LANSING, MI – A past Sparrow Physician of the Year and the longtime mayor of Ionia have been appointed to the Sparrow Health System Board of Directors.

Ifkiter Ahmad, M.D., and Dan Balice will serve three-year terms on the 14-member board that governs Sparrow’s Community Hospitals, Physician practices, outpatient facilities, and services such as home care, the Michigan Athletic Club, and Physicians Health Plan. A separate board oversees Sparrow Hospital, the flagship of Sparrow Health System.

“Dr. Ahmad (above left) and Mr. Balice (above right) embody the spirit of community and bring talent, expertise, and energy to the table,” said Joseph Ruth, Acting Sparrow President and CEO. “We are very fortunate to have them join the board as we continue to strengthen our mission in Lansing and throughout Mid-Michigan.”

Dr. Ahmad, board-certified in both Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, has been practicing in the Lansing area since 1987 and was named Physician of the Year in 2016. He is a former chair and current board member of the Sparrow Care Network, which includes more than 500 Michigan Physicians with a mandate to improve the quality of clinical care using objective metrics. He is an executive board member of the Ingham County Medical Society and a former board member of Affirmant, a statewide Accountable Care Organization that Sparrow leaders co-founded.

Balice, mayor of Ionia since 1989, was a long-time member of the Sparrow Ionia Hospital Board of Directors, and was the Board Chair during the construction and opening of the new Sparrow Ionia Hospital. He is active in such organizations as the Ionia Free Fair Association, Ionia Area Habitat for Humanity, Ionia Area Hospice, Ionia County Community Foundation, and the Ionia Downtown Development Authority. He is a general practice attorney and partner in the firm of McKaig & Balice in Ionia.

Chairing the Sparrow Health System Board is Richard Bruner, a School of Hospitality Business professor at Michigan State University. Vice Chair is attorney John Pirich.
Other members are Jeff Benson, Gregory Brogan, David Donovan, Ann Flood, Christine Goeschel, David M. Hunt, Michael King, Brian McCardel, M.D., Nancy McKeague, and Acting President and CEO Joseph Ruth.

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Sparrow, a member of the prestigious Mayo Clinic Care Network, is mid-Michigan’s premier healthcare organization that includes hospitals in Lansing, St. Johns, Ionia and Carson City as well as Physicians Health Plan, Sparrow Care Network, Sparrow Medical Group and the Michigan Athletic Club. Sparrow is affiliated with Michigan State University’s three human health colleges. Through these partnerships and the dedication of our 10,000 Caregivers, Sparrow pursues a vision to be nationally recognized as a leader in quality and Patient experience. For more information, visit sparrow.org.

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