Executive Team

Gar Atchison, MBA

Chief Executive Officer, Market President

Gar is the CEO of UP Health System – Marquette and the Market President for UP Health System for Bell, Marquette, and Portage. Gar has been with UP Health System since December 2019. He is a seasoned leader who is deeply committed to UP Health System’s mission of Making Communities Healthier.

A veteran healthcare executive with more than 30 years of experience, Atchison joins UPHS-Marquette from Frye Regional Medical Center, another Duke LifePoint facility in Hickory, North Carolina. During his tenure there, he served in several leadership positions, including as chief operating officer (COO), vice president of business development, and market operations director for the hospital’s physician network, before assuming the role of CEO in 2016.

Prior to his time at Frye Medical Center, Atchison served as CEO of Hickory Orthopedic Center, PA, a multi-location orthopedic practice in Hickory, North Carolina. Before that, he was a practice administrator for Bay Street Orthopedics in Petoskey, Michigan, and financial operations manager for Northern Michigan Hospital, also in Petoskey

---

Steven Salyer

Chief Operating Officer

Steven is the Chief Operating Officer of UP Health System – Marquette. Steven has been with UP Health System since March 2017. Steven led a joint venture acquisition of Shands Starke Regional Medical Center with Health Management Associates, which made improvements in quality, employee and patient satisfaction, and volume growth. He also served as Chief Executive Officer of Sabastian River Medical Center in Sebastian, Florida, and Chief Operating Officer of Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach, Florida.

A healthcare executive with progressive experience in high successful for-profit and non-profit organizations, Steven holds certificates in Lean-Six Sigma, Theory of Constraints, and executive leadership. During his time leading other healthcare facilities, Steven helped hospitals achieve excellence in patient, employee, and physician satisfaction in both quality, and financial metrics.

Prior to entering into healthcare, he was a captain in the Marine Corps, and serving both in peacetime and combat support operations in Al Asad, Iraq. Steven served with distinction and earned medals while commanding troops, and taking these lessons and leadership skills and applying them to the industry of running hospitals, imaging centers, cancer centers, wound care centers, and physician clinics

---

Sherry Henderson, MBA

Chief Financial Officer

Sherry is the Chief Financial Officer for UP Health System – Marquette. Sherry has been with UP Health System since April 2017. She is a seasoned finance executive with more than 25 years of experience in corporate and operational healthcare finance. Sherry previously held various roles in Tenet Healthcare and Piedmont Healthcare.

Sherry obtained her BBA in Accounting from Sam Houston State University and her MBA in Healthcare Management from the University of Phoenix. She attended Mercer University, Stetson School of Business and Economics receiving a black belt in Quality and Process improvement and also participating in the Studer quality training.

Sherry is an active participant in the community serving on various boards in each community she lives in and most recently on the boards of Trillium House and Economic Club in Marquette.

---

Robin Waters, RN, BSN, NE-BC

Director of Nursing, Interim Chief Nursing Officer

Robin is the Director of Nursing and the Interim Chief Nursing Officer for UP Health System – Marquette. As a board-certified nursing executive, Robin has been with UP Health System for more than 35 years. In her accomplished career, she has worked in leadership positions such as ICU Manager, Hospital Supervisor, Director of the Neuro/Orthopedics and Pediatric areas, and Director of Nursing. Robin graduated from Northern Michigan University and was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula. In her spare time, Robin enjoys silversmithing, jewelry making, rockhounding, and older house restoration.

Jerry Napier, MD, Chair
Gar Atchison, CEO, Secretary
Lisa Long, MD, Chief of Staff
John Bartlett, MD, Trustee
Dan Greenlee, Trustee
Christine Greer, Trustee
Gary LaPlant, Trustee
Dave Manson, Trustee
Tami Seavoy, Trustee
MaryAnne Shannon, PhD, RN, Trustee
William Short, MD, Trustee
Linda Sutton, MD, Trustee
Judy Watson-Olson, EdD, Trustee