Directors at Catherine’s Health Center in Grand Rapids appointed Megan Erskine as CEO.
Erskine will join the nonprofit health care provider on April 12 after her tenure with Heartland Health Centers in Chicago, where she served as chief operating officer.
Erskine
Erskine will succeed longtime CEO Karen Kaashoek, who’s retiring after more than 24 years with Catherine’s Health Center, which like Heartland, is a federally qualified health center.
Erskine said in a new release that she looks forward to “collaborating with the wonderful team members to continue building on our reputation for excellence and to expand high-quality care to an even larger patient population.”
“I believe the key to providing patient-centered care begins with a diverse and inclusive work environment that makes health equity a priority,” she said.
A Grand Ledge native, Erskine earned a bachelor’s degree from Kalamazoo College and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Illinois Chicago. She has more than 12 years of community health experience.
Catherine’s Health Center opened in 1996 as a joint venture between Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, St. Alphonsus Parish and the Creston Neighborhood Association. The center first operated in the basement of St. Alphonsus on Leonard Street until 2011, then moved around the corner to the former St. Alphonsus School on Lafayette Street.
Catherine’s provides primary, behavioral health and dental care, as well as health promotion and disease prevention services.
Kaashoek has volunteered or worked for Grand Rapids-based Catherine’s since 1997, serving in roles such as neighborhood health services coordinator, clinical supervisor, executive director and CEO.
Under Kaashoek’s leadership, Catherine’s attained 501(c)(3) status as a nonprofit organization, raised $1.3 million to move into an expanded facility, expanded services, started a dental clinic, and achieved national accreditation as a Patient Centered Medical Home.
