Bill Taylor

Bill Taylor is a writer, speaker and entrepreneur whose ideas have helped shape the global conversation about how business works and why organizations win. He is best known as a co-founder and founding editor of Fast Company, a magazine that was launched in the early days of the Internet era and remains an important source of new ideas and best practices about leadership and innovation. A few years ago, he published a book called Mavericks at Work, which quickly became a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller. Mavericks explained "why the most original minds in business win" and set out a collection of new ideas about strategy and competition. Bill's next book, Practically Radical, to be published this fall, explores how to unleash big change in difficult times. Bill is a graduate of Princeton University and received his MBA from the Sloan School of Management at MIT.

Marco Capicchioni, PE

Marco F. Capicchioni, PE has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Michigan and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Detroit. He worked as a mechanical engineer for Giffels/Hoyem Basso Associates and Harley, Ellington Pierce Yee and Associates before accepting a job as Manager of Plant Operations at Grace Hospital.  Marco is currently the vice president of Facility Services and Real Estate for Henry Ford Health System.

James M. Connelly

In his role as CFO, Connelly is responsible for managing the fiscal affairs of Henry Ford Health System, including capital planning and other related matters that ensure the integrity of its fiscal strength. He also is responsible for managing investments, real estate and insurance, and has extensive experience with establishing operational guidelines for insurance companies, communicating with domestic regulatory agencies and developing business strategies.

Connelly came to Henry Ford Health System from TriHealth, Inc., in Cincinnati, where he served as senior vice president and chief financial officer. Previously, he was senior vice president and chief financial officer of Bethesda, Inc.  While in Cincinnati, he was also senior vice president and chief operating officer of Bethesda North Hospital. He worked 15 years for Arthur Andersen & Co. in Detroit, the last three years as an audit partner.

He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from Central Michigan University and a master's degree in business administration from University of Detroit. Connelly is a certified public accountant and a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. In addition, he is a member of the Michigan Association of CPAs, the Healthcare Financial Management Association and is a board member and treasurer for the Wayne State University Tech Town.

Rita Fields

Rita has been a member of the human resources profession for more than 13 years. Currently, she is vice president for talent and work force strategies for Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital.

She is a double alumna of Marygrove College, receiving bachelor’s degrees in both English and psychology, as well as a master’s degree in human resources management. She currently is enrolled in the Doctorate of Management program at Walsh College.

Rita is a member of the Eastern Michigan University External Advisory Board, Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR), Human Resources Association of Greater Detroit (HRAGD), Leadership NEXT and Inforum. She also is president of the Marygrove College Alumni Board, a member of the board of directors of Mercy Education Project and a board advisor for the First Children Finance Fund. Crain’s Detroit Business named her one of the 40 Under 40 in 2008. In 2009, the Fusion division of the Detroit Chamber of Commerce honored her with the Young Professional in Health Care Services Horizon Award.

Sven Gierlinger

Sven Gierlinger is the administrator for hospitality services at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital. In this role, Gierlinger is responsible for achieving the highest quality of services, including environmental, nutrition, property management and facility development.

Gierlinger also is heading the development of the Culinary Institute at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital. The Culinary Institute – the first of its kind in the world – is being created to bring chefs from other health care systems across the country to Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital to learn how to cook healthy food for their patients.

Prior to joining Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, Gierlinger was the vice president of Museum Operations at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), one of the top art museums in North America, with an annual operating budget of more than $30 million. His accomplishments include coordination of the $158 million renovation of the DIA.

With his career primarily in the hospitality industry, Gierlinger opened six hotels in four countries over nine years, including Ritz-Carlton hotels in the U.S., Germany, Japan and Indonesia.

For nearly three years, he was a management partner and owner of a start-up restaurant concept business, SM Biz LLC, The Flying Buffalo, in Falls Church, Va.

He received his bachelor’s degree in hotel business administration in 1994 from the Bavaria Hotel Management School in Altoetting, Germany.

Rose M. Glenn, APR

Rose Glenn has a 25-year career in health care marketing, advertising and public relations.

Rose joined Henry Ford Health System in 2001 and leads a team of 60 plus people responsible for the marketing, public relations and Web strategies for the further growth, preference and brand identity of the $4 billion health system and its subsidiaries.

She joined Henry Ford from ProMedica Health System, a Toledo-based health care organization, where she served as corporate vice president of marketing, public relations and advocacy for seven years. Prior, she was in the Detroit market for 10 years, serving in leadership roles in the urban hospitals of Mercy Health Services (now Trinity) and at Bon Secours Health System.

Rose is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America and certified by the Society of Health Care Strategy and Market Development. In 1999, she was a recipient of the 20 Under 40 leadership award given by the Toledo Area Jaycees. Rose has served on numerous committees for professional organizations, including the Inforum Nominating Committee. She is a graduate of Leadership Detroit.

A summa cum laude graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Rose is a guest lecturer for the university’s public relations courses and the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan. She is chair of the board of directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Detroit and a mentor for the international organization Menttium, the Public Relations Student Society of America and Henry Ford Health System.

Mark A. Kelley, M.D.

Dr. Kelly leads the 1,200 physicians of the Henry Ford Medical Group – one of the nation’s largest group practices. The medical group trains more than 700 students and residents each year and conducts more than $55 million in biomedical research.

Dr. Kelley serves as a member of the senior leadership team for Henry Ford Health System and participates in the development of the strategic direction for the organization. In addition, he helps facilitate relationships between Henry Ford Health System and the more than 1,800 private practice physicians throughout metro Detroit who provide care at Henry Ford facilities.

Dr. Kelley received both his undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard University and received his training in internal medicine and pulmonary diseases at the University of Pennsylvania.

Before joining Henry Ford, Dr. Kelley was professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine where he served in a variety of leadership roles. He was vice chairman of the department of medicine and chief of medicine and associate chief of staff at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He also served as vice dean for clinical affairs at Penn, and he was responsible for the physician and hospital network development and for the coordination of clinical practice integration across the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Among his other professional activities, Dr. Kelley has served as chairman of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and the ABIM Foundation. He has been a director of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the American Board of Medical Specialties.

He has chaired COMPACCS – the national manpower study on pulmonary and critical care, and FOCCUS – a committee commissioned by the professional societies in critical care to address challenges in critical care delivery.

Currently, Dr. Kelley serves on the Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME), which advises Congress on issues related to the national physician work force. He is a member of the Group Practice Advisory Committee of the American Medical Association and is its immediate past chair. Dr. Kelley is also a board member of the American Medical Group Association (AMGA).

As a practicing pulmonary physician listed in "Best Doctors in America," Dr. Kelley is a fellow of both the American College of Physicians and the American College of Chest Physicians. He maintains active teaching roles at the Wayne State School of Medicine, the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Care Economics at the University of Pennsylvania.

Mani Menon

Dr. Menon is one of the foremost urologists in the world. He graduated from JIPMER Pondicherry and did his residency in urology at the Brady Urological Institute at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. He then moved to Washington University in St. Louis and, in 1983, to the University of Massachusetts Medical School to start the Division of Urological and Transplantation Surgery. At age 34, he became the youngest chairman of Urology in the USA. Under Dr. Menon’s leadership, the department at the University of Massachusetts became the largest in New England and one of the best in the country as ranked by the U.S.News & World Report. In 1997, Dr. Menon was recruited to Henry Ford Hospital to invigorate the prostate cancer program there, and in 2000 he became the founding director of the Vattikuti Urology Institute.

Dr. Menon’s early interests were in reconstructive surgery for complex renal stones, while his research interests were in renal physiology and in the biology of the prostate. At Henry Ford Hospital, Dr. Menon introduced robotic surgery to the field of urology, and he established the first urological robotics program in the world. The robotic approach that Menon has developed, Vattikuti Institute Prostatectomy (VIP), has become the gold standard for the surgical treatment of prostate cancer. Techniques developed by Menon include the anterior approach to the prostate, enhanced nerve sparing techniques, a more precise removal of the lymph nodes and a catheter-free prostatectomy. In addition, Dr. Menon was involved in early work on using the robot for bladder cancer, kidney cancer and kidney stone surgery.

Menon is a recipient of the Gold Cystoscope award of the American Urological Association and a member of the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons and the Clinical Society of Genitourinary Surgeons. In 2008, the president of India awarded him the Dr. B.C. Roy Award for his pioneering contributions to the field of medicine. He has been a visiting professor at various institutions not only in the USA, but also all across the globe, where he has lectured and performed robotic surgery. Menon and his trainees have been involved in the establishment of more than 25 robotic surgery programs around the world, including Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Dr. Menon has published more than 1,000 manuscripts, abstracts and book chapters, primarily in the field of robotic surgery, renal transplantation and urolithiasis. His work has appeared in the major urological journals as well as in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the American Journal of Physiology, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and the New England Journal of Medicine. He is a past member of the National Kidney and Urological Disease Advisory Board and a former Trustee of the American Board of Urology. Dr. Menon is profiled in the Best Doctors of America and Who’s Who in the World.

Bruce K. Muma, M.D.

Bruce K. Muma, M.D., is the chief medical officer of Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital (HFWBH), a 300-bed hospital that opened in spring 2009. He previously served as medical director of the northern region of the Henry Ford Medical Group (HFMG) from 1997 through 2007. He has held other leadership positions, including medical director of the HMO network, director of the Warren medical center, member of the Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) board of trustees as well as several other HFHS hospital boards, member of the HFMG board of governors, and chairperson of several key governance committees within HFMG.

Dr. Muma has a special interest in innovative approaches to improving the quality and safety of health care. He has led HFWBH in their adoption of LEAN methodologies and in the creation of a culture of safety. He has led or sponsored numerous initiatives within Henry Ford Health System over the past 17 years, including diabetes care, anticoagulation, cardiac risk factor management, electronic prescribing systems, electronic visits, advanced access models, poly-pharmacy programs, and worksite wellness programs.

Dr. Muma received his medical education at Wayne State University in 1983 and completed a combined residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Henry Ford Hospital in 1987. He is a fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians.

Kathleen M. Oswald

Kathy was appointed senior vice president and chief human resources officer (CHRO) for Henry Ford Health System in July 2009 after serving the previous year as the interim CHRO. While serving in the interim role, she continued in her position as president of Right Management, Great Lakes Region, a company specializing in talent management and development, and outplacement counseling.

While under Kathy's leadership during the past year, the human resources team introduced a new performance management system, conducted a system-wide compensation study, initiated critical steps in a succession planning process and conducted a dependent eligibility audit resulting in significant cost savings.

Kathy is very active in the community. She currently serves on boards for the Inforum Center for Leadership, the Advisory Board for Automotive Women's Association and the President's Advisory Council, Central Michigan University.

Craig Reickert, M.D., FACS

Dr. Reickert received his medical degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He completed his postgraduate training in General Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital, followed by additional training in Surgical Critical Care at the University of Michigan, and a fellowship in Colon and Rectal Surgery at the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans.

In addition to being a staff surgeon, Dr. Reickert is the director of the Center for Simulation Education and Research at Henry Ford Hospital. Dr. Reickert specializes in colon and rectal tumors, inflammatory bowel disease, surgical management of fecal incontinence, minimally invasive surgery and colonoscopy. His board certifications include the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery, American Board of Surgery and American Board of Surgery: Critical Care.

Robert G. Riney

Robert G. Riney was appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer of Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) in 2003. In this role, Mr. Riney oversees all hospital and service operations for the seven-hospital health system consisting of more than 60 clinical locations, 23,000 employees and annual revenues of $4 billion. In addition, Mr. Riney is responsible for corporate services, including legal, information technology, planning and management services, quality and strategic business development.

Mr. Riney joined Henry Ford Health System in 1978 and has had the privilege throughout his career to work in almost every business unit in the System. As a result of this rare career track, he has a deep understanding of organizational culture and its impact on operating performance. His relationship and negotiation skills, as well as his ability to translate complex challenges into actionable solutions, have served him and Henry Ford Health System well.

Mr. Riney has held numerous Henry Ford Health System leadership positions, including: senior vice president and chief administrative officer (2002–2003); senior vice president and chief human resources officer (2000–2002); and vice president of organizational design and effectiveness (1998–2000).

Mr. Riney is a passionate contributor to the overall quality of the community as well as his profession, and he is often sought out for input on major community strategic issues. His current board and community roles include: board president, Dominican Healthcare Board; board member, Nemours Foundation – one of the country’s largest foundations; board member, Wayne State University School of Business Administration; board member, National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL); board member, Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau; board member, Leadership Detroit; board member, Detroit Regional Chamber Foundation; board member, ACCESS; board member, Greater Detroit Area Health Council (GDAHC); faculty, Institute of Healthcare Improvement; and adviser, OneD.

Mr. Riney’s past board and community roles include: board president, Mosaic Youth Theater of Detroit; president, American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration; chair, Leadership Detroit; and board member, American Hospital Association Commission on Workforce.

Mark L. Rosenblum, M.D.

Dr. Rosenblum is a 1965 graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.

Dr. Rosenblum completed his internship at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, where he met his wife, Pam. He then served as a staff associate at the National Cancer Institute’s Baltimore Cancer Research Center in Baltimore, Md., from 1970 to 1972 where he was an early brain tumor researcher and clinician. He completed a surgery residency at the University of California Los Angeles in 1973 and a neurological surgery residency at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) in 1979. Throughout his neurosurgery residency at UCSF, Dr. Rosenblum was a principal investigator in the Brain Tumor Research Center, and during that he time received a number of fellowship awards and research grants. He was board certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery in 1982.

Dr. Rosenblum taught in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of California San Francisco from 1977 to 1992; he held the position of professor of neurological surgery from 1988 to 1992. In 1992, he joined the faculty of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Mich., as chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery and director of the residency training program, and he has held the Vlasic Family Chair since 1995.

Currently, Dr. Rosenblum serves as co-director of Henry Ford Health System’s Neuroscience Institute – an institute that includes nine collaborative departments as well as the Hermelin Brain Tumor Center. Dr. Rosenblum was instrumental in the establishment of the Center, which is one of the largest in the United States. He also serves as vice president of clinical programs at the new $400 million Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, focusing on clinical care innovations.

Dr. Rosenblum has published more than 160 peer-reviewed articles as well as seven books.

Twenty-five years ago, he founded the Joint Section on Tumors of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and served as chair for its first seven years. Dr. Rosenblum’s volunteer work has helped secure more than $25 million in charitable gifts in support of brain tumor and other basic and clinical research at Henry Ford Hospital.

Nancy M. Schlichting

Nancy M. Schlichting is president and chief executive officer of Henry Ford Health System, a nationally recognized $4 billion health care organization with 23,000 employees. She is credited with leading the health system through a dramatic financial turnaround and for award-winning patient safety, customer service and diversity initiatives.

Nancy Schlichting joined Henry Ford Health System in 1998 as senior vice president and chief administrative officer. In 1999 she became the System's executive vice president and chief operating officer. In 2001, she assumed an additional role as president and chief executive officer of Henry Ford Hospital and is credited for its financial turnaround. In June 2003, Schlichting was named president and CEO of Henry Ford Health System. Her vision is to create tremendous clinical excellence, a fabulous patient experience and a great environment for all health care professionals to advance their careers. Schlichting believes that great people are the key to providing great health care, and therefore, is committed to giving her employees everything they need to become the best possible health care professionals.

A hallmark of Schlichting’s career is working with community, legislative and business leaders to improve health services while providing affordable care. Nancy serves on numerous community, professional and corporate boards that reflect both her professional and personal interests. She is a member of The Kresge Foundation Board, the Walgreen Company Board, the Michigan Health and Hospital Association Board (past chair), Michigan Health and Hospital Association’s Foundation Board (chair), the Detroit Regional Chamber Board, the Greater Detroit Area Health Council Board, Citizen’s Research Council of Michigan, Detroit Economic Club Board, and a member of the Michigan Women’s Forum.

Another hallmark of Schlichting’s career is her exceptional ability to balance her service to the community with her own exemplary career that has resulted in many forms of recognition over the years. In 2009, Nancy received the Lung Health Champion Award from the American Lung Association, was named a Health Care Hero by MichUHCAN and received the Powerful Woman of Purpose Award from the Rhonda Walker Foundation. In 2008, Modern Healthcare magazine named her one of the 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare for the fourth year in a row. B’nai B’rith International named her recipient of its 2008 Great American Traditions Award. Nancy received the first Sophie J. Womack Trail Blazer of the Year Award from the Detroit Community Health Connection and received an honorary doctor of laws degree from Walsh College. In 2007 Modern Healthcare magazine named Nancy one of the Top 25 Women in Healthcare. Crain’s Detroit Business named Nancy a 2007 Health Care Hero and one of the Top 100 Most Influential Women in Detroit for a second time. Also in 2007, Nancy was the recipient of Wayne State University College of Nursing’s 2007 Lifeline Award, the Arthritis Foundation’s Tribute to Excellence award, the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion’s Humanitarian Award and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Outstanding Achievements in Health Care Award.

In 2006, Crain’s Detroit Business named Schlichting one of Detroit’s Most Powerful People (ranked 16th out of 51 and the only person from the health care field.) In 2005, Schlichting was chosen as one of the top 10 Newsmakers of the Year by Crain’s Detroit Business, selected as a winner of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association’s Health Care Leadership Award, received The Michigan Business Professional Association’s Distinguished Leadership Award, Operation ABLE’s Exemplar Award, The American Jewish Committee’s National Human Relations Award and the Michigan Women Foundation’s Women of Achievement and Courage Award. In 2004, Schlichting received the Woman of Distinction Award from the Girl Scouts of America and was selected as one of Detroit’s most Enterprising Women by the Detroit Historical Society.

Schlichting received her A.B. in public policy studies, magna cum laude from Duke University and her MBA from Cornell University. She and her family reside in Bloomfield Township, Mich.

Michael Seidman, M.D., FACS

Michael Seidman, M.D., FACS, a board-certified otolaryngologist at Henry Ford Health System, is director of the Division of Otologic/Neurotologic Surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital; director of the Otolaryngology Research Laboratory; co-director of the Tinnitus Center; chair of the Center for Integrative Medicine for Henry Ford Health System; and medical director of Wellness for Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital. He is also director of Product Development (nutritional science/projects) for ViSalus Sciences, and a past president of the Michigan Otolaryngology Society.

Dr. Seidman did not follow the traditional route of most pre-med students (chemistry, microbiology, etc.). Instead, he earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in Human Nutrition. He later attained his M.D. from the same university.

Dr. Seidman is co-editor for the International Tinnitus Journal and is on the editorial review board for eight major otolaryngology (ENT) journals and the Journal for Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Self Help for Hard of Hearing People Inc., the Ear Research Foundation, the Life Extension Foundation, IntraEar, Gel Tech (producers of homeopathic remedies), and BASF (specifically on the work for SAMe) and WebMD (work related to analysis of weight-loss nutrition software).

Dr. Seidman is considered an expert on the molecular basis of aging; noise induced hearing loss; and nutrition/antioxidants and their relationship to health, aging, herbal therapies, otologic/neurologic surgical problems, skull base tumors, acoustic neuromas, and cochlear implants. He also is considered one of the top tinnitus specialists in the U.S. He lectures around the world on such topics, has more than 75 major publications, numerous awards and has been granted a U.S. patent on a supplement that positively effects age-related hearing loss. He has several patents pending on aging, mitochondrial function and Alzheimer's disease.

Frank Turner

Frank Turner is the executive chef at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, overseeing patient food service and Henry's, the hospital's destination café that serves employees, patients, their families and other members of the surrounding community. Henry's provides a dining experience like no other, with healthy, tasty, affordable options for every kind of taste, even the most discerning palettes. Henry's offers meals designed to help diners in their pursuit of optimal health by always using fresh, wholesome foods, all-natural ingredients and, where practical, certified-organic and sustainably grown produce harvested from locally and regionally renowned farms.

Chef Turner came from the Matt Prentice Restaurant Group (MPRG) as one of his corporate chefs. While at MPRG, Frank also served as an executive chef and managing partner for 14 years. A past instructor for Share Our Strength® "Operation Front Line," Chef Turner is currently on the board of directors for the Detroit chapter of Slow Food® USA and the Chef for the Michigan Department of Agriculture's "Select Michigan Program."

Frank remains passionate about working with local farmers and Michigan food suppliers to provide ultra-fresh, certified-organic products for his guests at Henry's and patients at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital. He believes the fresher the food the better the nutritional value, which helps improve the health of the surrounding community.

Gerard van Grinsven

Gerard van Grinsven joined Henry Ford Health System in June 2006. He has more than 24 years of global experience in the luxury hospitality industry, including operational, corporate and general management positions. Before coming to Henry Ford, he served as vice president and area general manager for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in Dearborn and as vice president and area general manager of The Ritz-Carlton hotels in Cleveland, St. Louis and Philadelphia.

During his career, he has opened 20 Ritz-Carlton properties worldwide. He was a key member of the team responsible for the company winning the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 1999. He also executed The Ritz-Carlton Reborn project, which resulted in The Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn being the No. 1 hotel in the company for improved guest and employee satisfaction scores. Mr. van Grinsven also has served on the Henry Ford Health System Western Wayne/Downriver Board of Trustees.

Mr. van Grinsven’s vision includes a passion for service, a total commitment to creating an environment of excellence, and building successful relationships with the community, patients and employees.

His vision for Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital is for the community to embrace it as a wellness center instead of a traditional hospital. In addition to state-of-the-art equipment and best practices, the hospital features a spa-like setting with a pond and landscaped courtyards that contribute to the healing environment – offering wellness education to the community it serves.

Mr. van Grinsven holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in hotel management from The Hotel Management School in Maastricht, Netherlands. He is a former board member of the Detroit Regional Chamber and the Michigan Kidney Foundation. In 2003, he was named one of the "100 Emerging Business Leaders" by the Detroit Regional Chamber.

Kimberlydawn Wisdom, M.D., M.S.

Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom is a board-certified emergency medicine physician who practiced for 20 years at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan. She also founded and directed both the Institute of Multicultural Health at Henry Ford Health System and a national minority quality forum – an award-winning, community-based health screening initiative entitled AIMHI (African American Initiative for Male Health Improvement) that focuses on improving the health of African American men, who are disproportionately affected by poor health outcomes. She is an assistant professor of Medical Education at the University of Michigan Medical Center and serves as adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

In February 2003, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm took an important first step toward revitalizing public health in Michigan by appointing Kimberlydawn Wisdom, M.D., as Michigan's – and the nation's – first state-level surgeon general to address Michigan's less than desirable health status.

When Governor Granholm appointed Dr. Wisdom, she asked that Dr. Wisdom serve as an unbiased, non–partisan, evidence–based, best practices advocate for the health of the state's citizens. In addition, Dr. Wisdom was charged with rebuilding the public health system, developing public health policy, and building collaborative partnerships. Dr. Wisdom has been leading Michigan's public health promotion and disease prevention efforts.

As Michigan's surgeon general, Dr. Wisdom has focused on physical inactivity, unhealthy eating habits, childhood lead poisoning, tobacco use, chronic disease, infant mortality, unintended pregnancy, coordinated school health, HIV/AIDS, health disparities, suicide and economic/social implications of not engaging in prevention activities. In 2004, she released Healthy Michigan 2010: Surgeon General's Health Status Report – an evidence-based, scientific report highlighting the health status of Michigan citizens across 10 focus areas. The report helped to align Michigan's health status goals with the Healthy People 2010 goals for the nation. She also released the Michigan Surgeon General's Prescription for a Healthier Michigan, which outlines strategic priorities and recommendations for action to preserve, protect and promote Michigan's health. In 2004, Dr. Wisdom launched Michigan Steps Up, her statewide healthy lifestyles initiative. She also leads Michigan's childhood lead poisoning prevention and control efforts, and she currently serves as chairperson of the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention & Control Commission. In 2005, Dr. Wisdom and Governor Granholm released the Governor's Blueprint for Preventing Unintended Pregnancies. She was elected to the board of directors of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy in 2006 and serves as chairperson for the campaign's State and Local Action Task Force. In March of 2007, Dr. Wisdom was awarded a $5 million grant entitled, "Generation With Promise," from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to empower middle school students in underserved areas to drive policy, and environmental and behavioral change in their schools.

Since she was first appointed, Dr. Wisdom has traveled the state extensively as part of her "Surgeon General Rounds." She has met with thousands of Michigan citizens, health providers, voluntary associations, policy leaders, business leaders, educators, scientists, researchers, and elected officials across the state. She has appeared on ABC Nightline and Food Network, was taped by CNN, and has presented to many national audiences, such as the National Governor's Association and the Congressional Black Caucus. She has been the recipient of many awards, including an honorary doctorate from Morehouse School of Medicine, which was presented by Dr. David Satcher, the 16th U.S. Surgeon General. She has been recognized by Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick for her community service. Dr. Wisdom also has been awarded the National Sojourner Truth Meritorious Service Award by the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women, presented by their member Diana Lewis of Channel 7 news. She has received several awards from local communities such as Benton Harbor and several faith-based organizations.

Prior to her appointment as Surgeon General in 2002, Dr. Wisdom was appointed to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention Diabetes Translation Advisory Committee. Dr. Wisdom also was co-investigator of Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (R.E.A.C.H.), a grant funded by CDC to implement and evaluate a community action plan designed to decrease health disparities of African Americans and Latinos with diabetes in the Detroit area. She has presented her medical research and service related work at regional, national and international meetings and has several publications and book chapters. From 2002–2004, she served as a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health Study Section Reviewer.

In April 2007, Dr. Wisdom returned to Henry Ford Health System as vice president of Community Health Education and Wellness while retaining her post as surgeon general. In October 2007 she was appointed to hold the Gail and Lois Warden Endowed Chair in Multicultural Health. In this role, she works with others in the southeast region of Michigan to develop and lead efforts that improve the health of the community. She leads quality initiatives to address health care equity and health disparities, and provides clinical leadership to community, health literacy and diversity initiatives. She provides internal and external leadership to community health education, including a focus on clinical quality and patient safety and cultural competency. Further, she leads efforts to secure grant funds to conduct research and demonstration projects.

Richard Zarbo, M.D., DMD

Dr. Zarbo received both medical and dental degrees from the University of Connecticut. He is a board-certified anatomic and clinical pathologist and an expert in head and neck pathology, laboratory quality and LEAN management. He has been instrumental in defining national benchmarks of laboratory quality over the past 20 years and has served on the Laboratory Practices Steering Committee of the National Quality Forum addressing practice concepts for measuring and reporting patient safety and communication for laboratory medicine.

Under the leadership of Dr. Zarbo, all laboratories of Henry Ford Health System have been integrated into one corporate service line that includes six acute care hospitals and 30 clinic laboratory sites. He has been one of the pathology profession's early pioneers in applying quality techniques and principles of LEAN manufacturing to laboratory medicine and these integrated laboratories.  The Henry Ford LEAN methods are based on quality manufacturing principles developed by Henry Ford and the management approach of W. Edwards Deming that later inspired the innovations of the Toyota Production System.  Dr. Zarbo will share his experiences and challenges as a leader of laboratory integration and changing the culture of the 785 employees in the laboratories of Henry Ford Health System.