Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial Introduces Vice President of Community and Integrated Services

Shelly Johnson, RN, MPH, MBA, is the first Vice President of Community and Integrated Services at Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial (SHGM). In the last few months, SHGM leadership have been working to position its resources to respond to changes driven by its commitment to improving the health of the community and preparing for the impact of the Accountable Care Act. Through this planning, a new executive role was developed to lead strategic growth of health initiatives in the community, home care, Tamarac and primary care.

Shelly has a Master’s Degree in Public Health with an emphasis on occupational health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s Degree in Business from the University of Michigan.

“Health care reform requires a different way of delivering health care by keeping people well and moving from the treatment of disease to the treatment of the whole person and his or her environment. My goal is to continue to build upon the fantastic work SHGM has accomplished to meet the goals of the Institute for Health Care Improvement’s Triple Aim: better health for populations, better patient experience and lower per capita cost,” according to Johnson, “Gerber Memorial has an outstanding framework for meeting this goal and people with a heart and passion for their community. Changing the health of a population is challenging; it requires moving from the role of the health expert to empowering patients and families to find their unique journey to improved health. I look forward to working with the passionate and outstanding staff to make this happen.”

Shelly joins SHGM from Northern Illinois and brings experience in inpatient nursing care, primary care, rural health and community wellness. In addition, she has led community health needs assessments, occupational health and worksite wellness, and community partnerships. She grew her areas into a key player in healthcare reform, with certified health and wellness coaches, healthy culinary instructors, community liaisons and more innovative roles designed to improve health and prevent disease.

Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial is a 49-bed acute care hospital that serves all of Newaygo County with a wide range of medical, surgical and specialty care. The hospital has a cancer care center, intensive care unit, birthing center and a women’s health center that provides digital mammography, bone scans and ultrasounds. Its emergency department operates 24 hours a day and specialist clinics provide diagnosis and treatment in cancer and hematology, cardiology, ear/nose/throat, neurology, nephrology, ophthalmology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, podiatry, pulmonary, sleep disorders, urology and vascular diseases. Gerber Memorial offers diagnostic imaging, including CT and MRI scans; home health services called Gerber Home Care and a physician-led medical weight loss program. The hospital’s medical wellness center, Tamarac, houses a rehabilitation group, fitness center and medical day spa. Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial is located in Fremont, Michigan, 45 miles NW of Grand Rapids.

Visit spectrumhealth.org/gerber and tamaracwellness.org for more information.