WHI Steering Committee welcomes new member, makes way for more

Ben Miles

Ben Miles has joined the Washtenaw Health Initiative Steering Committee as the institutional representative from Trinity Health – Chelsea Hospital.

Miles replaces Nancy Graebner following her retirement as the president of Chelsea Hospital in March of 2022.

Graebner served as a long time member of the WHI Steering Committee, informing many of the WHI’s projects and decisions. She served as the president of Chelsea Hospital for over a decade and during her tenure, she oversaw multiple hospital expansions of facilities and programs. 

Before joining Chelsea Hospital, Miles served as the President of Health Plan Services and Chief Advocacy Officer at Parkview Health in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

WHI leaders have also decided to shift the makeup of the Steering Committee. 

In efforts to increase community representation, the WHI will add three more Steering Committee members in the coming months. Two of the new seats will come from specific organizations—one will represent a safety net clinic and one will represent a grassroots organization. For the third position, the WHI will welcome another community ambassador. 

The WHI’s community ambassador program was created in 2021. Currently, the WHI has one community ambassador, Angela Moore. Moore helps Erin Horne, WHI community engagement program manager, build relationships with the community, develop new WHI initiatives, and provide feedback about ongoing WHI endeavors.   

Interested in learning more about the WHI’s steering committee? E-mail Matthew Hill at hillmat@med.umich.edu