SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. — The termination of longtime Sault Ste. Marie physician Dr. Thilak Chander by MyMichigan Health has prompted a strong public response, with hundreds of patients and community members voicing concern online about the loss of a doctor many say they have relied on for decades.
Patients commenting on local social media posts described relationships with Chander spanning 10, 20 and, in some cases, 30 years. Several said they plan to seek care from him wherever he practices next.
Chander holds a 4.8-out-of-5 rating across hundreds of verified patient reviews, where patients frequently cite his attentiveness, willingness to listen and thorough approach to care. A former employee also said she had seen Chander assist patients with prescription costs from his own money and make house calls outside regular hours.
MyMichigan Health has not publicly detailed the circumstances surrounding Chander’s departure.
The reaction comes amid broader concerns in the community following MyMichigan’s acquisition of the former War Memorial Hospital. Before joining the larger health system, War Memorial had faced financial difficulties, including operating losses, job cuts and wage reductions. The affiliation was presented as a way to improve financial stability, invest in the facility and preserve local care.
The transition, however, has also brought tension. In 2024, approximately 120 nurses participated in a five-day strike during contract negotiations involving staffing, recruitment and retention, compensation, and working conditions. Union representatives said employees felt the hospital had shifted away from its community-oriented culture, while MyMichigan disputed aspects of the union’s claims. The parties later reached a contract agreement.
The hospital is now transitioning to Critical Access Hospital status. MyMichigan has said the designation is intended to improve reimbursement and help maintain local services, and the system has continued to invest in the Sault Ste. Marie facility.
For Chander’s patients, however, the immediate concern is continuity of care. Many now face the task of finding a new physician, renewing prescriptions, following up on tests and transferring medical histories built over many years.
The situation has renewed questions about physician retention in the eastern Upper Peninsula, where recruiting and keeping experienced medical professionals has long been a challenge. Community members are calling on MyMichigan Health to provide more information about the decision and its plans for affected patients.
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Dr Chander saved my husband’s life twice….during routine exams. He is an amazing man and he treated his patients like family. We wish the best for him and his family. I really pray he sees all the community support.
I don’t think anyone will see because they won’t show anyone else the support he is getting. I say that because your comment is the only one showing up on here posting. I know for a fact there are more comments on here besides just yours but I don’t see them.
Dr Chander quickly determined my mother’s rare case of shingles when there was no rash or evidence indicating such, he even showed me the medical book confirming his diagnosis. What made him go there to begin with? He is inquisitive and by the book! Not only is he a conscientious doctor, but also a good friend.
I have a rare disease Erythromalagia. No one in 5 different states in 15 years could help find what was causing my suffering. I moved here to be closer to family. Dr. Chander promised me he would find out what was going on with me after I asked him to cut off my legs and he said no. 2 years later after sending me to a specialist in Petoskey I was finally diagnosed.
I also want to say that when my father died 5 years ago in a ambulance after Dr Chander begged the hospital send him to Petoskey to see a specialist. Dr Chander called me from his home at 1:30a.m. crying. Saying how sorry he was for not being able to save him. Dr Chander was my family’s Dr for 35 years. I am devastated by what has happened to him.
I have a rare disease Erythromalagia. No one could figure out what was happening to my legs. I wanted to amputate them due to the extreme pain and swelling. Dr Chander refused. After sending me across the country he found out what was wrong with me. He has stuck to his promises every single time. How could they let this fabulous man go?
This Dr. Chander is the type of Dr you rarely ever hear about. You always hear about the bad ones. No one talks enough about the great ones. Sending this man away from myself and his other pts is putting this community in grave danger. Too many people need his help and dedication to patients. Without him I am certain people will suffer and die. Including myself. Someone will be sued for this. This I am also certain of.
I am so distraught over here I don’t know what to do. All I know is that someone made the decision to take the only Dr I have ever been able to trust away from myself and my family. I know beyond a doubt the person that did this to him doesn’t know anything about him. If they did know him they wouldn’t have fired him. Unless it was a personal problem they had with him so they made up some bull—- to force him out
My Michigan has destroyed rural community care. When they require Dr’s see 18 to 22 patients a day, plus do all the necessary paperwork, along with necessary research, they have turned it into an assembly line mentality where Dr’s dont get to know about their patients, Dr. Chander has been a part of our families care for over 30 years and he knew his time was limited because he cared about his patients more than he did about My Michigan’s policies which limited his ability to practice medicine. With the trouble they have recruiting or keeping professional staff, you would think that My Michigan would refrain from terminating such a beloved member of the medical community here in the Soo.
I understand over a thousand patients now can’t get follow up appointments for critical care, have no way to renew scripts, etc.. It will take months to get in to another doctor and you will be charged as a new patient. Doctor retention has always been an issue here, however since MyMichigan took over it has reached catastrophic levels. They will never replace the compassion, dedication to this community and expertise Dr. Chander provided. This is not the way to preserve local hospital financial stability as many are now seeking care with other facilities. Such callous disregard for Dr. Chander and his patients is inexcusable.
What other doctors are leaving