William J. Mayer, M.D. has been named the first president and CEO of a state-wide network of six health systems formed in July.
Allegiance Health in Jackson, Bronson Healthcare in Kalamazoo, Covenant HealthCare in Saginaw, Lakeland Health in St. Joseph, MidMichigan Health in Midland, and Sparrow Health System in Lansing announced they were coming together to form a yet to-be-named clinically integrated network of providers and health systems.
Mayer comes from the Bronson where he served most recently as senior vice president of managed care and community health. His executive responsibilities over the past decade have included: president and medical director IBA Health Plans; vice president medical staff clinical quality; chief quality officer; and chief medical informatics officer. He is also on the faculty of Western Michigan University Homer Stryker, M.D. School of Medicine.
Mayer says while each of the health systems and hospitals will continue to operate independently, together they will offer the size, scale and scope to deliver better health at lower cost for employers and individuals across the state.
Mayer’s career history includes positions with the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.; Wyatt Health Care Consulting (now Towers Watson) in Washington, D.C.; the Kellogg Co. in Battle Creek; and the L. Lee Stryker Center at Kalamazoo College.
Mayer, of Portage, received his bachelor’s degree from Amherst College, his Doctor of Medicine degree from State University of New York at Buffalo, and his Master of Public Health degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health.
A 12-member board of managers will provide the strategic direction for the network. They are:
Georgia Fojtasek, RN, Ed.D, president and CEO, Allegiance Health; Ray King, M.D., chief medical officer, Allegiance Health, president and CEO, Jackson Health Network; Frank Sardone, president and CEO, Bronson Healthcare; Kevin Albosta, chief financial officer, Covenant HealthCare; Michael Slavin, M.D., medical director, Covenant HealthCare PHO; Loren B. Hamel, M.D., president and CEO, Lakeland Health–Board vice chairperson; Ken O’Neill, M.D., vice president, Clinical Integration, Lakeland Health; Diane Postler-Slattery, Ph.D., president and CEO, MidMichigan Health – board secretary; Madhura Mansabdar, M.D., chief clinical integration medical officer, MidMichigan Health; Dennis Swan, president and CEO, Sparrow Health System – board chairperson; and Harman Nagler, M.D., MHSA, vice president of clinical integration, Sparrow Health System.
