Henry Ford Health System Names 4 New Members to Board of Directors

DETROIT (March 2, 2021) – Henry Ford Health System has named four new members to its Board of Directors whose leadership in business and dedication to removing barriers to opportunity and achieving equity for all reflect Henry Ford’s commitment to advancing the values of inclusion, equity and diversity in our community.

The addition of John F. Harris, J.D., Patricia Maryland, Dr. PH, Frederiek Toney and Andrea Zopp expands the total membership of the Board to 17 members. Of these, seven members are people of color and six are women.

“We believe we best serve our communities with Directors who reflect the diversity of our community, are both accomplished in their fields and have tirelessly worked to advance the values of Henry Ford Health System,” said Wright Lassiter III, President and CEO, Henry Ford Health System.

“I am proud to welcome John, Patricia, Frederiek and Andrea to the Board,” said Henry Ford Health System Board Chair David Breen. “I am humbled and excited that they have agreed to help us pursue our mission to improve people’s lives in ways that go beyond how we have historically defined ‘healthcare and healing’, including advocating for racial justice, strengthening the diversity of our workforce and culture, activating community empowerment and advancing health care equity in clinical outcomes and the patient experience.”

Each of the new board members bring to Henry Ford diverse and accomplished backgrounds in healthcare, the automotive industry and finance, as well as a life-long commitment to service:

Meet the new board members:

• John F. Harris, J.D., Partner at Harris Law Partners in Detroit and an Adjunct Professor at Wayne State University’s Law School and Oakland University. He retired after 30 years at Ford Motor Co. where he served in several leadership positions including CEO of Ford Global Technologies Licensing, Vice President of Legal Affairs for Ford of Europe and Middle East and Africa and Assistant General Counsel for Distribution, Purchasing & Corporate Transactions. He was at the forefront of evaluating and implementing a strategy to maximize the value Ford received from outside service providers, resulting in several new and transformative relationships. He served on the Board of Directors of the Detroit Urban League and Southeastern Michigan from 2014-2018 including as chairman.

• Patricia A. Maryland, Dr. PH, retired in 2019 as the Executive Vice President for St. Louis-based Ascension, the nation’s largest Catholic and nonprofit health system, and President and CEO of Ascension Healthcare. She led the development of strategy for Ascension’s healthcare division, with more than $20 billion in operating revenue. Dr. Maryland was named one of the Top 25 COOs in Healthcare in 2017, one of the Top 25 Women in Healthcare in 2017 and 2015 by Modern Healthcare, and in 2014, was named Woman of the Year by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, and as one Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Minority Executives. Maryland currently serves on the Board of Directors for Encompass Health Corp. and Healthcare Highways, respectively. She has more than 37 years of experience working in the healthcare sector, and is a skilled strategist in business transformation, operational performance and growth strategies. She has been a member of more than 25 boards in the nonprofit, private, joint venture and public sectors and has board committee experience on executive, audit, finance, strategy and quality committees.

• Frederiek Toney, president of Ford Customer Service Division and Corporate Officer, at Ford Motor Co. Toney joined Ford in 2000 and has experience in managing and building strategy, start-ups, acquisitions, joint ventures, third-party client services, packaging and crating, dealer and customer relations and project management. He has also held leadership roles at Caterpillar and America Honda. Toney is chair of the Board of Directors for the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, the largest provider of college scholarships for underrepresented minorities pursuing degrees at schools of engineering.

• Andrea Zopp, managing partner of Cleveland Avenue LLC, a venture capital investment company in Chicago. In her previous position as President and CEO of World Business Chicago, she worked closely with the Chicago Consular Corps and multinational companies to attract foreign direct investment, company relocation and expansion. Zopp has held executive leadership positions at several Fortune 500 companies including Sara Lee, Sears Holdings and Exelon. She is a champion of job creation, access to education and corporate responsibility, and as President and CEO of the Chicago Urban League, she led initiatives focused on expanding economic opportunity in underserved communities and advocating for social justice. She served as Deputy Mayor and Chief Neighborhood Development Officer for the city of Chicago and was the first woman and African American to serve as the First Assistant in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The Board is responsible for the fiduciary and governance oversight of the health system. This includes financial and management performance, strategic planning and community relations advocacy.

Members of the 2021 Board of Directors:

David J. Breen
Chair, Board of Directors
Retired Partner, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, L.L.P.

Lynn Ford Alandt
Civic Leader

Stephanie W. Bergeron
Vice Chair, Board of Directors
Retired President, Walsh College

Shari L. Burgess
Chair, Health Alliance Plan of Michigan
Vice President and Treasurer, Lear Corporation

John F. Harris
Harris Law Partners

David M. Hempstead
Attorney, Bodman PLC

Wright L. Lassiter III
President and Chief Executive Officer
Henry Ford Health System

Patricia A. Maryland, Dr.PH
Retired Health Care Executive

Charles G. McClure, Jr.
Vice Chair, Board of Directors
Managing Partner, Michigan Capital Advisors

Barry G. Porter
Operating Partner
Arsenal Capital Partners

Michael S. Rafferty
President and Chief Executive Officer
New Detroit, Inc.

Joseph J. Richardson, Jr.
Vice Chair, Board of Directors
Chief Executive Officer, The Auto Club Group

Lawrence H. Schultz
Chairman, Great Lakes Industry

Frederiek Toney
President, Ford Customer Service Division
Ford Motor Company

Edgar L. Vann II
Vice Chair, Board of Directors
Bishop, Second Ebenezer Church

Kathleen L. Yaremchuk, M.D.
Chair, Board of Governors
Henry Ford Medical Group

Andrea L. Zopp
Managing Partner
Cleveland Avenue

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About Henry Ford Health System
Founded in 1915 by Henry Ford himself, Henry Ford Health System is a non-profit, integrated health system committed to improving people’s lives through excellence in the science and art of healthcare and healing. Henry Ford Health System includes Henry Ford Medical Group, with more than 1,900 physicians and researchers practicing in more than 50 specialties at locations throughout Southeast and Central Michigan. Acute care hospitals include Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI and Henry Ford Allegiance Health in Jackson, MI – both Magnet® hospitals; Henry Ford Macomb Hospital; Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital; and Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital.

The largest of these is Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, a quaternary care research and teaching hospital and Level 1 Trauma Center recognized for clinical excellence in cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, neurology, neurosurgery, and multi-organ transplants. The health system also provides comprehensive, best-in-class care for cancer at the Brigitte Harris Cancer Pavilion, and orthopedics and sports medicine at the William Clay Ford Center for Athletic Medicine – both in Detroit.

As one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, Henry Ford Health System annually trains more than 3,000 medical students, residents, and fellows in more than 50 accredited programs, and has trained nearly 40% of the state’s physicians. Our dedication to education and research is supported by nearly $100 million in annual grants from the National Institutes of Health and other public and private foundations.

Henry Ford’s not-for-profit health plan, Health Alliance Plan (HAP), provides health coverage for more than 540,000 people.

Henry Ford Health System employs more than 33,000 people, including more than 1,600 physicians, more than 6,600 nurses and 5,000 allied health professionals.

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NEWS MEDIA ONLY may contact: John Gillespie / jgilles3@hfhs.org / 314-708-9090
                                                             David Olejarz / David.Olejarz@hfhs.org / 313-303-0606