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Christina Freese-Decker Elected to American College of Healthcare Executives Council of Regents

Christina M. Freese-Decker, FACHE, senior vice president and chief strategy officer for Spectrum Health System, has been appointed to the Council of Regents, the legislative body of the American College of Healthcare Executives. The Council of Regents serves as the vital link between ACHE and members by approving governance and membership regulations as well as promoting ACHE programs, services and activities within their respective areas.

Freese-Decker will take office at the Council of Regents meeting March 22, 2014, during ACHE’s 57th Congress on Healthcare Leadership at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. As a Regent, Freese-Decker will represent ACHE’s membership in Michigan and Northwest Ohio. 

Freese-Decker was most recently the president of Spectrum Health’s United and Kelsey hospitals. From 2011 to 2013, she helped to grow the presence of these two hospitals through community health initiatives, primary care development and expanded outpatient services. She began her career in 2002 as an administrative fellow with Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids. She was named director of strategic planning and development and was soon promoted as the department’s vice president. In this role, Freese-Decker led system strategic planning, market intelligence gathering, call center operations and regional hospital network coordination.

Freese-Decker earned master’s degrees in health administration and industrial engineering from the University of Iowa and a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University. She is currently serving on the board of directors of the David D. Hunting YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids, serving as vice chair since 2009. Freese-Decker was president of the Great Lakes Chapter of ACHE from 2008 to 2009 and she is currently president of the Health Management and Policy Alumni Board of Directors, College of Public Health, at the University of Iowa.

The American College of Healthcare Executives is an international professional society of more than 35,000 healthcare executives who lead hospitals, healthcare systems and other healthcare organizations. ACHE offers its prestigious FACHE® credential, signifying board certification in healthcare management. ACHE’s established network of more than 80 chapters provides access to networking, education and career development at the local level.

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system, based in West Michigan, offering a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, which is comprised of 11 hospitals including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital; 170 ambulatory and service sites; 1,050 advanced practice providers and employed physicians including members of the Spectrum Health Medical Group; and Priority Health, a 537,000-member health plan. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer with 20,900 employees. The organization provided $250 million in community benefit during its 2013 fiscal year.