Science

April 21st @ 9:00 pm on WGVU Public Television - PBS FRONTLINE presents Coronavirus Pandemic investigating how the deadly COVID-19 outbreak began in the U.S. and how the federal response allowed it to spread. WGVU spoke with correspondent Miles O’Brien.

Social distancing and the spread of COVID-19 is heightening anxiety. Pine Rest Christian Mental Services is experiencing an increase in patients seeking telehealth appointments. Pine Rest began transitioning from in-clinic to telemedicine appointments beginning March 17th. In an average month, it assists more than 400 patients. The COVID-19 pandemic has spiked telehealth visits to 700 per day or 3,500 a week. “I don’t think I’ve I had a client that I’ve talked to that has not had concerns about COVID in some way.” Jean Holthaus is Pine Rest Telehealth Clinic Manager.

"I was trained as a reproductive tract developmental biologist back at Harvard Medical School. When I was recruited here of course, I'm going to continue to study reproductive tract biology, and one of the more interesting aspects of reproductive tract biology is the fibroids it's the most common tumor and women by far and no one really knows how they start and no one really knows how they grow. I thought that that would be a really good way for me to advance our knowledge and continue the study." 

Uterine fibroid tumors are the most common tumor found in women. Researchers have been trying to figure out how they start and grow. Funding from the National Institutes of Health has led to a Grand Rapids-based collaboration leading to what’s been described as a breakthrough that may lead to better treatments.

Each year in the United States, 600,000 women will have a hysterectomy. Half of those are the result of uterine fibroid tumors. The only cure is the removal of the uterus.

Groundbreaking on the Grand Rapids Innovation Park is less than a month away. A multi-million dollar gift will fund cancer-fighting technologies.

Doug Meijer and the Meijer Foundation are investing $19.5 million into what will be named the Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Center.

Personalizing the management of disease is the goal of National Institutes of Health and partners like Grand Rapids’ Spectrum Health. In its beta test year, NIH has enrolled more than 25,000 underrepresented individuals from across the country into its All of Us Research Program. It aims to enroll another one million in the coming years. The research aims to improve health outcomes.

A Barry County man claims a fragment of the meteor that penetrated the earth’s atmosphere over Michigan this week – the one with the sonic boom causing an earthquake registering 2.0 on the Richter scale – came down over his head just outside Hastings. WGVU made the drive and trekked the fields in search of its remains.

“Uh, uh…who’d of…50 yards from where it hits and seeing it!”

Stacy Garrison was pulling into his driveway around 8:10 Tuesday evening.

Ralph D. Hauenstein, the son of philanthropist Ralph W. Hauenstein carried out his late father’s wishes Monday announcing financial gifts to three West Michigan institutions.

“I think his life was exemplary of where he’s placed his fortune. Represented here are the mind, the body and the soul and the health of all three,” said Brian Hauenstein, the Grandson of philanthropist Colonel Ralph W. Hauenstein who passed away in January 2016.