Healthcare Workforce Summit to Explore Emerging Roles Filling Michigan’s Healthcare Gaps
Michigan’s healthcare workforce shortages require new approaches to how care is delivered — and who delivers it. At the 2026 Healthcare Workforce Summit: Building What’s Next, the session “Innovating the Workforce: Emerging Roles Filling Michigan’s Healthcare Gaps” will examine how three growing professions are helping expand access to care and better meet the needs of Michigan communities.
The panel will highlight Community Health Workers, Community Integrated Paramedics, and Dental Therapists. Each profession offers a different opportunity to strengthen the healthcare workforce, connect people with essential services, and extend care into communities where traditional models may not adequately meet demand.
Panelists will discuss what it takes to successfully establish and grow these roles, including developing sustainable education and training pathways, navigating policy and reimbursement barriers, building awareness among employers and patients, and creating the conditions needed for long-term workforce growth.
The panelists include:
Jeremy Cannon, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Kalkaska Memorial Health Center, Munson Healthcare, representing Community Health Workers. Cannon leads nursing at a critical access hospital in Kalkaska and is actively involved with the Michigan Hospital Association, serving as chair of its Council on Health Access and Community Impact. He holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Northern Michigan University and master’s degrees in nursing and business from Ferris State University. His perspective is grounded in the significant role rural hospitals play in supporting the health of their communities.
Dr. Deborah Brown, Dental Therapy Program Director at Ferris State University, representing Dental Therapy. Brown joined Ferris State University in May 2026 after serving as CEO of My Community Dental Centers, a 28-location nonprofit dental organization serving communities across Michigan. Her experience spans oral health, nonprofit management, federally qualified health centers, and Medicaid and Medicare health plans. She holds a Doctor of Dental Medicine from Rutgers University and a Master of Healthcare Administration from Seton Hall University. Brown is also a U.S. Army veteran and a board-certified Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Philip Fennema, President and CEO of TANDEM365, representing Community Integrated Paramedicine. Fennema has more than 20 years of experience in acute healthcare, population health, and healthcare operations. At TANDEM365, he leads a mobile integrated health program serving multiple counties and a team of more than 60 professionals. His work includes expanding community paramedicine, strengthening partnerships, and developing proactive care models designed to prevent avoidable hospitalizations and improve health outcomes.
Together, the panelists will offer practical perspectives on how emerging roles can complement Michigan’s existing healthcare workforce while improving access, coordination, and outcomes. The conversation will also address the structural changes needed to move promising workforce solutions from isolated programs to sustainable, widely adopted models.
The 2026 Healthcare Workforce Summit: Building What’s Next will take place October 27 and bring together healthcare employers, educators, policymakers, workforce professionals, and community partners to identify practical next steps for strengthening Michigan’s healthcare workforce.
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