Munson Healthcare’s East and South Region presidents today jointly announced the appointment of Cristen Brandsma to Director of Surgical Services, Community Hospitals.
East Region President Kirsten Korth-White and South Region President James Barker said Brandsma will oversee surgical services for all community hospitals, working with teams to build alignment, promote sharing of resources, and best practices.
The new role will include working collaboratively with applicable service line executive directors with respect to surgical service line strategy development, coordination of new surgeon onboarding, and identifying and addressing opportunities to improve timely patient access to surgical care in the health system’s community hospital settings.
Brandsma joined Munson Healthcare Cadillac Hospital in 2001 and has held a variety of leadership roles in obstetrics, nursing, and surgery. She served as the director of Surgical Services at Cadillac Hospital for several years before taking on the South Region director role in June 2021. Brandsma currently serves as the interim director of Surgical Services at Munson Medical Center, supporting an immediate staffing need there. She will begin her new community hospital role in the fall after her interim assignment is complete.
“I’m very excited to work directly with all the community hospitals to promote the amazing care patients in northern Michigan can receive close to home,” Brandsma said. “The time I’ve spent at Munson Medical Center has been valuable as I’ve been able to build new relationships and have gained a broader understanding of the capabilities of our regional referral center. Working in a larger department at the medical center has been inspiring and I’m eager to bring that excitement into my new role.”
A former captain in the U.S. Army, Brandsma said her military experiences have helped to shape her leadership style and ability to implement operational strategies for South Region programs.
Brandsma joined the Army after graduating from Grand Valley State University with a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree. She also holds a master’s degree in business administration from Lawrence Tech University.
Brandsma is married with two children, enjoys playing hockey, and spending time with her family and many pets.