McLaren Health Care, the 14-hospital health care system and health plan headquartered in Grand Blanc, has appointed Derek Morkel its chief information officer, moving him from interim to permanent.
As McLaren’s CIO, Morkel will oversee the entirety of the health care system’s information technology infrastructure and security, including the development and implementation of IT initiatives such as enhancing patients’ digital experiences and increasing their access to care.
“Our customers expect ways of accessing immediate care, but they also expect convenience when attempting to access that care,” says David Mazurkiewicz, executive vice president and CFO of McLaren Health Care. “The knowledge and expertise Derek has gained throughout several decades of hard work and success will serve McLaren well now and as we move into the future.”
Morkel is responsible for managing McLaren’s consumer-facing digital presence, advancing the system’s internal IT infrastructure platform, connecting each of system’s hospitals, outpatient facilities and business operations to ensure interoperability, and directly overseeing all revenue cycle business operations.
With more than 25 years of health care leadership experience, Morkel most recently served as chief executive officer of Gaffey Healthcare, a Dallas-based health care software solutions company.
Prior to that, he held several executive and leadership positions at health care organizations throughout the country. A native of South Africa, Morkel earned his undergraduate degree from Stellenbosch University in Stellenbosch, South Africa, and continued his education with a master’s degree in health care administration from Seton Hall University in New Jersey.
