Submitted by Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
It was a full circle moment for Puget Sound native Matthew Metsker as he recently transitioned into a new role as president of St. Clare Hospital. His relationship with the hospital dates back to 2007, when he first joined Virginia Mason Franciscan Health as a hospitalist and rotated shifts between St. Clare, St. Joseph and St. Francis Hospitals. From that first interaction, Metsker was immediately drawn to the team at St. Clare.
“The team then talked about how St. Clare was the best place to work, with the most collaborative atmosphere and staff who all looked out for each other,” shared Metsker. “I found this to be true when I worked there years ago, and it still is to this day.”
Metsker officially assumed the role of hospital president in May 2024 following the retirement of Chief Operating Officer Lois Erickson, who served the healthcare community for more than 40 years. Virginia Mason Franciscan Health held an extensive national search and determined Metsker was the right fit – from experience, skills and passion – to take St. Clare forward.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have exceptional local leaders like Matt to step into the critical role of hospital president, ensuring our teams, our community and our patients can thrive today and well into the future,” noted James G. Terwilliger, Puget Sound Market President at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. “Matt’s experience as a leader in clinical innovations is especially important as we look to continue growing to best serve the needs of our community here in Lakewood.”
How It All Started
Metsker was born and raised on Raft Island in Gig Harbor. From an early age, he had an innate love for science, biology and nature. He would spend hours by the beach studying the tide pools.
Several life events shifted this passion for science and biology to health care, most notably at age 12 when he watched his father change career paths from business to become a fulltime, career firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician. Matt studied alongside his dad and became more and more immersed as he helped his father learn the new material. By high school, he took an advanced placement Anatomy and Physiology class, which also required a shadowing component and that solidified his career trajectory.
With nearly 20 years of experience as a hospitalist physician assistant, Metsker sees operations through a clinical lens and has excelled in leadership roles. He spent the past five years leading Virginia Mason Franciscan Health’s Mission Control and Virtual Hospital operations, turning them into hubs of efficiency and progress. Prior, he was the Advanced Practice Provider co-director of the Franciscan Inpatient Team (FIT), and later the site medical director and section head for hospital medicine at St. Anthony Hospital.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Western Washington University, as well as master’s degrees in physician assistant studies from Pacific University and healthcare administration from Ohio University.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have several key mentors in my career,” shared Metsker. “They each pushed me in different ways and all were willing to give me an opportunity to contribute at the next level. That included formalizing my knowledge and competencies of the administrative side of health care, which is why I returned to school to complete a master’s degree in healthcare administration five years ago.”
St. Clare’s Past, Present and Future
St. Clare Hospital has been serving the community for nearly 75 years and has a bright future ahead as Metsker brings his experience as a leader in clinical innovations at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health to the hospital.
During the fall, the St. Clare team plans to increase outpatient endoscopy and colonoscopy from 1 day to 5 days per week. The team will begin performing CT coronary angiography, which is a valuable study for patients with established or suspected heart disease. The hospital also continues to lead regionally in outpatient orthopedic surgery, specifically robot-assisted total joint replacement.
“As we look ahead, we are excited to continue growing with this community and doing what we love: providing exceptional patient care,” said Metsker.
Two other Virginia Mason Franciscan Health presidents have been recently appointed, including Danna Shaner as president at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Enumclaw, and Joseph Brown is the new president at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way.
About Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) is an integrated health system serving the Puget Sound region, including 10 hospitals and 300 care sites. Founded in 1891, VMFH embraces its long history of caring for the most vulnerable, especially the poor and underserved, and meeting the evolving healthcare needs of the vibrant, diverse communities it serves. VMFH is a proud home to the Bailey-Boushay House, the first skilled nursing and outpatient chronic care management program in the United States designed specifically to meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS, and the Benaroya Research Institute, an internationally recognized institution for autoimmune disease research. VMFH is part of CommonSpirit, one of the nation’s largest health systems, dedicated to advancing health for all people. Learn more at vmfh.org.