Professional Highlights for December 2021

Massey Receives 2021 ATHENA Leadership Award

Michelle Massey, vice president of community outreach and customer support at TechSmith, is the recipient of the 2021 ATHENA Leadership Award.

Massey will be honored by the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce at the annual ATHENA Awards luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center in East Lansing.

The ATHENA Leadership Award is presented annually in more than 500 communities internationally. It recognizes individuals for professional excellence, providing valuable service to the community, and actively assisting women in attaining professional excellence and leadership skills.

“I am honored to be the recipient of the 2021 ATHENA Award. It is wonderful to be recognized for doing good in a community that I am passionate about,” said Massey. “Our community is one of creativity, opportunities and vision. I am grateful I have been able to participate in and lead initiatives that have impacted business and the community. Receiving this award is humbling because there are so many others committed to the Lansing region and doing great things.”

Massey has over 25 years of information technology industry experience, along with extensive experience in community engagement, business operations, corporate planning, support and proposal development.

Ribbon-cutting Held for StoneBriar at Burcham Hills

Completion of StoneBriar at Burcham Hills was celebrated by more than 175 attendees at a ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception Sept. 29. The four-story building offers 44 upscale apartments for residents living independently.

StoneBriar at Burcham Hills is the first life-plan community in mid-Michigan to offer an entrance-fee, independent-living product.

“It’s truly a fresh take on senior living,” said Kari Rennie, Burcham Hills executive director. “Burcham Hills has been mid-Michigan’s trusted provider for senior living services for over 47 years, and we are confident that when our newest residents need assisted living, memory care, rehab or nursing care, they are already home and on a campus that provides any level of care they may need or desire.”

All StoneBriar pet-friendly apartments have a patio or balcony, high-end finishes, a full-size kitchen, and a washer and dryer. There is a separate covered entrance to the building as well as heated underground parking.

“Formal planning activities began in 2015 and included our residents, management team, employees and board of trustees; city leaders; and citizens,” said Jim Savage, board president. “We are very pleased to see the realization of our goal to provide a state-of-the-art community that offers financial and emotional security as well as peace of mind for the family, with assurances that a plan is in place if the need for future care should arise.”

Patrick Awarded DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses

McLaren Greater Lansing nurse Alicia Patrick was honored with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the exceptional care nurses provide every day.

The nomination, submitted by one of Patrick’s patients, stated: “Alicia was the best. She was my nurse on Dec. 17, 2020, and was there for the worst of my labor and delivery of my son. It has been over two months since then, and I am still grateful for her every day. She knew I wanted an unmedicated delivery and helped me every step of the way. I don’t think she ever left my side. She told me how to relax and showed me different positions to get into to help with the pain and help my baby drop. She even had me bear my weight onto her and held me up. I am amazed at how much she went above and beyond for me during the birth, and the aftercare was no different. I really don’t think I could have had the birth I did without her!”

Patrick was rewarded by hospital leadership and co-workers and received a certificate commending her for being an “Extraordinary Nurse,” as well as a sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch,” hand-carved by artists of the Shona people in Zimbabwe.

“I’ve always loved watching others get this award because I feel everybody here does a really good job,” Patrick said. “I’m very proud to have been nominated as well, because I love my patients.”

Hude Receives Platinum Club Honors

Lansing-area real estate agent Kelly Hude received Re/Max Platinum Club honors, which are based on the production of individual agents.

The Platinum Club was first introduced in 1994 to recognize the significant increase in earnings among the very highest producers in the Re/Max system. Members of the Platinum Club qualify by having earned between $250,000 and $499,999 in gross commissions during the preceding calendar year. Hude sold nearly 50 homes in 2021 and ranked No. 28 in sales volume out of 900 agents in the month of June.

MSU Health Care Opens Gastroenterology Clinic

Michigan State University Health Care opened a new gastroenterology clinic Nov. 1. The clinic is located on the second floor of the Hannah Technology Research Center, 4660 S. Hagadorn Road, Suite 230, adjacent to the MSU Health Care urology clinic.

After practicing medicine together for more than two decades, gastroenterologists Dr. Catherine Kerschen and Dr. Lisa Oliveri-LePain as well as physician assistant Maria Reed decided to form the MSU Health Care gastroenterology clinic.

“We have similar practice philosophies and complement each other very well,” said Kerschen. “We have been talking for years for ideal practice that would benefit patients and our careers.”

MSU Health Care Gastroenterology focuses on general gastroenterology as well as complex and/or multiple gastric conditions, including biliary diseases, chronic liver disease, diseases of the colon, diseases of the esophagus and diseases of the small intestine. In addition to diagnosis, management and treatment of patients, the clinic consults in conjunction with hepatobiliary surgeons at MSU Health Care Surgery and gastrointestinal subspecialists at Henry Ford Health System clinics for gastroenterology, hepatology, inflammatory bowel and motility.

Martin Announces New Hires

Martin Commercial Properties announced the addition of four new full-time hires to the Martin team.

The new hires include Emily Balander and Bria Anderson as assistant property managers, George Molloy as facilities manager, and Richard Balliet as information technology coordinator.

Martin Commercial Properties is a vertically integrated commercial real estate firm with an established track record of delivering service and results to clients since 1962. Its team services clients nationally, with offices in Lansing and Grand Rapids. Martin provides strategic advice and execution in five core lines of business, including brokerage services, property management, corporate services, investment properties and project management.

Martinez Joins Michigan Legislative Consultants

Michigan Legislative Consultants announced Monica Martinez joined the lobbying firm. Martinez brings a wealth of experience in the legislative and executive branches to the firm.

“We’re thrilled to have Monica Martinez join our team and help serve our expanding list of clients,” said Tim Ward, partner at Michigan Legislative Consultants. “Our ability to continue to attract top-notch talent like Monica reflects the client-centric culture we have built at Michigan Legislative Consultants.”

Martinez was previously a senior policy analyst for the Senate Democratic Office, deputy director of legislative affairs for former Gov. Jennifer Granholm and a commissioner at the Michigan Public Service Commission from 2005 to 2011.

She also started a consulting firm, Ruben Strategy Group, where she spent the last decade supporting major national associations, nonprofits, coalitions and businesses in developing their markets, creating strategic pathways to solutions and empowering their organizations.

“Monica Martinez has a drive and a passion to help clients succeed. Her leadership roles and ability to develop and implement strategies will serve as a wonderful asset out of the gate to our clients,” said Brendan Ringlever, partner at Michigan Legislative Consultants.

MSU Neurologist Honored for Providing Access to Care

Dr. Amit Sachdev, associate chief medical officer for Michigan State University Health Care, received a Notable Rising Star in Health Care Leadership award from Crain’s Detroit Business.

Sachdev implemented safety protocols, including mask wearing and social distancing, in early March 2020 and introduced telemedicine to the MSU Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology. His quick thinking allowed MSU Health Care to create the infrastructure needed for telehealth and to continue providing quality health care to all patients. “What strikes me the most is he has an engineering background that, once the pandemic hit, was really a key asset in dealing with a very complicated situation,” said Dr. Anthony Avellino, who nominated him for the award. “His ability to integrate multiple pieces of the puzzle was instrumental in developing and creating clinical processes and flow and safety protocols that resulted in a highly successful telemedicine platform. He’s passionate about what he does, and in health care we need more passionate people like him.”

Sachdev earned his medical degree from the MSU College of Human Medicine and was a neuromuscular medicine fellow with the neuromuscular diseases program within the Department of Neurology at the University of Michigan.

MSU Foundation Wins Emerging Park Award  

The Association of University Research Parks named the Michigan State University Foundation the recipient of its 2021 Emerging Research Park Award.

The award, presented at the 26th annual Awards of Excellence ceremony Oct. 19 at the AURP 2021 International Conference in Salt Lake City, is given to a research park that is building an exceptional ecosystem that supports bringing technology from inception to market, leading to sustainable growth, job creation and contributing to the economic health of the region.

In the last seven years, the MSU Foundation and Michigan State University have made significant contributions to the region and the state by supporting a robust environment for innovation, entrepreneurship, corporate relationships and commercialization activities. MSU and the MSU Foundation have made strategic investments, grown operations and added new square footage to their footprint in East Lansing and Grand Rapids.

Montes Joins First National Bank of Michigan

First National Bank of Michigan announced the addition of Dan Montes as vice president, relationship manager. He will work out of the Lansing office at 101 S. Washington Square.

“We are pleased to welcome Dan Montes to our commercial lending team,” said First National Bank of Michigan Market President Patty Barnas. “Dan has over 13 years of diverse commercial banking, credit and management experience, and possesses the skills and knowledge to offer FNBM customers the expert personal service we are known for.”

Montes attended DeVry University in California, where he studied communications management/project management. He is an active member of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Sparrow Announces Staff Honors

Dr. Christopher Herald, who leads the emergency department at Sparrow Carson Hospital, is Sparrow’s Physician of the Year; Dr. Paul Entler, Sparrow Health System vice president of quality and performance improvement, received the Sparrow Physician Leadership Award; and five other staff members were inducted into Sparrow’s Physicians Hall of Fame during a recent Celebrating Sparrow Physicians dinner.

“I think a career in health care has always been something I thought about when I was young because of this hospital really,” said Herald. “I was born in this hospital; and living in Carson, which is such a small town, and having a great hospital facility like this in the community is really unique, but it’s also a big part of the community.”

Entler is an internal medicine physician who has experience in a wide variety of areas, such as nursing home and dementia care, obesity care, wound and hyperbaric medicine, and hospital care. He has held a number of leadership roles at Sparrow and led efforts to improve quality and patient care.

Inductees into Sparrow’s Physicians Hall of Fame can be nominated by colleagues or members of the community. This year’s inductees include Dr. Timothy Hodge, an emergency medicine clinician, educator and leader; Dr. Said Omar, the medical director of the Sparrow Hospital Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; Dr. Albert Ross, a founding partner of the Michigan Gastroenterology Institute and active in numerous Sparrow governance committees; Dr. Rebecca Wolfe, a family medicine physician at Sparrow Medical Group North; and the late Dr. Paul Schluckebier, an OB-GYN whose passion for his patients and their families impacted countless lives.