January 2026
Top row, from left: Brett Walker, DO • Nicholas Zendler, DO • Laura Kitzmiller, MD • Emily Stevens, MD • Emily Levin, MD • Charles Whittaker, DO. Middle row: John Fanta, MD • Heidi Pangborn, MD • Ryan Urbonas, DO • Victoria Buescher, MD • Caleb Alley, DO • Brandon Ahlgren, MD. Bottom row: Brent Flusty, DO • Rachel Cleminson, MD • Angela Keough, DO • Matthew Ayres, MD • Elizabeth Moore, MD • Khalil (Kal) Attie, MD.

Munson Expands Access to Quality Care Across Northern Michigan
Our patients and communities deserve exceptional care that’s timely and close to home. In 2025, we made significant strides toward that goal — welcoming 73 new providers to our system and expanding services.

Increasing Access Now
Hiring more providers means shorter wait times. For example, Munson Neurosciences’ wait times dropped from 123 days to 30 days for new patients and 37 to 23 days for established patients — thanks to 23 new Neurosciences providers who joined our team in 2025.

Investing in Tomorrow
As a teaching health system, Munson’s medical education and residency programs help to ensure a strong provider pipeline for years to come.

Improving Lives Every Day
By building a stronger provider network and expanding services, Munson Healthcare is strategically growing to make it easier for your patients to get the care they need, when they need it.

Why Growth Matters

  • More local options means less travel for patients.
  • Faster care helps patients start treatment sooner.
  • Convenience and quality create greater confidence and improve the patient experience.

Growth in 2025
In addition to growing our medical staff, here’s what we accomplished in the last year:

  • NEW SERVICES!

Building for the Future
Upcoming service expansions include:

  • Elk Rapids Specialty Clinic (Feb. 2026)
  • Gaylord Ambulatory Surgery Center (Feb. 2026)
  • Cadillac Ambulatory Surgery Center (March 2026)
  • Otsego Memorial Hospital expansion (Fall 2026)
  • 24-bed NICU expansion in Traverse City (Late 2027)

To learn more about our newest providers, watch for a brochure to be mailed to your office.
For a complete list of Munson services, visit munsonhealthcare.org/services.

Healthcare Team

Provider Moves
Munson Healthcare’s Provider Moves webpage has been updated for December, including new providers, practice changes, retirees, providers no longer on staff (or practicing), and other updates (e.g., name changes, practice moves, new phone and fax numbers).

For a directory of Munson-privileged providers who accept referrals, go to Find A Doctor.

The following Munson-employed providers are new to the following MHC practices:

  • Savannah Britten, PA | Munson Healthcare Traverse General Surgery and Trauma Care
  • Allison Glover, NP | Munson Medical Center Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Program
  • Anamarie Gronsman-Francis, NNP | Munson Medical Center Neonatology Unit
  • Jake Jones, NP | Munson Outpatient Behavioral Health Services
  • Emmaline Keely-Luhellier, NP | Kalkaska Medical Associates
  • Amanda Porter, MD | Kalkaska Medical Associates Specialty Clinic

Also, Taylor Dennis, CRNA; Munson Healthcare Anesthesia, has changed her name to Taylor Horning, CRNA.

 Services

Radiology Updates

Updated Radiology Compendium
Munson Healthcare has updated its radiology compendium, which can be found at munsonhealthcare.org/radiologycompendium.

Please work with your EHR vendor to update.

Cash Pay Option for Some Munson Radiology Services
Munson uses Fair Market Health (FMH) to offer upfront, affordable out-of-pocket pricing for certain radiology services. With some insurance plans resetting deductibles in January, this cost savings may be important for patients. Patients can select, pay, and schedule online.

  • A provider order is still required.
  • Ineligible to participate: Patients covered by Medicaid, Medicare, or TriCare.

 Patient Care

Regional Increase in Seasonal Respiratory Viruses
We are seeing an increase in influenza and other seasonal respiratory viruses across Northern Michigan, including multiple outbreaks among our Healthcare Team. Due to rising flu activity, the Grand Traverse County Health Department is encouraging everyone six months of age and older to get vaccinated. Read the GTCHD news release, along with last week’s Flu Activity Report below.

Important Reminders

  • Healthcare workers experiencing respiratory symptoms should immediately notify their supervisor, stay home until fever free for at least 24 hours, without medications, and symptoms are improving. If you are unsure whether you should report to work, please refer to the Work Restrictions Because of Illness or Special Condition policy.
  • Practice good hand hygiene. Wash hands frequently with soap and running water, or alternatively with hand sanitizer.
  • Healthcare Team members with an approved flu vaccine exemption are required to wear a mask when in any MHC facility during flu season.

N. MI Flu Activity Report | Week of 01.17.26

  • Flu Testing: Recommended
    • National: Mostly high and very high activity with some pockets of moderate and low activity.
    • Michigan: Very high activity.
    • Regional: Very high activity.
      • Total Tested = 900
      • Total Positive = 101 (11%)
      • Inpatients = 6

Measles: Clinical Guidance and Testing
A reminder to visit Munson’s For Providers website for measles testing workflows and Munson-specific clinician guidance.

Note, when ordering measles testing, please instruct patients not to present directly to the hospital. Instead, they should call the hospital lab in advance. If they contact Munson’s Switchboard and request the lab, staff will coordinate next steps.

Update: Childhood Immunization Schedule
Earlier this month, the CDC announced it will reduce the number of recommended routine childhood vaccines from 17 to 11.

In response, Munson Healthcare issued the following statement from Dr. Joe Santangelo, Chief Medical, Quality & Safety Officer:

“For centuries, vaccines have played a critical role in the prevention and control of infectious diseases, reducing significant illness and saving millions of lives. Munson Healthcare will continue to follow evidence-based immunization schedules endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). From our little ones to our most vulnerable neighbors, our #1 goal is to keep our communities healthy and safe. With that goal in mind, we will continue to provide our patients and communities with guidance rooted in comprehensive and up-to-date science.”     

The AAP and MDHHS have each released statements affirming they will continue to follow AAP’s childhood immunization schedule.

The I Vaccinate initiative (supported by MHA) has a provider toolkit to help providers educate Michigan parents about the safety and effectiveness of childhood immunizations.

LabMed Reports
Clostridioides Difficile Testing: MMC has transitioned to an updated C. difficile PCR assay. Learn more in LabMed Report | Jan. 2026 Vol. 1.

Discontinuation of Hemosiderin Testing: As of Feb. 1, MMC will no longer provide Urine Hemosiderin testing on site due to low test utilization. Learn more in LabMed Report | Jan. 2026 Vol. 2.

An archive of LabMed Reports is available at munsonhealthcare.org/labmed.

 Resources and Reminders

Be Prepared: Download PerfectServe Clinical Collaboration
PerfectServe Clinical Collaboration is Munson’s two-way paging system that supports timely patient care and delivers critical safety alerts directly to a mobile device. Mass notifications may be used during emergencies such as an active shooter, armed assailant, or full facility lockdown.

If you haven’t already, MHC-credentialed providers are asked please download PerfectServe. Login instructions are available at munsonhealthcare.org/perfectserve.

Munson Accepting New Insurance – Nomi Health
Munson Healthcare is now accepting a new insurance plan — Nomi Health — for select employer groups. Nomi Health offers self-funded Commercial employer group plans featuring low out-of-pocket costs and no deductibles.

Participating employer groups:

    • Beneteau Boats (Cadillac)
    • Goodwill Industries (Cadillac and Ludington)
    • Little River Casino (Manistee)
    • Odawa Casino (Petoskey)
    • Salisbury Trucking (Tustin)

 Questions? Visit nomihealth.com or contact Laura Stuursma, Corporate Finance.

Stay Updated with the Latest Payer Information 
For a curated list of payer news impacting you, including the latest payer changes and guidelines, bookmark: munsonhealthcare.org/PayerUpdates

Third-Party EHR Breach – Awareness and Response
Munson has learned that an unauthorized third party gained access to and obtained data that was maintained by electronic health record (EHR) vendor Oracle. The vendor has determined through an investigation that at least as early as Jan. 22, 2025, an unauthorized third party gained access to personal health information (PHI) on legacy Oracle systems that MHC utilizes.

For more information on the impacted PHI, our response and what services are available to protect your PHI if you were impacted, click here.

Call for Submissions: Voices for Food Access
The Voices for Food Access contest is now open! Share your Creativity — whether through photography, poetry, visual art, or any other medium — to highlight stories of food, family, and community. Entries should celebrate how we stretch our dollars to eat well and care for one another. This initiative supports Munson Healthcare’s Community Health Needs Assessment priorities around food access and economic security.  

To learn more or submit your story by Feb. 11, click here.

 Education

Another Successful MHC Provider Symposium!
The 2026 Munson Healthcare Provider Symposium was an outstanding success, bringing together more than 230 members of our Healthcare Team — including providers, leadership, and staff. Together, we achieved our goals of delivering exceptional multidisciplinary, peer-to-peer education and strengthening connections across our medical community.

You’re Invited! Quarterly Munson Healthcare Surgical Services Meeting
Practice managers and schedulers are invited to join us for our next quarterly Surgical Services meeting for primary care and surgical offices:

  • When: Wed., Jan. 28, 11:45 am – 1 pm.
  • Where: Can attend in-person at Cowell Family Cancer Center (lunch provided) or virtually.
  • Register: To register, contact Andrea Darling.

Upcoming CME Opportunities
For a list of upcoming events, visit munsonhealthcare.org/providerevents.

 

Online Resources
Munson's For Providers website features clinical resources and education to support providers and office staff. Bookmark now for quick access: munsonhealthcare.org/forproviders

To easily identify resources available on the For Providers website in Practice Pro, look for:

To read past issues of Practice Pro, visit munsonhealthcare.org/PracticePro. 

Have staff who would benefit from receiving Practice Pro? Please have them subscribe by completing this form.
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