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The partnership between Bell and Marquette General hospitals, known as Superior Health Partners, has announced that seven Upper Peninsula business and community leaders have been named to serve on the inaugural board of directors. 

The responsibility of the board of directors will be to oversee the launch of the new health system, welcoming in new hospital partners and assuring the new company's commitment to high-quality health care services. 

"In terms of finding people of integrity, character, high achievement and commitment to the community, this board represents all of those attributes and more," Bell Hospital CEO Rick Ament said. "The people of the Upper Peninsula are well-served by these distinguished individuals."

The board members are: 

Robert DellAngelo, MD: A native of Marquette County and a recently-retired, board-certified ophthalmologist on the staffs of both Marquette General and Bell. He is a former chairman of the Bell Hospital Board and Bell Foundation leader. 

John Jilbert: The former owner and operator of Jilbert's Dairy, which has been in the dairy business since 1937, is a partner in Hiawatha Log Homes in Munising, and is an owner and operator of JRJ Food Equipment.  Jilbert is a trustee of the Marquette County History Museum and was chairman of the Strategic Thinking Committee at the Milk Processor Education Program. He also serves as co-chair of the Accelerating the Future capital campaign committee.

Ron Katers: Bell Hospital's current Board chairman and CEO and chairman of M.K. Stores, Inc., which owns and operates nine Snyder Drugs outlets in the Upper Peninsula. He is also owner and treasurer of Mr. Movies of Michigan, Inc. and president of M.K. Enterprises, Inc., a real estate holding and investment company.

Tim Larson: Appointed to the MGH Board of Trustees in 1992 and appointed chairman in 2003. Larson is also co-owner of the Holiday Inn and Ramada hotels in Marquette, both family-owned businesses.

A. Gary Muller, FACHE: Joined Marquette General Health System as president and CEO in 2007. He will serve as CEO of Superior Health Partners.  Before joining MGHS, Muller served nine years as president and CEO of West Jefferson Medical Center, a 462-bed hospital and health system in metropolitan New Orleans.

MaryAnne P. Shannon, RN, PhD: Professor and Associate Dean of Nursing at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, with a clinical practice through Nurse Care Consulting, LLC.  She is a nationally board certified clinical nurse specialist in geriatrics through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Les Wong, PhD: President of Northern Michigan University since 2004. His previous administrative positions include provost and academic vice president, along with six months as interim president at the University of Southern Colorado in Pueblo and academic dean at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., where he began as a faculty member.