiative designed to make fresh fruits and vegetables more accessible. Canada: The first T&T Supermarket in Winnipeg is coming to CF Polo Park Canada's largest Asian grocery retailer is expanding into Manitoba with its first store at Winnipeg, located at CF Polo Park, Winnipeg's premier shopping centre. The new 48,000-square-foot store will be located on the lower level of the mall at 1485 Portage Avenue and is expected to open in Spring 2028. Source: newswire.ca US Foods reports second quarter fiscal year 2026 earnings US Foods Holding Corp. announced results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2026. Second quarter fiscal 2026 highlights: Total case volume increased 1.9%; independent restaurant case volume increased 5.1%. Net sales increased 4.5% to $10.5bln. Gross profit increased 8.0% to $1.9bln. Net income increased 22.8% to $275mln. Source: businesswire.com US: Plymouth Township Meijer supercenter opening on September 30 Meijer announced it will open its new supercenter in Plymouth Township on September 30, increasing the retailer's store count in Michigan to 130. The new 159,000 square-foot supercenter is located at 48025 5 Mile Rd. In other news: Meijer grocery store in Fishers opening on September 30. Source: prnewswire.com Cencosud reported its second-quarter results Cencosud reported: "In financial terms, during the second quarter Cencosud recorded Revenue of CLP 4,094,746mln (USD 4,552mln), in an environment characterized by intense competition, adverse foreign exchange effects and the sale of non-strategic assets (service stations in Colombia and Bretas supermarkets in Minas Gerais). During the quarter, the Company delivered solid sales growth in Peru, increased its supermarket market share in Argentina (+50 bps) and recorded resilient performance in Chile". Source: cencosud.com Cyclospora wiped out Sweetgreen's sales momentum Sweetgreen's same-store sales were moving in the right direction during the second quarter, thanks in part to the new wraps introduced earlier this year. But the momentum dissipated when cyclospora entered the headlines, the fast-casual chain said. Same-store sales were down 6.2% in the June 28-ended quarter. That included a 2% decline in traffic and a 4.2% decline in product mix, as guests took advantage of promotions and shifted to the lower-priced wraps. The company's net loss widened to $26.3mln, compared with a net loss of $23.2mln a year ago. Source: nrn.com Essentia Health, Whole Foods Co-op launch "Fresh Dollars" program to boost access to fresh produce Essentia Health and the Whole Foods Co-Op have launched a "Fresh Dollars" collaboration, a new initiative designed to make fresh fruits and vegetables more accessible and affordable for individuals and families participating in qualifying assistance programs. Source: essentiahealth.org US: Publix's sales growth continues to slow Publix announced its sales rose 1%, to $15.7bln, and comparable-store sales decreased 0.5% during its second quarter, which ended June 27. The results mark the fourth consecutive quarter of slowing sales growth for the Florida-based grocer. The grocer's net earnings of $1.7bln for the quarter were up more than 20% compared with the same period last year. Source: grocerydive.com Tesco announces the appointment of Andrew Yaxley as CEO of Tesco Ireland and Northern Ireland Tesco Group has announced the appointment of Andrew Yaxley as CEO of Tesco Ireland and Northern Ireland, succeeding Geoff Byrne, who will become CEO of The Booker Group. Source: tescoireland.ie Spinneys expands stake in Saudi Arabian subsidiary to 70% Dubai-based premium fresh food retailer Spinneys 1961 Holding has agreed to acquire an additional 20% stake in its Saudi Arabian subsidiary, Al-Ma'kulat al-Fakhirah for Food Products (Spinneys KSA). Abdul Mohsen AbdulAziz Al Hokair Holding Group is selling the stake for SAR 18mln (€4.2mln) in cash. Source: esmmagazine.com SPAR Gran Canaria staff share their tips for choosing the right seasonal fruit The staff of the Purchasing and Sales Department of the Fruit and Vegetable Division of the supermarket chain explain that tropical pineapple, mango, and Gran Canaria watermelon are some of the predominant fruits during this time of year. As for vegetables, tomatoes are particularly noteworthy. Source: maspalomas24h.uk Central Retail to acquire 30 MaxValu stores in Thailand Central Retail Corporation Plc (CRC) is moving to acquire the business behind 30 MaxValu supermarkets in Thailand, with plans to convert all of the outlets to the Tops brand after the transaction is completed. CRC chief executive officer Suthisarn Chirathivat reported to the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) that Central Food Retail Co Ltd (CFR), a wholly owned subsidiary of CRC through direct and indirect holdings, had signed an agreement to acquire all ordinary shares in Aeon (Thailand) Co Ltd. Source: nationthailand.com Lidl Ireland gives schools a 'vegucation' in healthy eating with launch of free Lidl Foodies educational programme Lidl Ireland announced the launch of Lidl Foodies, a new free education programme designed to help children aged 4-7 years old build positive relationships with fruit and vegetables through engaging, curriculum-linked learning experiences. Source: retailnews.ie Holland: Retail turnover up by nearly 3% in June Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports that retail turnover was 2.9% higher in June 2026, year on year. Turnover in specialty shops was up by nearly 1%, while in supermarkets it rose by 2.7%. Source: cbs.nl Edeka-tegut merger - German regulator flags competition concerns Preliminary assessment from Germany's competition regulator has identified 'significant' concerns regarding the merger of Edeka and tegut. The commitments offered so far by Edeka are, in the preliminary assessment, insufficient to completely eliminate these concerns, the Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) noted. Source: esmmagazine.com UK: Chair of Co-op Group steps down The Co-op Group has announced that Debbie White has decided to step down from her role of Chair, with Moni Mannings, a Senior Independent Director, taking over the position on an interim basis. Source: kamcity.com Just Eat Takeaway.com rolls out AI voice assistant across Europe building on UK and Germany launches Just Eat has launched its AI voice assistant solution across Europe. It is laying claim to being the first major on-demand delivery platform to deploy a conversational AI assistant at scale across European markets. Source: retailtechinnovationhub.com More consumers turning to fruit and vegetable juices amid heatwave... GS Shop orders up 260% GS Shop announced that the total order value for fruit and vegetable juices in June and July of this year increased by approximately 260% compared to the same period last year. Order values in June and July jumped by 279% and 244%, respectively. Source: asiae.co.kr UK: Aldi and Lidl should be subject to the same rules as major supermarkets Following a review, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally decided that Aldi, Lidl GB and Lidl NI should be subject to rules set out in the Groceries Market Investigation (Controlled Land) Order 2010, which already apply to the UK's biggest supermarket chains. The Order is designed to stop 'Large Grocery Retailers' (LGRs) from using land agreements to make it harder for rival supermarkets to open nearby - in particular through the use of restrictive covenants and exclusivity arrangements. The rules ensure supermarkets compete freely - and ultimately ensure shoppers have more choice about where to buy, and how much to pay for, their groceries. The Order currently applies to seven retailers - Asda, Co-op, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose. Source: gov.uk