11/17/2025
Welcome to the next installment of The People of Michigan Medicine, a place where we highlight the personal side of things. In this space, we ask colleagues to provide experiences, talents, and viewpoints personal to them, while also sharing what makes Michigan Medicine a special place to be.
This month, we highlight Jacob Sierocki, project manager for hospital services in the Department of Psychiatry.
A career built on care
Sierocki joined Michigan Medicine in 2022, bringing with him 15 years of experience from six other health systems in Michigan.
His current role spans a wide range of responsibilities. He supports the adult and child inpatient psychiatric units and consult teams, Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES), the electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) teams and the two partial hospitalization programs.
“It’s a very unique role, which is part of the reason why I came here,” Sierocki said. “I have a lot of experience in many different areas in health care, and this role combined all that in one.”
His passion for health care began with his first job in an assisted living facility. That experience sparked a lifelong commitment to helping others. At Michigan Medicine, he consistently strives to improve the patient experience.
One of his proudest achievements was helping secure insurance coverage for ketamine infusions used to treat severe, treatment-resistant depression. Previously, patients paid out of pocket, which could add up to thousands of dollars.
“We had a patient who had amassed over $10,000 for these services,” Sierocki said. “When we converted to the insurance model, we refunded the majority of that payment.”
Being able to positively impact patients like that is what motivates Sierocki, and that sense of purpose extends beyond the hospital.
Taking flight
Two and a half years ago, Sierocki decided to pursue his lifelong dream of learning to fly.
“I’ve always loved flying and traveling,” he said. “You learn so much when you step out of your comfort zone and experience other cultures.”
One day, he simply showed up at the Ann Arbor Municipal Airport. A week later, he was in the cockpit for his first flight. His instructor gave him full control, so he decided where better to fly than over the hospital.
“My very first time flying a plane, I flew over Michigan Medicine,” Sierocki said. “I just dove right into that experience and have been pretty much flying ever since.”
Since then, he’s logged countless hours in the air, working toward his private pilot’s license with help from the University of Michigan Career Development Fund. And his penchant for planes doesn’t end there. It led him to an unusual side gig: de-icing planes at Detroit Metro Airport.
The science and stakes of de-icing
During the colder months, after finishing his day of work at the hospital, Sierocki heads to DTW for his de-icing shift. De-icing involves removing contaminants such as ice, snow and frost from aircraft before takeoff.
“There is a law that says that before a plane can take off it has to be clear of all contaminants,” Sierocki said. “The captain is the one who determines what they want done with the airplane before they leave, and then we provide that service to them.”
De-icing is critical to flight safety because contaminants disrupt airflow over the wings. This could lead to the plane being unable to generate enough lift to get off the ground or climb if it does get off the ground.
Sierocki and his team prep their trucks, wait for planes flagged as positive for contaminant and then apply specialized fluids to clear and protect the wings.
“We are the last stop before you take off,” Sierocki said. “If we’re doing our job right, we are keeping people safe.”
Two jobs, one mission
At first glance, health care and aviation seem completely different, but Sierocki sees deep parallels.
“Both places I work are high-reliability organizations,” he said. “Much like health care, the aviation industry is touching thousands of people’s lives every single day. We can’t have unsafe systems or processes.”
He points to shared practices like checklists, which are a staple for pilots and now common in operating rooms as well. Commitment to safety drives Sierocki in both of his roles.
“There’s a lot of synergy between the two jobs, which is probably why I enjoy working in both of them,” he said.
Looking up
Sierocki is on track to earn his pilot’s license by the end of the year, meaning he will be able to fly small planes on his own and take passengers up with him.
Next, he’s hoping to work toward his instrument rating, which would allow him to fly in low-visibility conditions. For now, he’s focused on building hours and enjoying the journey.
“I want to fly for fun a little bit because it’s been a lot of training and practice,” Sierocki said. “I could go after work to the airport and fly to Mackinac Island for dinner and then fly home and work the next day. That’s super unique.”
