LECKELT

ISHPEMING — UP Health System announced Tuesday that Mitch Leckelt plans to retire June 1 following more than 11 years as Chief Executive Officer of UP Health System-Bell. Following Leckelt’s departure, Tonya Darner, CEO of UP Health System-Marquette, will be promoted to Market CEO of both Marquette and Bell hospitals and Alyson Sundberg will assume a new leadership role as chief operating officer at Bell.

Leckelt joined the hospital as CEO in 2014 after serving as vice president of operations at Marquette General Hospital, now UPHSM. Under Leckelt’s leadership, the hospital experienced significant growth and earned many quality achievements including becoming accredited by The Joint Commission, national recognition as a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital by the Chartis Center for Rural Health and designation as a National Quality Leader by Lifepoint Health. Bell has also become an accredited Chest Pain Center by the American College of Cardiology and Sleep Lab by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

“I am excited to embrace the next chapter of my life though this decision is bittersweet as I step away from an organization and team that has meant so much to me,” said Leckelt in a news release. “It has been an incredible privilege to lead UP Health System-Bell, and I have no doubt that its legacy will continue to thrive because of the passion and commitment of our teams and support of our patients and communities.”

Darner, who has led UPHSM as CEO since December 2023, will move into her expanded role June 1 and will be joined by Alyson Sundberg as COO who will lead day-to-day operations at Bell.

A veteran health care leader, Darner was promoted to CEO at Marquette after serving as COO and holding various leadership roles at Marquette including director of regional operations for neurosciences, occupational medicine, behavioral health, pediatric specialty clinics and radiology service lines. Prior to joining UP Health System, Tonya served in the U.S. Air Force for twenty years before relocating to the Upper Peninsula with her husband in 2011.

Sundberg, an Ishpeming resident and native of the Upper Peninsula, has been a part of UP Health System since 2002, when she joined Marquette General Hospital as its medical control authority director. Since then, she has served as market director of risk management, security/emergency services for UP Health System’s three hospitals and most recently as vice president of operations at Marquette. She holds a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management and master of business administration in health care management from Baker College.

“We are incredibly grateful to Mitch for his many contributions to this hospital and the Ishpeming community over the past 11 years. We wish him the very best in this next chapter,” said Elmer Polite, Eastern Division President for Lifepoint Health. “As we look to the future, we are excited to support Tonya’s and Alyson’s continued growth within our organization and are confident these hospitals will be well positioned to grow together, enhance quality and safety, share resources and best practices, attract new providers and staff, and, in partnership with the Portage team, advance our shared mission of making communities healthier.”