Oceana native among hospital leaders promoted.

Helen Johnson

LUDINGTON — Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital has promoted two of its leaders to new positions.

Helen Johnson has been promoted to vice president, patient care services and chief nursing officer at Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital. Johnson has been vice president of nursing since 2008. She began working at the hospital in September of 2005 as a nursing supervisor. In 2008, she was promoted to vice president, nursing.

Reporting to President Mark Vipperman, she is the chief nurse overseeing all nursing-related activities for the hospital. Her responsibilities include all inpatient units including obstetrics, critical care and behavioral health, in addition to respiratory therapy services, surgery and anesthesia, the emergency department, outpatient psychiatry, home care, and therapeutic services provided through the pharmacy department.

Johnson has primary responsibility for clinical quality, process improvement and patient satisfaction. She acts as the hospital liaison with the board of directors quality committee and will be developing a patient family advisory council.

Johnson grew up in Oceana County and currently resides in Onekama.  She received her Master’s Degree in Nursing from the University of Phoenix and is a board-certified, advanced nurse executive as well as a Fellow in the American College of Hospital Executives.

Jill Vasquez

Jill Vasquez has been promoted to human resources business partner at Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital. Vasquez, a graduate of Central Michigan University and a Manistee resident, was hired at the hospital in August of 2001 as a human resources generalist. In April of 2011 she was promoted to manager, human resources.

After the hospital joined Spectrum Health in October of 2013, she was instrumental in integrating human resources practices, including benefits, compensation and pay practices into the Spectrum Health system. This successful integration, coupled with her leadership, resulted in the decision to promote her to HR business partner.

In this role, she will report directly to the director of human resources – regional hospitals for Spectrum Health as well as Mark Vipperman, president of Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital.