Spectrum Health announces new leader for southwest region

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., May 6, 2021 – Spectrum Health has announced Bill Hoefer, FACHE, as the new market leader for the system’s southwest region covering Allegan and Ottawa counties. Hoefer will step in as president of Spectrum Health Zeeland Community Hospital, a 57-bed acute care hospital located in Zeeland, MI.

“Spectrum Health is excited to welcome Bill Hoefer to the West Michigan area and lead our efforts to boldly reimagine the future of health in our southwest region,” said Chad Tuttle, senior vice president, hospital operations, Spectrum Health West Michigan. “Bill stood out as a compassionate and dutiful leader with a passion for relationship building. He is the right person at the right time to lead Spectrum Health’s efforts on the Lakeshore to improve health, inspire hope and save lives, as well as promote greater health equity across the region.”

Hoefer will begin as Spectrum Health’s southwest region market leader and president of Zeeland Community Hospital in early June.

“Zeeland Community Hospital’s reputation for delivering safe, high-quality care and exceptional patient experiences was apparent with the large amount of interest we had in the position during our nationwide search process,” noted Tuttle. “Out of an impressive and diverse pool of candidates, Bill’s broad experience and knowledge of clinical operations solidified him as the most qualified individual.”

Hoefer comes to Spectrum Health with 26 years of health care experience, from hospitals ranging in size from 180 to more than 500 beds. He was most recently the chief operating officer (COO) of Mercy Hospital South in St. Louis, MO, a 700-bed hospital. Under his leadership, the Mercy Hospital South team achieved Joint Commission recognition as an advanced primary stroke center and heart failure program, the highest rating for coronary bypass grafting, designation by the State of Missouri as a Level 1 STEMI program and accreditation as a cancer center of excellence.

Previously, he was COO at Saint Louis University Hospital in St. Louis, MO, a 356-bed academic teaching hospital. He also has experience as the president of St. Clare Health Center, and executive leader of neurosciences for SSM St. Louis, also in St. Louis, MO.

After receiving a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, and earning a master’s degree in health care administration from the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, Hoefer entered the health care field as an administrative resident. Since then, he has worked in many capacities, giving him a well-rounded understanding of health care operations across multiple functions.

Hoefer’s achievements as a health care leader include developing trusting partnerships across multiple functions; redesigning and optimizing organizational systems and processes; launching new initiatives; and combining synergies of multiple business operations to achieve operational excellence. He brings a “meet people where they are” philosophy for establishing relationships and he is focused on connecting with team members and the community through regular hospital town halls, huddles and health care updates.

“I’m already proud of the accomplishments of Zeeland Community Hospital,” Bill shared. “I see part of my role as helping to celebrate achievements and find new ways to maintain Zeeland Community Hospital’s standing within the community as a trusted partner in health. I’m incredibly excited to meet the team and start contributing to future successes.”

Bill, along with his wife, Melissa, and their three teenage children, will be relocating to West Michigan from St. Louis, MO. He mentioned that in the search for his next career opportunity, it was important for his family to select a community where they could be for the long term, and where their roots could grow deep. The Zeeland area is just what they were looking for.

Spectrum Health’s southwest region spans Allegan and Ottawa counties and has a total population of more than 247,000 people with a projected growth of 3.1% by 2025.

NOTE: Hoefer is available for one-on-one interviews via phone or Microsoft Teams. Please contact Ashley Kiekintveld to arrange an interview.

People are at the heart of everything we do, and the inspiration for our legacy of outstanding outcomes, innovation, strong community partnerships, philanthropy and transparency. Corewell Health is a not-for-profit health system that provides health care and coverage with an exceptional team of 60,000+ dedicated people—including more than 11,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and more than 15,000 nurses providing care and services in 21 hospitals, 300+ outpatient locations and several post-acute facilities—and Priority Health, a provider-sponsored health plan serving more than 1.3 million members. Through experience and collaboration, we are reimagining a better, more equitable model of health and wellness. For more information, visit corewellhealth.org.

Contact:
Alexis Bolo Neal
Senior Communications Specialist
Email: alexis.boloneal@corewellhealth.org