The MHA announced the winners of its 2021 Healthcare Leadership Award June 24 during its virtual Annual Membership Meeting. Each year, the MHA recognizes outstanding individuals who have provided exceptional leadership to healthcare organizations and to the health and well-being of the community. The 2021 recipients are Robert Crumb, CEO, Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital, Manistique; and Darryl Elmouchi, MD, president, Spectrum Health West Michigan, Grand Rapids. The MHA will donate $1,000 on behalf of each award winner to the charity of their choice. These funds were provided to the MHA by the family of former MHA President H. Allen Barth.
Crumb was the driving force behind creating a positive financial margin at Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital while simultaneously adding needed services to the community. His ability to recruit and retain quality medical staff has resulted in a dramatic growth in services since his tenure began in August 2016, giving rise to more employment opportunities and a more robust economy in Schoolcraft County.
He guided his team through a planned electronic medical record conversion that was successfully implemented in January 2020. On the heels of that endeavor, he began leading a $12.6 million expansion of the hospital’s facilities to add space for rehabilitation services, infusion services and administrative offices, a specialty clinic and expansion/renovations of the existing Rural Health Clinic. Groundbreaking took place in fall 2020, and building began in spring 2021. Through it all, Crumb championed a strong positive culture throughout the organization in a great working environment, resulting in increased staff satisfaction.
Crumb served on the MHA Small or Rural Hospital Council for more than three years and on the MHA Behavioral Health Integration Task Force in 2018, and he is currently a member of the Upper Peninsula Hospital Council. His extensive civic engagement has been a catalyst for a staffwide community service goal, improving health and wellness for all.
At Crumb’s request, the Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital Capital Campaign Fund will receive the $1,000 monetary portion of the award.
Elmouchi led the efforts to establish Spectrum Health West Michigan in March 2020 by bringing together Spectrum Health Hospital Group and Spectrum Health Medical Group, allowing a single leader and board to comprehensively deliver on the organization’s mission, vision and values.
Elmouchi has a clear understanding of the intersection of operational dependencies and clinical implications, which has proved invaluable during the COVID-19 pandemic. He anticipated next steps before the governor set forth guidelines — canceling surgeries, closing physician offices and providing a proactive plan to inform patients. After the initial wave of COVID-19, he managed financial and service recovery, returning the organization to 97% of pre-pandemic status within a matter of weeks.
The doctor’s empathetic perspective toward Spectrum Health team members and patients have made him a trusted source of information in the community. He has exhibited resilience, agility and innovation, taking a multilayered approach to leading the organization through the pandemic, addressing the needs of patients, community, team members and providers.
Elmouchi is driving disruptive change to improve quality, increase patient satisfaction and reduce costs, while he and his team stay committed to addressing health equity and community health improvement at the neighborhood level.
Elmouchi has asked that the monetary portion of the award be donated to the Spectrum Health Foundation.
The MHA congratulates the winners of the 2021 MHA Healthcare Leadership Award.