January 20, 2010

Mercy Hospital Grayling Welcomes New Board Member and Chair
Alice Snyder began her three-year term on January 1; Dr. Dan McGregor replaces Mike Dunckel as board chair through December 2010.

GRAYLING, Mich. - Alice Snyder and Dr. Dan McGregor, both active, committed community leaders, recently accepted new positions on Mercy Hospital Grayling's Board of Trustees, effective January 1.

Board chair Mike Dunckel, who is also the business manager for Crawford AuSable School District, has stepped off the board. McGregor, who joined the board in 2007, will be replacing Dunckel as chair.

"Alice and Dan's decisions to join the board as a new member and new chair, respectively, is a wonderful thing, not only for our hospital community, but for the community at large," Riemer-Matuzak said. "However, we will very much miss Mike's leadership and are very grateful for his service to our organization and community."

McGregor is a Prudenville chiropractic physician in practice for more than 20 years. He said that Mercy Hospital's dedication to high quality patient care and adherence to its mission drew him to the board initially, and maintaining the board's high standards is his goal as board chair.

"This hospital is a wonderful facility with an outstanding staff," said McGregor, an avid outdoorsman who is pursuing his doctorate in Health Administration at Central Michigan University. "Serving both on the board and as chair is my way of giving back to this excellent organization."

Snyder, who is the director of Crawford County's Commission on Aging, said that the opportunity to partner with the hospital to create more senior-focused programs attracted her to the board.

"Access to quality health care for seniors is an essential part of maintaining a vibrant way of life in our community," said Snyder, a mother of two young children who also serves on Mercy Grayling's Hospice Advisory Council. "I'm honored to have the opportunity to broaden my scope and serve this community."

Both Snyder and McGregor were pursued for their commitment to the community and to excellence in health care Riemer-Matuzak said.

"We are grateful for Alice and Dan, especially considering the wealth of experience and insights they bring to our hospital," she said. "We welcome them to our board and look forward to working with them."

Sidebar: What is a board of trustees?
By law, nonprofit hospitals are required to have a board of trustees to provide governance and leadership in all activities of the hospital.

Trustees are generally religious leaders, volunteers, governmental officials or local business people from the area served by the hospital. On the board, trustees must:

* Collaborate with physicians to achieve the hospital's mission
* Work with the hospital staff to recruit and retain qualified and competent professional staff members such as physicians, nurses, technical personnel, etc.
* Collaborate on the selection of medical equipment and the construction and maintenance of the hospital facilities

"All matters the board weighs in on - from recruitment to equipment purchases - directly affect the excellence in patient care our community has come to know and expect from us," said Riemer-Matuzak.

Contact:  Contact Carrie Gray
Director of Marketing and Communications
(989) 348-0594
cgray4@trinity-health.org