Mar. 5—TRAVERSE CITY — Munson Medical Center named Joe Hurshe, 51, as its new president on Tuesday, concluding a six-month-long search process.
Hurshe (pronounced "HER-shee) will take the helm at the Traverse City hospital on April 1, replacing former MMC president and CEO Matt Wille who left the organization in September 2023 for a new role at ThedaCare in Wisconsin.
Interim president Kathy LaRaia will return to her full-time role as vice president of oncology and professional services.
Munson Medical Center is the flagship facility of Munson Healthcare, which operates nine nonprofit community hospitals with more than 9,000 employees. It is northern Michigan's largest health care system.
Born in Ann Arbor and raised in nearby Brighton, Hurshe comes to the new position with 30 years of leadership experience in the healthcare industry, including 13 years with Ascension Health, the nation's second-largest Catholic health system.
Most recently he served as chief operating officer for Ascension Michigan, which operates 16 hospitals with 24,000 employees.
"We are very pleased to welcome Joe to our leadership team during a pivotal time for Munson Healthcare," said Laura Glenn, chief operating officer of Munson Healthcare. "We believe he is an excellent fit to lead the team at our largest hospital, transform our culture for the future and contribute in a meaningful way to the community."
Munson used Korn Ferry, a national search firm based in Los Angeles, to recruit Hurshe for the position.
Hurshe earned his bachelor's degree in health administration from Eastern Michigan University and a master's in management from Webber University. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in health administration from Central Michigan.
While working as a healthcare executive, Hurshe also served as an internship advisor and facilitator for Michigan Medicine's Master of Health Services Administration Program, and as an adjunct faculty member for Michigan State University's School of Human Medicine. He is a board-certified Fellow of the American Healthcare Executives Association.
On Tuesday afternoon, Hurshe said he is "excited" to be moving to Traverse City with his family and their Australian Labradoodle puppy, "Ellie May."
"When I visited Traverse City for my interviews, I was struck by the Munson team's amazing commitment to serving the community," he said. "The tremendous amount of teamwork and the sense of belonging I observed ... made me want to be a part of the team. I look forward to working with the medical staff to transform our internal culture and improve access and quality for our communities."