Michigan Medicine leadership changes set for regents consideration

President Domenico Grasso will recommend two leadership appointments for Michigan Medicine at the Sept. 17 meeting of the University of Michigan Board of Regents as the university prepares for a leadership transition following the previously announced departure of David Miller, Chief Executive Officer of Michigan Medicine and Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Michigan.

Ganesh S. Palapattu, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.R.C.S., the George F. and Sandy G. Valassis Professor and Chair of the Department of Urology, will be recommended to serve as Interim Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and Chief Executive Officer of Michigan Medicine while the university conducts a national search for a permanent leader.

Additionally, Julie Ishak, D.N.P., R.N., N.P.-B.C., C.E.N.P., currently Chief Nurse and Operations Executive for U-M Health’s Academic Medical Center (AMC), will be recommended to serve as President of the AMC, a position being re-established to oversee its strategy and operations.

Pending approval by the Board of Regents, both appointments will take effect Sept. 18. Miller will remain with Michigan Medicine through Oct. 2 to help ensure a smooth transition.

Grasso said the recommendations follow conversations the past several weeks, with dozens of colleagues within the Michigan Medicine community and beyond, underscoring the strength of the organization’s leadership teams and the importance of stability during the transition.

Palapattu brings more than a decade of leadership experience at Michigan Medicine to the interim role. In addition to serving as chair of the Department of Urology, he previously served as chief of urologic oncology.

“Ganesh is an established leader at Michigan Medicine with a strong commitment to clinical excellence, academic leadership and collaboration across our missions,” Grasso said. “He understands both the opportunities and responsibilities that come with leading a complex academic health system and is well prepared to provide steady leadership during this transition.”

Palapattu has indicated he intends to serve only in an interim capacity and will not be a candidate for the permanent position. Grasso said U-M will launch a national search for its next executive vice president for medical affairs and CEO of Michigan Medicine in the coming weeks.

Ishak currently serves as chief nurse and operations executive for the academic medical center, and brings more than two decades of experience as both a board- certified nurse practitioner and healthcare administration leader. She has held executive leadership roles across the continuum of care in both academic and community health systems prior to joining Michigan Medicine in 2019.

“Julie brings tremendous clinical and operational experience to this role, along with a collaborative approach to leadership,” Grasso said. “Her commitment to clinical and administrative excellence and her deep understanding of the Academic Medical Center will be important as we strengthen the AMC and position it for the future.”