Angela Hospice Announces New Board Chair and Board Members

“I’ve known Dr. Dunn for some time now, and look forward to all of the amazing work she’s going to accomplish in her new role on the board,” said Marti Coplai, Angela Hospice President & CEO. “Najah, Bob, and Dr. Mack are going to be great additions to the board as well, each bringing a wealth of knowledge from their respective fields of nursing, law, and decades in the non-profit sector.”

Dr. Dunn – who is currently the Provost and Vice President of Academic Administration at Madonna University in Livonia, another organization under the Felician Sisters umbrella – has been on the board since 2015, but has connections to Angela Hospice that go back to their foundress, Sister Mary Giovanni, who she worked with at St. Mary Mercy Hospital when Angela Hospice was just an idea. Dr. Dunn’s mother was also in Angela Hospice care.

“It’s really fabulous to be able to see this whole span of Angela Hospice’s history from the early founding of Angela to today,” Dr. Dunn said. “I think that Angela Hospice serves as a beating heart of loving and compassionate care for all of its patients and their families.”

She isn’t the only one whose connection to Angela Hospice goes far beyond being on the board. Bazzy was at the opening of Angela Hospice when she was a student at Madonna University; Langan’s wife, Jenny, was a patient at Angela Hospice; and Dr. Mack served as Angela’s Assistant Medical Director from 2016-2017.

They all felt so called by their prior experiences with Angela Hospice that each wanted to pay it forward for all Angela Hospice had done for them.

“To be able to now contribute strategically at the board level is really important and I couldn’t be more excited to get to work,” Bazzy said.

For more about Angela Hospice, please visit AskforAngela.com.

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About Angela Hospice
Angela Hospice is a faith-based 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, dedicated to provide comprehensive, compassionate, end-of-life care to patients of all ages, and supportive care to their families. Angela Hospice also serves the community through free grief support and education programs. Established in 1985 by the Felician Sisters of North America, Angela Hospice is driven by the core values of: respect for human dignity, compassion, transformation, solidarity with people in need, justice and peace. In addition to community-based hospice care, Angela Hospice offers inpatient end-of-life care at the Angela Hospice Care Center, offering 32 private rooms for persons in crises or who require additional support. For more information, please call (734) 464-7810 or visit www.AskForAngela.com.

Dr. Deborah Dunn, Board Chair
Deborah Dunn is Provost and Vice President Academic Administration at Madonna University, where she was previously their Dean of the Graduate School. With over 20 years teaching experience, Deborah is also an AACN board-certified Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist and AACN board-certified Gerontological Nurse Practitioner. Since 1997, Deborah has worked as a nurse practitioner in private practice, caring for older adults in assisted living, sub-acute care, and long term care settings.

Deborah has been the recipient of multiple awards for education and leadership, has authored over 21 publications on health care topics, and presented on nursing education and elder care subjects at over 37 conferences. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Eastern Michigan University, a Master of Science in Nursing from Wayne State University, a Post-Masters Certificate as a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner from the University of Michigan, and a Doctorate in Education from Eastern Michigan University.

Najah Bazzy, RN, Board Member
Najah Bazzy is well-known not only for her decades in critical care and transcultural nursing, but for her non-profit, Zaman International. The non-profit – which focuses on empowering marginalized women and children to break the cycle of poverty – has helped 2.87-million people in 20 countries since 2010. Najah’s connection to the Felician Sisters goes back years, having earned her nursing degree from Madonna University. Najah also holds a Doctor of Humanities Honoris Causa degree from Oakland University.

The CEO of Diversity Specialists, Najah has received many accolades during her career, including being recognized as one of the top six Muslim female thought leaders by Global Woman Magazine in 2022, a 2019 Top Ten CNN Hero, one of Crain’s Detroit Business’s 100 Most Influential Women in 2021, Detroit News Michiganian of the Year, and she was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame.

Terri L. Mack, MD, Board Member
Dr. Terri L. Mack is currently serving as a Utilization Management Medical Director of NaviHealth/Optum HealthCare, specializing in post-acute care utilizing MCG, Interqual, and Medicare regulations. Her experience as a medical director specializing in the non-profit sector spans across decades, and she’s worked at accredited hospitals and hospice facilities throughout Michigan since 2008, including Angela Hospice. She worked as the Assistant Medical Director in 2017 before returning to join the Angela Hospice board.

After receiving her medical degree from Wayne State University in 2003, Dr. Mack went to the University of Michigan, where she completed two fellowships, one in geriatric medicine, the other in hospice and palliative care. Dr. Mack is a Member in Good Standing with the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and American College of Physicians. She’s also a six-time healthcare community advocate award winner.

Bob Langan, Board Member
J. Robert Langan, Esq. brings with him decades of experience in real estate and business transactions, the areas he practices at Bagley & Langan P.L.L.C., which he founded in 1995 alongside his friend, Patrick Bagley. Bob is also the founder and chairman of The Pelican Foundation, a local charity that raises funds for families and veterans in need.

Over the years Bob has served on countless committees and boards, including The Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund, and currently sits on the Parish Council of Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church. He received his juris doctorate from Wayne State University Law School in 1995, and in 1991 received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Marquette University. Outside of operating the firm, Bob focuses on real estate, zoning, planning, and development.