Tonya Darner

MARQUETTE — UP Health System – Marquette announced Tonya Darner has been appointed to serve as chief operating officer to improve clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction while managing operations.

Darner previously managed the development and operations of several specialties at UPHS – Marquette. She returns to Marquette from Wausau, Wisconsin, where she served as the chief operating officer for Aspirus Wausau Hospital.

Darner has 25 years of experience in medical practice management and healthcare administration. She has successfully overseen the operations of complex clinical teams, budgets, and overall care for large volumes of patients.

A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Darner served on active duty for 20 years. There, she managed medical care units and eventually became the 4th Medical Operations squadron superintendent in 2007. After retiring from the military, she moved to Marquette and oversaw operations for several medical practices in the area.

Prior to accepting a position at Aspirus Wausau Hospital in 2017, Darner served in progressive leadership roles at UP Health System – Marquette, including senior director of neurosciences, imaging and on-call specialists service lines, and director of regional operations for neurosciences, occupational medicine, behavioral health, pediatric specialty clinics and radiology service lines.

“Tonya has a demonstrated track record of success in all of her previous roles,” said Gar Atchison, CEO of UP Health System – Marquette and Market President of UP Health System, in a news release. “We are confident in her competency, experience and discipline, and her dedication to furthering our mission of making communities healthier for the people of the Upper Peninsula.”

Darner said she and her husband made the decision to move to Marquette well before they retired from the military, and had been their goal ever since they first visited the Upper Peninsula in the early 1990s.

“We love the area and community, we have family here, and Marquette is where we’ve always wanted to live,” she said. In her time outside of work, Darner enjoys hiking, mountain biking, reading and cheering on the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions and Ohio State Buckeyes.