The MHA announced three winners of its Special Recognition Award during the Annual Membership Meeting June 25, recognizing them for extensive contributions to healthcare. Each of the winners has uniquely influenced healthcare in Michigan. The award recipients are Marita Hattem-Schiffman, retired president, MyMichigan Medical Center in Alma, Clare and Mt. Pleasant; Dr. Lydia Watson, president and chief executive officer, MyMichigan Health; and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Hattem-Schiffman led MyMichigan Medical Centers in Alma, Clare and Mt. Pleasant to achieve system-leading results in quality and safety, patient experience and community involvement, while maintaining a strong focus on performance and sustainability in a challenging rural healthcare environment. Her leadership also included significant investments in facilities and services, including expanded surgical capacity, updated diagnostic technology and enhancements to maternity and cardiac care, strengthening access to care across the region.
She also contributed to healthcare across the state through her active involvement with the MHA, serving on several boards and councils, including the Healthcare and Public Health Integration Council, the MHA Service Corporation and the Small and Rural Hospital Council.
Dr. Watson is recognized for nearly three decades of leadership advancing patient safety, quality and compassionate care. An obstetrician-gynecologist, Dr. Watson has been a strong advocate for access to care in rural communities, bringing a clinical perspective to system leadership and decision-making.
Throughout her tenure, she fostered a culture grounded in safety and open communication, encouraging staff to raise concerns and contribute to improvements in care. Dr. Watson also played a key role in strengthening and expanding services across the health system, and championed initiatives focused on the well-being of physicians and staff.
Most recently, Dr. Watson she supported a landmark collaboration between MyMichigan Health, Central Michigan University and Covenant HealthCare to transition CMU’s College of Medicine to MyMichigan Medical Center Saginaw—strengthening medical education and enhancing health care access across the Great Lakes Bay Region. She served on the MHA Board of Trustees, chaired its Physicians in Healthcare Leadership Council and spearheaded the association’s Maternal Operations & Finance Task Force. Dr. Watson is set to retire July 5, 2026.
Gov. Whitmer has been a longstanding healthcare champion, advocating for more affordable and accessible care for Michiganders. Prior to serving as governor, she built a record of healthcare leadership in the Michigan Legislature, where she championed policies to expand coverage and protect access to care. Throughout her career, she has worked to expand healthcare coverage, lower prescription drug costs and protect critical healthcare funding, while improving health outcomes statewide. Her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic helped guide Michigan’s healthcare system through unprecedented challenges and informed long-term investments to strengthen care delivery.
Whitmer has supported major initiatives that broaden access and strengthen the healthcare system, including protecting and expanding the Healthy Michigan Plan, which provides coverage to more than one million residents. She has also made significant investments in the healthcare workforce, supporting more than $100 million in funding to recruit, train and retain healthcare professionals and address staffing shortages across the state.
