Regional Care Transformation Plan
Munson Healthcare’s Regional Care Transformation Plan means more and better healthcare services and preserves care close to home
Our Challenges, Simplified
The way we deliver care is not aligned to evolving community needs.
- Patients are asking for more timely appointments and new ways to deliver care like virtual care.
- Patients don’t want to have to go to a hospital for things like blood draws.
The healthcare industry has changed.
- The COVID-19 pandemic has made finding the right workers harder.
- Reimbursements are not keeping up with the rising costs of technology, medicine and caring for our patients and communities.
If we don’t change, we won’t be around to care for Northern Michigan for the next 100 years.
- We are a non-profit healthcare system, but to be able to support our employees and provide the quality care our patients deserve, we can’t operate at a loss.
- Rural community hospitals and healthcare systems across the country are closing — more than 150 in the past 10 years.
Our Regional Care Transformation Plan
Adopt a More Patient-Centric Model: We will invest in a more seamless, quality experience for patients, as well as more access, options and ‘new front doors’ for care.
Expand Munson Healthcare’s Outpatient Footprint: We will expand the services our patients want more of – outpatient services and primary care.
Enhance Virtual Care: We will build on the tools like Virtual Urgent Care we stood up during COVID, offering more virtual care options.
Regionalize Inpatient Services: We will realign inpatient services regionally to ensure we have the right staffing resources to match patient needs in local communities.
Elevate Munson Medical Center to High-Level Specialty Care Center: We will continue to elevate Munson Medical Center to a High-Level Specialty Care Center so patients don’t have to go downstate for special services like critical care, oncology, stroke & cardiology.
Patients will experience:
- A consistent, quality experience, no matter what Munson front door you go through: Less paperwork, better coordination of care and secure access to health information.
- More and better access to preventative care: More access for primary, specialty and outpatient care, with virtual care options.
- High-level specialty care in Northern Michigan for the next 100 years.
Employees will experience:
- Stability: A more united and sustainable organization where each region delivers on its strengths.
- Teamness: The ability to put our values into action by becoming a fully united health system.
- Innovation: Increased innovation and new technology in our care delivery.
Regional Care Transformation Three-Year Vision
All Regions
- Expanding primary care, improving access and expanding virtual care.
- We will provide a consistent, quality experience, no matter what Munson Healthcare System front door our patients go through.
- Full emergency services will remain at all hospitals.
East Region
- Otsego Memorial becomes a Regional Hospital.
- Charlevoix and Grayling become Community Hospitals; focused on more outpatient services.
South Region
- Cadillac becomes a Regional Hospital.
- Manistee and Paul Oliver become Community Hospitals; focused on more outpatient services.
Central Region
- MMC becomes High-Level Specialty Care Center, available 24/7 to treat complex conditions (i.e. NICU; Oncology; Critical Care, Stroke, Cardiology).
