By GARRETT NEESE

gneese@mininggazette.com

HANCOCK — Houghton Canal View’s new leader officially started work Friday.

Adam Laplander was named as the Houghton County medical care facility’s new chief executive officer and administrator in August. Prior to his new position, he served as Canal View’s comptroller for the past four years.

He replaces Kim Salmi, who resigned from the position in March.

“It’s been a plan with our board and the organization for a long time,” he said. “We’ve had succession planning in place, it’s just taking place a little bit sooner than we expected.”

As administrator, Laplander is responsible for strategic planning, growth and overseeing daily operations. He is also tasked with knowing guidelines, rules and regulations for various boards and agencies.

“It’s rewarding, because every day is different,” he said. “No day is the same. Health care is constantly changing. And that includes us, and we’re constantly changing.”

A Calumet High School graduate, Laplander went on to earn a bachelor’s of science and master’s degrees in accounting from Michigan Technological University. He also served as a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps. To qualify to be licensed as an administrator for a health care facility, he also completed additional education through Madonna University.

Before coming to Canal View as comptroller, Laplander was a financial analyst for Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital, also serving as an adjunct instructor for the business school at Michigan Tech.

“I’ve always been more on the finance side of things, on the business side of things,” he said. “And to dive into this role, and seeing where we can improve and be productive in each and every area of the organization is really what drew me to it, and it presents a whole new set of challenges. So it’s exciting.”

One of his immediate priorities is growth. Last fall, staffing was still 30% below pre-COVID levels, meaning 70 beds could not be filled.

Canal View is planning to open a ground-floor rehab unit with 16 beds on Oct. 1. The new staff positions required for the unit drew a high number of applicants, Laplander said.

Staff levels are also rising elsewhere in the facility, with the facility seeing its highest numbers in summer orientation, he said.

“We have a great team, we have a great staff,” he said. “I really believe it’s truly a great place to come to work. I believe we provide great care to our residents. And it’s a great community organization that is a staple in this community. And we just have that as a plan to continue on, and we’ll get back to the place where we were.”

One effort that had been talked about as a possible attraction for employees was a child care center built next to Canal View, with employees given priority for slots. That idea has been tabled for now, Laplander said.

“”Right now, we’re going to put our efforts into our strategic plan to grow and to get staff back into the workforce, into our organization,” he said. “It’s definitely something we’ll look at down the road.”

The CDC eased many of the COVID-19 restrictions in place during the height of the pandemic last fall. Precautions are still taken when a case is discovered. Thursday, visitors were required to put on masks upon entering the building due to a recent positive test from a resident.

“A lot of the regulations have changed, but we will continue to do everything that we can do to ensure that our residents are safe,” Laplander said. “So, if cases rise, or an outbreak occurs, we’ll follow recommendations and regulations.”

Canal View has also worked on upgrading facilities in the building. Canal View got a new roof, which just passed its final inspection. Also starting last year was a project to update the facility’s windows. That’s about 80% complete, and should be done by October, Laplander said.

Also last year, Canal View ordered all-new beds.

“Along with our strategic plan is capital improvements,” Laplander said. “We have some more things to accomplish there, and it’s just part of our plan to move forward.”