Karla Zarb named new chief nursing officer at St. Joseph Mercy Livingston and St. Joseph Mercy Brighton

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Bobby Maldonado

248-858-6662

Bobby.Maldonado@stjoeshealth.org

September 27, 2019

HOWELL, Mich. (Sept. 27, 2019) – Karla Zarb, RN, BSN, MS, has been named chief nursing officer and vice president of operations at St. Joseph Mercy Livingston and the St. Joseph Mercy Brighton health center. She will also continue in her role as executive director of Surgical Services for St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor and St. Joe's Livingston. Zarb's promotion follows the August 31 retirement of Chief Nursing Officer Sharon Blanche, BSN, RN.

"I feel fortunate to have worked alongside Sharon these past few years and congratulate her on a distinguished 45-year career and a well-deserved retirement," said John O'Malley, president of St. Joe's Livingston and Brighton. "Looking forward we are excited as Karla takes on an increased role within our organization. We are blessed to have such an experienced and dedicated leader working on behalf of our patients in the months and years to come."

Blanche joined St. Joe's Livingston in 2016. During her tenure standards of care were elevated, including the quality of care, patient safety scores and patient satisfaction. She also helped lead the launch of multiple new service lines, including the onboarding of several new physicians.

Zarb stepped into her new role with more than 30 years' experience in hospital operations and nursing leadership. Since joining the St. Joe's family in 2016, she has led the advancement of nursing clinical practice at St. Joe's Ann Arbor and Livingston, as well as the Brighton and Canton health centers. Before that, she was the chief nursing officer at Garden City Hospital and held leadership positions within the Henry Ford Health System.

Zarb holds a master's degree in management from Walsh College, a bachelor's degree in nursing from Oakland University and a diploma in nursing from the Henry Ford School of Nursing.

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About Saint Joseph Mercy Health System

Saint Joseph Mercy Health System (SJMHS) is a health care organization serving seven counties in southeast Michigan including Livingston, Washtenaw, Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Jackson, and Lenawee. It includes 537-bed St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, 443bed St. Joseph Mercy Oakland in Pontiac, 304-bed St. Mary Mercy Livonia, 136-bed St. Joseph Mercy Livingston in Howell, and 133-bed St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea. Combined, the five hospitals are licensed for 1,553 beds, have five outpatient health centers, six urgent care facilities, more than 25 specialty centers; employ more than 16,200 individuals and have a medical staff of nearly 2,700 physicians. SJMHS has annual operating revenues of about $1.9 billion and returns about $120 million to its communities annually through charity care and community benefit programs.

SJMHS is a member of Trinity Health, a leading Catholic health care system based in Livonia, Michigan, with operations in 22 states. Trinity Health employs about 129,000 colleagues, has annual operating revenues of $18.3 billion, assets of $26.2 billion, and returns about $1.1 billion to its communities annually in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs For more information on health services offered at Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, please visit www.stjoeshealth.org.