Each year, University of Detroit Mercy honors seven alumni — one from each of the colleges and schools at the University — with a Spirit of Detroit Mercy award.
These honorees are alumni who have marked themselves with distinction in their career and in their personal life. They will be honored at a special ceremony on April 27 on the McNichols Campus. Tickets for the event can be purchased here.
Today, we introduce David F. Claeys ’99, ’03, the honoree from the College of Health Professions. We’ve already written about the honorees from the College of Business Administration and the College of Engineering & Science; come back over the next week to read about others.
After a lifetime in the healthcare industry, Claeys was recently named president of the 632-bed Beaumont Hospital, Dearborn. He had served as interim president of the institution and in various roles for 12 years at Beaumont Hospital, Troy.
Claeys began his healthcare career as a patient transporter at Mt. Clemens General Hospital and, after completing his Physician Assistant degree at Detroit Mercy, worked in other metro Detroit hospitals as a respiratory therapist and on the cardiothoracic surgical staff, along the way earning a bachelor’s degree in Health Care Administration from Detroit Mercy. He joined Beaumont Hospital, Troy in 2005 as a PA, and held other administrative positions before being named vice president and chief operating officer.
A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Claeys also serves his local community, working on governmental and foundation boards in Macomb County.
