Corporate News and Events

Tina Weatherwax Grant Named Director of Michigan Advocacy at Trinity Health

NOVI, Mich. (April 7, 2006) – Trinity Health today announced that Tina Weatherwax Grant, a nine-year veteran of the Michigan legislature and an Ingham County Commissioner, will become its new Director of State Advocacy representing the Catholic health organization’s 12 Michigan-based member hospital systems, home health and long-term care services on legislative and regulatory issues. She will begin her new responsibilities on May 2.

In this newly created position, Grant will develop, implement, and manage legislative and regulatory initiatives for Trinity Health on Michigan issues. She will work closely with hospital leaders to establish policy positions, advance policy priorities, and strengthen advocacy successes.

“Tina will help us strengthen our voice and demonstrate leadership for improved health care in Michigan, especially on such issues as access to care, clinical quality, patient safety, information technology, and care for low-income populations,” said Tim Eckels, Vice President, Public Policy, Trinity Health.

Trinity Health, the fourth-largest Catholic health system with 44 owned or managed acute-care hospitals across the U.S., has a significant presence in Michigan. Across the state, Trinity Health operates 12 acute care hospitals accounting for 3,336 licensed beds, nine nursing homes, and 18 senior housing facilities. Statewide, Trinity Health employs 21,064 full-time employees with a payroll of $1 billion.

Trinity Health has had advocacy staff devoted to federal and state issues in the past, but the exclusive focus of Grant’s new position on state issues is a first for the national health system.

“We’re excited to have Tina working with our member hospital CEOs and their executive teams as we work together to strengthen our advocacy efforts in Lansing on behalf of patients and communities,” said Marsha Casey, President, Michigan Regional Ministries, Trinity Health.

One-out-of-ten hospital patients in Michigan receive care from the following Trinity Health-owned acute-care hospitals:

• St. Joseph Mercy Health System, Ann Arbor (Garry Faja, CEO)
• St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, Pontiac (Jack Weiner, CEO)
• St. Mary Mercy Hospital, Livonia (David Spivey, CEO)
• St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Clinton Township (Barbara Rossmann, CEO)
• Mercy Hospital – Port Huron (Peter Karadjoff, CEO)
• Battle Creek Health System (Pat Garrett, CEO)
• Saint Mary’s Health Care, Grand Rapids (Phil McCorkle, CEO)
• Mercy General Health Partners, Muskegon (Roger Spoelman, CEO)
• Mercy Hospital – Cadillac (John MacLeod, CEO)
• Mercy Hospital – Grayling (Stephanie Reimer-Matuzak, CEO)

Trinity Health also owns Trinity Senior Living Communities (Jaclyn Harris, CEO) and Trinity Home Health Services (Grace McCauley, CEO).

Grant has worked in the Michigan legislature for nine years. Since 2003, she has been the legal and policy advisor in the office of state Rep. Dianne Byrum, D-Onondaga, the Democratic House Leader. She also served as policy director to the House Democratic Caucus.

Prior to that, she was a health and senior citizens policy analyst for the Michigan Senate Democratic Caucus, where she developed policy regarding public, mental and senior health care concerns. She also served as a Regulatory and Legislative Affairs Analyst for a national physician’s association in Washington, D.C.

As an Ingham County Commissioner, she has served as Vice-Chair of the Ingham County Human Services Committee, which has oversight of the Health Department and programs that link residents to organized systems of health care, including the county’s recently created one-third share health plan.

Grant earned her bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University and her law degree from Michigan State University College of Law, where she served as Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Medicine and Law.