■ Local Business memos/ Company news

to address insurance questions.

For mental health staff, it could take about 10 hours because the system is so complicated. n Mental health providers sometimes have to call insurance companies every day to verify care progress. n Others say federal action is needed to end Medicaid’s exclusion of mental health treatment facility services. n Beds are banked by hospitals, instead of put in use due to lack of employees, low reimbursement rates.

Plenty of problems to tackle here. Mental health and the system affect business as it affects employees who are so valuable to making business successful.

Joe Spear is executive editor of Minnesota Valley Business. Contact him at jspear@mankatofreepress.com or 344-6382. Follow on Twitter @jfspear.

■ Local Business People/Company News

Paap honored by Farm Bureau

Kevin Paap has received the Minnesota Farm B u r e a u Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award. A lifelong Farm Bureau Kevin Paap member, Paap served as vice president from 1999-2005 before being elected the organization’s 13th president in 2005, a role he held for 16 years.

In addition to leading the state organization, Paap also held key positions on the national level at the American Farm Bureau Federation, including as an AFBF Board Member from 2012-21 and servingontheTradeAdvisory Committee from 2013-17, including being named Chairman from 2015-17.

Outside of Farm Bureau, Paap served as president of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, and played a role on many boards and committees including the Minnesota FFA Foundation, Center for Rural Policy and Development, National Children’s Center for Rural Health & Safety, and Farm Safety 4 Just Kids.

■ ■ ■

Pathstone honored

Ecumen Pathstone in Mankato has received a “Best Nursing Home Short-Term Rehabilitation” rating for its short-term rehabilitation center by U.S. News & World Report magazine.

The magazine evaluated more than 15,000 facilities throughout the country, rating most of them in the areas of short-term rehabilitation and long-term care. Ecumen Pathstone received a “high performance” rating -- the highest designation possible –in short-term rehabilitation.

■ ■ ■

Pioneer Bank promotes 5

Jeff Barrett Heather Eischen

Jennifer Wiens Andrea Mattes

Pioneer Bank has promoted five officers to new roles within their bank.

Jeff Barrett has been named vice president and will continue his role as a business banker at the St. James location.

Three of the bank’s residential mortgage lenders, Heather Eischen, Jennifer Wiens and Carissa Lutterman, have been promoted to vice president.

Andrea Mattes has been named vice president and will continue her role supervising the bank’s Credit Support Specialists and managing the bank’s Credit Operations department at the Mankato Adams Street location.

■ ■ ■

Kimm, Olsen recognized

Marvin Kimm, president at Pioneer Bank Mapleton, and Dean Olsen, president at Pioneer Bank St. James, were recognizedwith s p e c i a l Marvin Kimm designations to honor their careers with Pioneer Bank. With their promotions, they will both continue with the bank in the role of senior ag b a n k e r , Dean Olsen president emeritus. Kimm began workingwiththebankin1986 and has been instrumental in developing the residential mortgage lending and Farmer Mac ag lending programs in the Mapleton market. Olsen also began with the bank in 1986, left in 1996 but returned in 2013 serving as the first market president in St. James.

Travis Elg has been named the new Market President in St. James.