Published: August 14, 2017
LANSING, MI – Sparrow has appointed a Board of Directors for Sparrow Health System and a Sparrow Hospital Board, reflecting Sparrow’s continued expansion and the changing healthcare marketplace.
The new Sparrow Health System Board will govern the growing number of Sparrow Community Hospitals, Physician practices, outpatient facilities, and services such as home care, the Michigan Athletic Club and Physicians Health Plan. The Health System has also created a new Sparrow Hospital Board to focus on Edward W. Sparrow Hospital, the flagship of Sparrow Health System, while promoting innovative ways to deliver outstanding care.
Sparrow leaders say the goals of establishing a Hospital Board of Directors and a separate Health System Board are to increase the organization’s agility, prepare for future growth, and expand our regional presence while improving efficiency and providing greater support for Physicians and our population health initiatives.
The new Sparrow Health System Board is comprised of 12 mid-Michigan leaders and Sparrow Health System President and CEO Dennis Swan.
The Board is chaired by Richard Bruner, who prior to his service on the Sparrow Health System Board was a member of the Sparrow Physicians Health Plan Board. Bruner is retired from his long-time position as General Manager and CEO of the University Club of Michigan State University. He continues to serve on the faculty of the MSU School of Hospitality Business in the Eli Broad College of Business.
The Health System Board’s vice chair is Mike King, who serves as Regional Vice President, Gray Television, and General Manager of WILX-TV10. King is actively involved in leadership roles on many boards in the mid-Michigan region and has served on both the Sparrow Foundation and Sparrow Care Network boards.
The Health System Board also includes:
• Jeff Benson, President and CEO of CASE Credit Union.
• Gregory D. Brogan, Managing Agent at Brogan, Reed, Van Gorder and Associates, a Lansing-based insurance agency. He is Chair Emeritus of the former Sparrow Hospital and Health System Board.
• David Donovan, a management consultant and community Volunteer.
• Ann Flood, Assistant Executive Director of the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association.
• Christine Goeschel, ScD, RN, FAAN, who is Corporate Assistant Vice President for Quality at MedStar Health in Columbia, Md.
• David Hunt, a community leader who was a member and former Chair of the Sparrow Clinton Hospital Board of Directors. He is the owner and president of several Big Boy restaurants.
• Brian McCardel, M.D., a practicing Orthopedic surgeon at Sparrow Hospital, who was recently named Sparrow’s Physician of the Year.
• Nancy McKeague, Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff at the Michigan Health and Hospital Association and former member of the Sparrow Foundation and Sparrow Physicians Health Network Boards.
• Glenn Omura, Ph.D., Associate Dean for MBA and Professional Masters Programs at the Eli Broad Graduate School of Management at MSU.
• John Pirich, an attorney and partner with the law firm of Honigman, Miller, Schwartz and Cohn and also a member of the Sparrow Foundation Board.
“The governance changes are intended to promote high performance outcomes, and provide intense attention to the Patient experience,” said Health System Board Chair Bruner.
“The Sparrow Health System Board will play an important role in growing Sparrow by ensuring quality, Patient satisfaction and value, while attracting and retaining outstanding Physicians, Nurses, Staff and Volunteers across Sparrow.”
The new Sparrow Hospital Board is comprised of nine mid-Michigan leaders, along with Sparrow Hospital President and CEO Mark Brett; Patricia Hollenbeck, President of the Sparrow Women’s Hospital Association; John Kepros, M.D., Hospital Chief of Staff; and Matt Rush, President and CEO of Hayes Green Beach Memorial Hospital in Charlotte.
The Board is chaired by Barbara Given, Ph.D., a Michigan State University College of Nursing University Distinguished Professor. She has over 50 years of experience in MSU’s College of Nursing and recently served as Interim Director of the joint Sparrow/MSU Center for Research and Innovation.
The Board’s vice chair is Maude Guerin, M.D., a practicing Physician and founding member of Alliance Obstetrics and Gynecology in East Lansing.
The E.W. Sparrow Hospital Board also includes:
• Blake Ashdown, a hospitality business entrepreneur and CEO of SureVista, a market research and consulting firm.
• Patty Barnas, who is Market President of First National Bank of Michigan in Lansing.
• Brittany Bogan, who serves as Vice President of Patient Safety & Quality for the Michigan Health and Hospital Association and MHA Keystone Center.
• James Croom, who recently retired as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Jackson National Life Insurance Company.
• Myron Freeman, Sr., an attorney, Certified Public Accountant, and Certified Financial Planner.
• Timothy Hodge, D.O., a Physician and leader in Sparrow Hospital’s Emergency Department.
• John Lancour, Executive Vice President for Friedland Industries, Inc., a scrap processing firm in Lansing.
“Creating a separate Sparrow Hospital Board will allow more priority and focused time for promoting excellence in quality, safety and Patient care satisfaction,” said Hospital Board Chair Given.
“We seek to have a positive and proactive way to hear the views of those for whom we care, as well as the expanding region we serve. This will make it possible to make an even greater difference and continue to be a leader in quality of care. We believe that this new structure will foster a closer relationship with Patients and their families, as well as our community.”
Choose Wisely. Choose Sparrow.