Gwen MacKenzie, MSN, ministry market executive for St. Louis-based Ascension's Michigan region, is leaving the role April 30.
Here are six takeaways:
1. Ms. MacKenzie began serving in the role in 2014.
2. Under her leadership, Ascension Michigan added Rochester, Mich.-based Ascension Crittenton Hospital to its network and seven of its hospitals have earned CMS 4-star rankings.
3. She also played a key role in the addition of Ann Arbor-based Michigan Medicine to Together Health Network, the statewide clinically integrated network of Ascension Michigan and Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health.
4. However, Ascension Michigan laid off 500 employees, or roughly 2 percent of its 26,000-person workforce, last month. At the time Ms. MacKenzie told Crain's Detroit Business, "We may be a leader as all health systems go through the same rapidly changing landscape with reimbursement decline, people transitioning to outpatient (care). We are focusing on ambulatory growth. ... Healthcare costs are a major issue and we are addressing that now."
5. Prior to joining Ascension Michigan, Ms. MacKenzie served as president and CEO of Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Health Care System and held numerous leadership positions at Detroit Medical Center.
6. She holds a master's degree in health services administration at Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan.