Margaret Knapp said she is excited about the possibilities her new position with the MSU HealthTeam will offer.

Knapp was appointed as the chief operating officer of the MSU HealthTeam in October, and she said she is hoping to move it forward.

“This is a dynamic environment with extreme potential,” Knapp said.

The team provides medical care to students and the public and includes the MSU College of Human Medicine, the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, the MSU College of Nursing, Olin Health Center and clinical offices throughout the Lansing area.

Before coming to MSU, Knapp spent 20 years in the U.S. Army. Her previous position was medical director of the Army’s North Atlantic Regional Medical Command, where she oversaw the administrative actions of hospitals and clinics in 22 states.

Knapp said she will be doing many of the same things for the HealthTeam as she did in the Army - she will be responsible for all clinical, financial and administrative operations of the HealthTeam.

But Knapp said this will be an opportunity to work more closely with her workers.

“When you are responsible for so many people you don’t have that day-to-day hands-on time,” Knapp said. “I will be able to talk to everyone on a more regular basis; I think it will be a lot more fun.”

William Strampel, dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, said in many ways he is responsible for Knapp being at MSU.

He worked with her in the Army before he came here to MSU two years ago.

“When we were looking for someone for this position I asked her to send her résumé because I knew she would be perfect for the job,” Strampel said. “They decided to invite her out for the interview process and they saw all the great things I saw in her.”

While Strampel said he played a large part in hiring Knapp, he did not participate in the actual interview process in order to remain objective.

Strampel said Knapp is more than qualified for the job, and she also offers a quality they have never had previously in this position - she’s a doctor.

“An argument that was always brought up was that they just couldn’t understand the medical aspect of the job, which is very important,” Strampel said. “She has advantages in both areas.”

As the new chief operating officer Knapp hopes to improve relations between the different departments of the HealthTeam.

“The problem is that they are spread very far apart in location and personally,” Knapp said. “We need to improve the coordination and cooperation of all the aspects of health care.”

She said there are various ways she plans to make these improvements.

“The issue is to identify opportunities where everyone can work together,” Knapp said.

She also said she is hoping to also put out a newsletter to make it easier for people to stay in contact.

David Gift sat in on Knapp’s interviews and knew she was the right person for the job. He said her professional demeanor allows her to work well with people.

As assistant vice president for integrative management, Gift is an internal consultant for Provost Lou Anna Simon on HealthTeam issues. He agrees communication is something that is needed within the team.

“Traditionally in most medical schools the academic departments have operated very independently of each other,” Gift said. “We have been in the process of building a cohesive practice for some time now.

“It will provide a better learning environment and allow us to serve our patients better.”