When Chad Grant, the new CEO and President of McLaren Flint, met with My City Magazine, the team was greeted with a great big smile and an enthusiastic handshake. He began his new position in January of this year, bringing an extensive background of healthcare leadership experience, including successful management of acute care hospital operations, strategic planning, new business development and change management. And, he has big shoes to fill – those of former CEO, Donald Kooy, who retired after 23 years. Grant took some time in his busy day to chat about his new role.
What aspects of your position are the most exciting?
I love my job! McLaren picked me; I picked McLaren, and it’s a nice fit. To me, it’s about making a difference in people’s lives. There is no better industry to be in than healthcare, and in my position, you get to view it from every angle. At McLaren Flint, we have about 2,800 employees, 300 volunteers and a staff of 700 physicians. Everybody has a spot on the team. I love the challenge of moving at a high operational tempo to address the changes going on in healthcare.
What career achievement are you most proud of?
It’s a privilege and honor to serve in this role as CEO/President of McLaren Flint. This is the flagship institution for the McLaren system – the hub of our many services. I’m proud to work at a place that is named after a nurse, Margaret McLaren. Doctors consistently tell me that the nursing staff is one of the reasons they love to practice here – they trust the care that nurses give the patients. McLaren also has a reputation of high quality care and offers unique, complex services not found anywhere else in the region. While I’ve worked at a lot of great places in my career, it truly is an honor to work at McLaren Flint. This organization trusts me at the helm, and that means a lot.
Are there any special people who influenced you in this career path?
There are several people who have had a significant impact. The first is Dr. Herman Gray, a pediatrician who was CEO at Children’s Hospital of Michigan (now CEO of United Way). He taught me about doing the right thing. His advice was, “do what’s right for the patient and the business will follow.” He was a role model in advocating for patients and their families. Another person who influenced me was Mike Duggan, CEO of Detroit Medical Center from 2004-2014 and now mayor of the City of Detroit. He taught me how to produce results for the right reasons and about accountability. Phil Incarnati, President/CEO of McLaren Health Care Corporation, has also been a major influence – he trusts me to run this hospital. It’s humbling.
What are your thoughts about Flint and Genesee County?
I’m real excited about being here! I see commitment and pride in Flint and Genesee County – I see fortitude and resiliency. I’m very energized by the community that McLaren strives to serve.
Tell us something people don’t know about you.
Well, I’m really a T-shirt and jeans kind of guy. I love cars, especially my Ford Raptor, a high-performance pickup truck. I also enjoy my sports cars – a Mustang Shelby Cobra and Mustang Boss 302.
How do you like to spend your spare time?
I’m at the hospital early in the morning and leave late at night, so I enjoy spending most of my spare time with my wife and kids. We have a family routine on the weekends. I loving driving my cars, and I like to play golf and be outside. We’ve been introduced to the Cultural Center in Flint and have enjoyed attending several events at the Flint Institute of Music, The Whiting and the Flint Institute of Arts.
What is your vision for the future of McLaren Flint?
My vision is to continue our commitment to Flint and Genesee County with a relentless focus on quality and safety. We must also design and execute strategies to adapt to health care changes. No one can dispute the pressures the industry is under. Things have changed, and we have to find a way to do things better and, sometimes, differently. I try to make the best decisions I can while maintaining good relationships with not only the community, but also our health care staff and patients. As a healthcare leader, you have to pick a path and have the courage to stick to it, and that can be uncomfortable. But, first and foremost, the most important thing to us is quality, and we will continue to focus on that.
“There is no better industry to be in than healthcare,
and in my position, you get to view it from every angle.”
Chad Grant’s Background
Grant brings much experience to his position as CEO and President of McLaren Flint. He was formerly President and CEO of McLaren Oakland, where he also had management responsibilities for the McLaren Clarkston campus located in Independence Township in northern Oakland County. During his tenure at McLaren Oakland, he achieved success in growing volumes and market share and improving the clinical and financial operation of that acute care facility. He oversaw the acquisition of a physician-owned urgent care clinic in Clarkston and transformed it into a freestanding, full-service emergency center that serves in excess of 24,000 visits a year.
Prior to his role at McLaren Oakland, Grant enjoyed a successful, 20-year career in health care management at the Detroit Medical Center. He served as chief operating officer at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, a DMC subsidiary. Prior to that, he was the vice president for several service areas at the DMC, including their cardiovascular institute. He was also an administrative director of ancillary services, including radiology, respiratory therapy, neurology, electro-neurodiagnostics and a pediatric sleep disorders laboratory. His early background includes experience as a technologist in PET, MRI and nuclear medicine imaging.
Grant holds a bachelor’s degree in nuclear medicine from Siena Heights University and a master’s degree in health services administration from Central Michigan University. He serves on the board of directors of Baker College of Auburn Hills, and has multiple professional affiliations including the American College of Healthcare Executives, Society of Nuclear Medicine and American Healthcare Radiology Administrators.
Source: McLaren Flint
Photography by Eric Dutro
