Dostal returning to area to lead Ludington, Gerber hospitals. 

June 26, 2020

Drew Dostal

Dostal returning to area to lead Ludington, Gerber hospitals. 

LUDINGTON – A former Ludington hospital vice president is returning to the area to become Spectrum Health’s northwest region leader covering Newaygo, Mason, Oceana and Muskegon counties. Drew Dostal will oversee operations at Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital, Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial in Fremont and the Integrated Care Campus in North Muskegon.

“We at Spectrum Health are excited to welcome Drew Dostal back to west Michigan and lead our efforts to make health care personalized, simple and affordable for the communities we serve from Muskegon and Newaygo County all the way up to Ludington and beyond,” said Dr. Darryl Elmouchi, president of Spectrum Health West Michigan. “Drew’s love for west Michigan and his deep roots in the area will help us take our commitment to the health and wellbeing of the communities we serve to the next level. Drew is the right person at the right time to lead Spectrum Health’s efforts in northwest Michigan to improve health, inspire hope and save lives, as well as promote greater health equity across the region.”

Dostal’s first day as Spectrum Health’s northwest region market leader is Monday, August 3.

In his new position, Dostal will lead:

  • 49-bed Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital
  • 25-bed critical access Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial Hospital in Fremont
  • A full-service integrated care center in Muskegon
  • More than a dozen clinics across four counties
  • A Medical Fitness Association-certified wellness center – one of only three in Michigan – with 3,000 members in Newaygo County
  • Multiple outpatient labs and rehab facilities
  • Award-winning community health programs
  • The Skincare Center and Spa at Tamarac in Fremont
  • More than 1,300 team members

A registered nurse, Dostal has 25 years of experience in the clinical and managerial fields. He was most recently the CEO of Plains Regional Medical Center in Clovis, New Mexico, a 106-bed hospital with a Level IV trauma center employing 600 people. Previously, he was CEO at Ogallala Community Hospital, an 18-bed critical access hospital with 160 employees. He also was CEO of Rocky Mountain Surgical Center in Bozeman, Montana, overseeing a team of 10 surgeons specializing in orthopedic, podiatric, spine and gastrointestinal procedures. Prior to being vice president of operations in Ludington, Dostal was the hospital’s surgical director.

A U.S. Air Force veteran before he entered the health care field, Dostal and his family lived in the Scottville area from 1994 to 2014.

“I’m thrilled to be coming home to west Michigan and joining an outstanding Spectrum Health team that is doing phenomenal work caring for patients,” Dostal said. “Spectrum Health is aligning health care with the needs of the community and keeping families safe during an unprecedented global pandemic. I’m also excited to reconnect with family and friends in a part of the country that is special to me. In many ways, I’m honored for the opportunity to bring my career in medicine back to where it began, here in West Michigan, and help make health care more personalized and simpler for the families we serve.”

Dostal’s achievements as a health care leader include developing partnerships to expand behavioral health programs; investing in robust community health efforts; identifying needed services and recruiting specialists; and implementing strategies to improve patients’ experiences with health care. Dostal also focused on reaching out to staff and the community, through regular hospital town halls and monthly health care updates on local radio.

Dostal received an associate degree in nursing from West Shore Community College, and a bachelor’s degree in nursing and master in business administration from Ferris State University.

Prior to Dostal’s appointment, Shelly Johnson was interim market leader for Gerber Memorial while also serving as its chief operating officer (COO), and Helen Johnson was interim market leader for Ludington Hospital and its COO. Both will resume their full-time COO roles.

Spectrum Health’s four-county northwest region has a total population of more than 317,000 people.

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