Munson Medical Center names Joe Du Lac as president

Grand Traverse County patients will judge Munson Medical Center’s new president by something simple: whether care gets faster, steadier and easier to reach close to home. Munson Healthcare said Thursday, May 21, that Joe Du Lac will take over the Traverse City hospital on June 22.

Munson said Du Lac was chosen through a rigorous search process to guide the hospital into its next chapter. Laura Glenn, the health system’s chief operating officer, said Du Lac brings more than two decades of leadership across complex healthcare systems and experience improving quality, safety, patient experience and operational performance. Du Lac said, “Munson is a special organization with a strong mission and tremendous opportunity ahead, and I look forward to building on that foundation with our physicians, caregivers and community.”

The appointment matters well beyond the executive suite because Munson Medical Center is the region’s largest hospital and referral center for all of northern Michigan. Munson’s website lists 442 beds at the Traverse City campus, while a Michigan licensing record lists 425 total facility beds and an active hospital license through July 31, 2026. A hospital profile distributed by LeadingAge Michigan lists 3,040 employees, 24,828 discharges and 102,600 patient days.

Du Lac arrives after a leadership transition that left the hospital under interim management. Becker’s Hospital Review reported earlier in 2026 that former president Joe Hurshe had exited and that Kathy LaRaia stepped in as interim president. The new hire follows nearly four months of uncertainty at the top of the county’s most visible healthcare institution.

Munson said Du Lac previously held executive leadership roles at Trinity Health of New England and the Detroit Medical Center. The system said his background included leading a multi-hospital turnaround in Connecticut and systemwide operational transformation at the Detroit Medical Center. Laura Glenn said that experience would help Munson continue advancing care at the hospital.

The scope of Munson Medical Center explains why the job carries so much weight in Traverse City and across northern Michigan. A nonprofit profile says the hospital handled 20,797 inpatient admissions and more than 488,700 outpatient visits in fiscal year 2024. Munson’s leadership page lists Shari Wilson as chief medical officer and Leslie Zwagerman as interim chief nursing officer, showing the president will step into an already active leadership team.

For patients and employees, the key question now is how soon those management changes translate into bedside results. Du Lac takes over a hospital that anchors specialty care, referrals and employment across the region, and Munson has made clear that his mandate is to help carry it into its next phase.