NorthStar Care Community in Ann Arbor promoted three within its executive leadership suite and named a new medical affairs director. This comes following the naming Patrick Miller as its incoming president and CEO.
“As Patrick transitions into the role of incoming CEO, he will relinquish his responsibilities as chief operating officer,” says Bob Cahill, current president and CEO of NorthStar Care Community. “This opens the door for some additional changes in executive leadership to help NorthStar Care Community continue to thrive amidst the shifting dynamics and competitive hospice and palliative care industry.”
Krista Newman has been promoted to the role of vice president and chief operating officer. Newman will be responsible for the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of all clinical services. In this new role, she will expand her current responsibilities to include oversight of all clinical service operations and continue to cultivate NorthStar Solutions Group partnerships.
Newman received her Bachelor of Business Administration from Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, as well as a Master of Business Administration from University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She has been with NorthStar since 2004.
Eric Kaplan is stepping into the role of vice president, chief information officer. In addition to leading all information technology efforts, Kaplan will add oversight of electronic medical records (EMR) efforts to his responsibilities.
This comes at a critical time as Kaplan is currently leading the exploration and evaluation of EMR solutions that will meet NorthStar Care Community’s future needs and those of its partners. Kaplan led the development of NorthStar LINC, an application that allows patients and caregivers to have round-the-clock access to the support they need. Kaplan conducted his undergraduate studies at University of Michigan, joining Hospice of Michigan in 2007, and has since amassed 16 years of experience working with various EMR systems.
Elizabeth Rocha will move into the role of associate vice president, chief nursing officer (CNO). As CNO for all NorthStar Care Community registered nurses, Rocha will focus on the delivery and productivity of the nursing function to ensure consistent quality care at the bedside, on the phone and virtually.
This will include visit design, documentation, professional development, as well as recruitment and retention. Rocha received both her Bachelor of Nursing and Master of Nursing, Health/Health Care Administration/Management degrees from Aspen University and joined Hospice of Michigan as an RN case manager in 2011.
Dr. Stuart Vander Heide will join NorthStar’s medical affairs team. Vander Heide, a hospice physician in west Michigan, will initially focus his efforts as medical director of the Grand Rapids team and will add physician oversight of the Muskegon team in the fall.
Vander Heide joins the not-for-profit from North Ottawa Community Hospital in Grand Haven where he served as medical director of hospice and palliative care since 2016. Vander Heide earned his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine and completed a residency in emergency medicine at GRMEC Michigan State University in 2003.
In 2015, he trained at Michigan State University’s fellowship program in hospice and palliative medicine at Spectrum Health.
