After 24 years in executive roles at Munson Healthcare, Jim Austin has announced his retirement effective Feb. 28, 2014. Austin is administrator of Kalkaska Memorial Health Center in Kalkaska and president of Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital in Frankfort.

Learning new things never grows old for residents at Kalkaska Memorial Assisted Living. During the past year, residents have explored other countries and cultures from the comfort of their home-like community located next to Kalkaska Memorial Health Center.

Kalkaska Memorial Health Center’s Teen Health Corner locations in Kalkaska and at Forest Area Schools continue to make a difference in the lives of area youth. Since 2006, students in the Kalkaska Public Schools have been eligible to use the Teen Health Corner clinic located in Kalkaska. A new Teen Health Corner opened in 2011 in Forest Area Schools. Both clinics continue to meet the needs of young people in the region.

Kalkaska Memorial Health Center incorporates Japanese principles of Six Sigma and Lean into its health care administration and operations.

Kalkaska Memorial Health Center ranked in the top 2 percent of HR Solutions' customer database of 170 organizations and 400,000 responses in terms of employee engagement scores.