Message from the President

David T. Brooks, MHSA, FACHE
President, 2022 MCACHE

As the MCACHE year ends, I reflect on the honor of serving as President. The annual meeting on November 1^st served as a special event and culmination of so many great accomplishments and successes. The evening started with the Annual Business Meeting. As each of our Committee Chairs explained their group’s accomplishments for the year, I was struck by the commitment that our active leaders have to their profession. Much of MCACHE’s work happens through our committees which of course are made up of volunteers, whether those are the Chairs and Vice Chairs of the Committees or Officers and other Board members. All these folks are very busy managers, executives, and leaders within their ‘paid’ jobs, along with no doubt busy family and personal activities. And yet, they still find time and energy to support MCACHE and the profession of healthcare leadership. This shows why we should have great confidence in our field and those who lead it going forward!

We celebrated much including the opportunity to recognize this hard work through awards from both local MCACHE as well as national ACHE.  A highlight was the opportunity to present to the late David Campbell’s family, the MCACHE Lifetime Achievement Award. It was such an honor for all of us that his wife and daughter were able to be present. Several MCACHE members described his servant leadership style, but also what type of friend, mentor, coach, supporter he was to so many of us personally, to the MCACHE chapter, and to our predecessor organizations. He touched so many lives and he surely will be missed.

ACHE Regent, Thomas Lanni, FACHE, recognized the Regent Award winners who he presented with awards earlier in the year at the Michigan Hospital Association meeting. These include Sana Matloub, MHA – the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in our Student category, Kristia Le, MHA, CHFP –Corewell Health as our Early Careerist, and the late Maia Platt, Ph.D. – the University of Detroit Mercy in our Faculty category.

Recognized by ACHE for exceptional service with a 2 STAR Fellow for Distinguished Service was recent Past President Michelle Hornberger, FACHE. And recognized with 3 STAR Fellow – Distinguished Service Awards were Denise Brooks-Williams, FACHE, and Peter Karadjoff, FACHE. And not to be outdone, MCACHE has chapter Contribution Awards for above and beyond service and support. This year, three amazing volunteer leaders are recognized — Melanie Berger, from the Program Committee, Scott Johnson, from the Membership Committee, and, Scott Kowalski, from the Emerging Leaders Committee. All of our Award winners deserve our thanks and gratitude for their commitment and dedication to ACHE, MCACHE, and our profession.

The second part of the evening was a wonderful education session, (much thanks to the Program Committee members and Melanie Berger) featuring keynote speaker, Tina Freese Decker, FACHE, President & CEO, Corewell, and the three senior C-suite leader panelists, Denise Brooks-Williams, FACHE, Senior Vice-President & CEO North Market, Henry Ford Health, Alonzo Lewis, President, St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, and Livingston, and Joseph Hurshe, FACHE, Chief Operating Officer, Ascension Michigan. They answered questions and shared their vision of the future of healthcare and shared what had been accomplished during an ever-changing healthcare environment. As I reflected on the evening, the most fun of all was that we got to do it in person. I think I hugged over 100 people. 

Our upcoming 2023 leadership dream team includes all the volunteers listed below. We all need to be grateful for their time and their shared leadership. As the current President, I am personally thankful to each of you for attending MCACHE and ACHE educational programs, having fun at our networking events, volunteering for the community service events, being active in improving our profession, being a visible leader in your community, and just being an active and engaged member of the MCACHE chapter. Thank you from the bottom of my heart – you have made this year a truly wonderful one for me as the President of the Chapter.

2023 MCACHE Board of Directors

President: Angela DeLaere, MBA, FACHE

President-Elect: Michael Nanzer, DPT, MBA, FACHE

Past-President: David Brooks, MHSA, FACHE

Secretary: Lacey Sapkiewicz, MHSA

Treasurer: Branden Hill, MBA, CRA, CHFP, RT (R0 (CT) (N)

Regent: Thomas Lanni, Jr., MBA, FACHE

At-Large: Brian Madison, FACHE, FHFMA

At-Large: Nancy Susick, MSN, RN, FACHE

At-Large: Denise Fair Razo, MBA, MPH, FACHE

At-Large: Peter Karadjoff, MBA, FACHE

At-Large: Gwendolyn Parker, MD, MBA, FACHE

At-Large: Shawn Levitt, Ph.D. (c), MBA, MHSA, RN, FACHE, CMCN, CP

By-Laws Chair: Robert J. Yellan, MPH, JD, FACHE

By-Laws Vice-Chair: Laura Napiewocki, JD, MHSA, FACHE

Career Development Chair: John Fick, EdD, MS, FACHE

Communication Chair: Medija Shaska, MS, FACHE, PMP

Communications Vice-Chair: Joseph Cafferty, MSW  

Diversity and Inclusion Chair: Michael Markel, RN, MSN, MSBA, FACHE

Emerging Healthcare Leaders Chair: Kristia Le, MHA

Emerging Healthcare Leaders Vice-Chair: Matthew Orsey, MHA

Membership Chair: Scott Johnson, MBA, MPH, CSMC

Membership Vice-Chair: Kenneth Rates, MHSA, MBA

Membership Vice-Chair: Richard Hillbom, FACHE

Program Chair:  Almir Karamovic, MPA, FHFMA, CSPPM

Program Vice-Chair: Melanie Berger, CPSM

Sponsorship Chair: Matt Rall, MBA

Student Activities Chair: Kathy Mielke, MPA, RDH

Board Advisor: Michelle Hornberger, MHSA, FACHE