Colette Hicks, MA, BSN, RN

Colette Hicks, MA, BSN, RN, is an accomplished healthcare leader, nurse, and mentor with more than 25 years of experience spanning clinical care, operations, and strategic leadership. Based in the Detroit metropolitan area, she began her career as a nursing assistant before becoming a registered nurse in 2003. Her early years were spent in high-acuity environments, including surgical and cardiovascular intensive care units, where she also served as a preceptor, helping to guide and develop future nursing professionals. Known for her hands-on leadership style, Colette is deeply committed to fostering collaboration, empowering teams, and delivering high-quality, patient-centered care.

Driven by both professional insight and personal experience, Colette transitioned into oncology to address gaps in early lung cancer detection and outcomes. She played a pivotal role in developing and implementing innovative lung cancer screening and pulmonary nodule programs across Ascension Michigan, expanding these initiatives regionally and nationally. During her time in oncology leadership, she managed multiple cancer centers and led large, multidisciplinary teams, focusing on quality improvement, operational efficiency, and strategic growth. Her work has contributed to advancing early detection efforts and improving care pathways for patients facing complex diagnoses.

Currently serving as Clinical Manager at PACE Southeast Michigan, Colette leads clinical operations within a program dedicated to helping seniors maintain independence through comprehensive, community-based care. Her role focuses on team leadership, regulatory compliance, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality services tailored to the needs of aging populations. She holds a Master of Arts in Healthcare Administration from Siena Heights University and brings a strong foundation in both clinical excellence and healthcare management. Passionate about mentorship and advocacy, Colette continues to inspire those around her by promoting kindness in leadership, supporting professional growth, and driving meaningful change in healthcare systems.

• Zoology degree from Michigan State University
• BSN from South Dakota State University (2003)
• Master of Arts in Healthcare Administration from Siena Heights University (2017)

• BSN
• Master of Arts in Healthcare Administration
• Former CCRN

Colette has been in the medical field since 1999, starting as a nursing assistant and becoming a certified nursing assistant in 2001 before earning her RN in 2003. She spent 11-12 years in intensive care units at a trauma center, serving as a preceptor in surgical ICU and CV ICU. Motivated by poor outcomes in lung cancer patients and her grandfather's diagnosis, she transitioned to oncology as a nurse navigator for approximately 7 years, where she developed and published lung cancer screening programs and pulmonary nodule programs for Ascension Michigan, Ascension Regional, and Ascension National. Most recently, she has been the nursing leader of a day health center at PACE Southeast Michigan for about 9 months, focusing on keeping seniors independent in their homes through comprehensive services including clinic appointments, day health activities, and rehabilitation. Prior to PACE, she managed 6 cancer centers with 130 FTEs. She has been affiliated with Ascension Michigan, which merged with Henry Ford Health, and now works at PACE Southeast Michigan, which is 55% owned by Henry Ford Health. She holds a BSN from South Dakota State University (2003) and a Master of Arts in Healthcare Administration from Siena Heights University (2017). In the past, she has done speaking engagements on lung cancer screening guidelines for Medtronic, and she will be advocating at the Capitol on June 10th with PACE participants to promote keeping seniors independent rather than placing them in nursing homes.