Fennema, Who Has Served as COO since 2023, Poised to Continue Growth Trajectory, State Expansion Plans Paved By Founding President & CEO Teresa Toland
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – (JAN. 16, 2025) – TANDEM365, an innovative, Michigan-based healthcare program designed to keep individuals with complex medical needs safely at home and out of the hospital, today announced its Board of Directors has elected Philip Fennema as the organization’s President & CEO, effective March 31, 2025.
Fennema, who has served as TANDEM365’s COO since March 2023, will succeed Teresa Toland, who has announced her retirement following a decade of exceptional leadership as President & CEO since the company’s founding in April, 2014.
“TANDEM365’s future has never been brighter in providing individuals with a proven, home-based healthcare model that has drastically changed how patients reduce their dependence on emergency and urgent care visits while improving quality of life for them and their families, which is why Philip is the natural choice to continue building upon the company’s incredible legacy and foundation,” said Brian Pangle, chair, TANDEM365 Board of Directors and Vice President, Philanthropy & Development, BHI Foundation.
Fennema brings approximately 20 years of healthcare leadership experience to the role; he joined TANDEM365 as Director of Operations in 2017, and for the past year has served as COO, with an emphasis on operations management, continuous quality improvement, care model development and budget management.
“I am deeply honored to continue the incredible success that has been part of the TANDEM365 journey, thanks to Teresa’s strong vision and unwavering commitment to excellence,” said Fennema. “These are incredibly exciting times to embark on the next decade of growth, sharing the `TANDEM365 Difference’ with Michigan families.”
“I couldn’t be more thrilled with the appointment of Philip to the lead role; he brings natural leadership abilities along with a passion for finding innovation solutions to reducing barriers adults with complex medical issues face by managing their health in a more preventive manner,” said Toland.
Since its founding, TANDEM365 has served nearly 6,000 at-risk individuals, drastically reducing ER/Urgent Care Visits and hospital stays: For every two members enrolled, TANDEM365 has avoided one inpatient hospital stay, and avoided one Emergency Department visit for every 2-3 members enrolled.
Many clients receive TANDEM365’s services as a covered insurance benefit which identifies at-risk individuals who may benefit from TANDEM365’s customized, at-home care model. Central to TANDEM’s preventative approach is a team of registered nurses, medical assistants, social workers and community paramedics who rally around each patient, keeping health issues from escalating into full-blown emergencies.
TANDEM365 launched in Grand Rapids in April, 2014 – with Toland as the organization’s founding CEO – in response to recognized gaps in care, a growing desire among individuals to age-in-place safely, and a trend in unnecessary ER visits among persons with complex medical needs – resulting in high health care systems costs when preventative interventions could be provided in-home.
“Based on our experience, we knew there were some patients that didn’t need a full-blown paramedic response, but with no alternative, were being transported to the emergency department,” said Mark Meijer, founder and president of Life EMS Ambulance, and co-chair of TANDEM365’s Board of Directors.
TANDEM365 is a collaborative venture of Life EMS Ambulance, Sunset Senior Communities, Holland Home, Brio Living Services and BHI Senior Living.
About TANDEM365
Celebrating its 10th anniversary of changing the healthcare landscape for nearly 6,000 clients throughout Michigan with complex medical needs, TANDEM365 is a 24/7 covered health management resource for at-risk individuals to remain in the comfort of their homes, which reduces frequent hospital visits. Through customized care from highly skilled nurses, social workers and community paramedics all rallying around a single patient and the personalized care plan designed together called their LIFE PLAN, TANDEM365 aims to improve patients’ quality of life.