Palmer Named Chief Nursing Officer

Marissa Palmer, D.N.P., R.N., has accepted the role of chief nursing officer for MyMichigan Health effective Dec. 22, 2024. The role was previously held by Tammy Terrell, M.S.N., R.N., who will be serving as senior operations administrator prior to her official retirement in mid-2025.

Marissa Palmer, D.N.P., R.N., has accepted the role of chief nursing officer for MyMichigan Health effective Dec. 22, 2024. The role was previously held by Tammy Terrell, M.S.N., R.N., who will be serving as senior operations administrator prior to her official retirement in mid-2025.

Palmer received her bachelor and master’s degrees in nursing between 2011-2014. In May of 2021, she earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Saginaw Valley State University. She has been with MyMichigan Health for more than 17 years serving in a variety of roles including patient care as a nurse in several departments, community education, clinical quality nurse specialist, quality improvement manager, director of quality and patient safety, director of trauma and critical/progressive care, and most recently, system vice president of nursing services-interim. Palmer has also served on the ethics committee, as an ethics mentor and consultant and is passionate about furthering her advocacy in this area.

“I believe MyMichigan Health always manages to have the right people in the right place at the right time. Marissa Palmer’s diverse skill set solidifies that she is that ‘right’ person to take on the role of chief nursing officer,” said Terrell.

Palmer is eager to embrace the scope of her new role and continue propelling MyMichigan Health forward. “I am enthusiastic about advancing my nursing practice at MyMichigan and being an active participant in our organizational growth toward generational sustainability,” she said. “This is an exciting time to be in health care, and I am grateful to follow Tammy with this opportunity to lead nursing in a time of transition while having the foundational advantage of a strong, shared-governance culture.”

Terrell began her own career in nursing 42 years ago in the Emergency Department at MyMichigan Medical Center Alma. Since, she has held a variety of leadership roles before becoming system vice president and chief nursing officer in 2019. Her highest leadership role coincided with the most challenging times of her career; the COVID-19 pandemic, a national workforce crisis and a 500-year flood in Midland.

“Throughout those trying times, I had the privilege to work for and with the best, including Marissa,” Terrell shared. “I was never prouder than when my colleagues collectively stepped to the bedside to accomplish what seemed like the impossible. They did so with tremendous grace and compassion, and with a gritty tenacity that is difficult to describe.”

Terrell will stay on with MyMichigan Health as senior operations administrator into 2025.

“It’s hard to believe it has been 42 years,” she said. “I have been blessed to work with the most amazing nurses and nurse leaders in a rewarding career, a journey I would take again without hesitation.”

Terrell is confident handing the reins over to Marissa. “Her passion for ensuring best practice for our patients, professional development for our staff and a strong culture of safety will serve our organization well into the future. I could not be more proud or certain that Marissa will lead MyMichigan’s nursing workforce through any potential challenges and on to new opportunities.”