Hunter Nostrant

ALPENA — The Alpena hospital has a new president.

Hunter Nostrant, current president and CEO of Helen Newberry Joy Hospital and Healthcare Center in Newberry, will take the helm at MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena on Sept. 1, MyMichigan Health, the Midland-based owner of the Alpena hospital, said in a news release on Friday.

Nostrant replaces Mike Erickson, who in April took a job running the Saginaw, Tawas, and Standish hospitals that MyMichigan Health purchased in late March.

“I have a real passion for health care and working with teams to carry out a strategic plan that will benefit the organization and the community,” Nostrant said in a statement. “I am deeply honored to join a great health system with a dedicated team committed to delivering exceptional health care. Together with this outstanding team, I aim to prioritize patient safety, quality outcomes, and patient satisfaction while actively engaging with the community as the cornerstone of health care in the region.”

“Hunter is a gifted and visionary leader with a proven track record of achieving extraordinary results,” Bryan Cross, MyMichigan Health’s chief operating officer, said in a statement. “He has a strong desire to build meaningful and collaborative relationships with our employees, volunteers, and health care providers, and understanding and supporting the needs of the Alpena and surrounding communities. He is absolutely the right choice to help lead MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena into the future.”

Prior to his 2019 appointment as president and CEO of the Newberry hospital, Nostrant worked as that hospital’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer. He also worked at both MyMichigan Medical Center Sault and at Precision Edge Surgical Products before joining the Newberry hospital in 2015.

Nostrant earned his bachelor’s degree from Hope College in Holland and his Master of Health Administration from Capella University in Minneapolis. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and earned a Rural Hospital CEO Certification through the National Rural Healthcare Association, MyMichigan Health said in its news release.

Nostrant is a member of many professional organizations, including the American College of Healthcare Executives and Healthcare Financial Management Association. Nostrant also served on a variety of boards, including the Michigan Health and Hospital Association, Michigan Center for Rural Health, Upper Peninsula Health Plan, and the Rural Health Congress for the National Rural Health Association.

Nostrant and his wife, Whitley, enjoy watching their son, Bryton, 13, and daughter, Brielle, 9, participate in athletics. Nostrant has spent years coaching basketball and volunteering in youth programs. He and his family enjoy being outdoors jeeping, boating, and fishing.

Nostrant is the Alpena hospital’s third president in as many years. Erickson helmed the hospital from 2022 to last spring. He replaced Chuck Sherwin, who led the Alpena hospital from 2018 to 2022 (topping off a 25-year career there) before leaving to run MyMichigan Health’s Midland hospital.

Nostrant will take over the Alpena hospital in a good position.

The hospital made $254.7 million in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2023, according to its most recent tax form. That’s $10 million more than the hospital made in 2022 and $113.7 million more than the hospital made in 2018, according to tax forms.

This spring, the hospital received an A in safety from the Leapfrog Group, a hospital watchdog organization. That was a marked improvement from the C grade the hospital received in the fall.