Spectrum Health

With public health and safety as its top concern, Spectrum Health wants patients and visitors to know that guidelines to control COVID 19 remain in effect. 

“We’re continuing the guidelines that have been in place.”

That’s Dr. Dan McGee. He is a Pediatric Hospitalist at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.

As we continue to make our way through this pandemic, officials at Spectrum Health say based on scientific evidence and infection prevention best practices, what they’re doing is working and they need to stay the course.

 Spectrum Health hands out free fresh fruit and veggies in Muskegon this Thursday, Drew Dostal, Regional Market Leader, Spectrum Health NW Region with the specifics.

  We talk about Community Health Workers with Spectrum Health's CH Educator Susie Williamson and CH Worker Shelly Armock, talking about their roles and the Community needs.

 Spectrum Health pilots a curbside vaccination program, talking all things Vaccinations/Physicals and more with Dr. Lisa Lowery, Section Chief for Adolescent Medicine at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.

Spectrum Health recently announced plans to expand its commitment to address racial and ethnic health inequities in West and Southwest Michigan.  As a system, Spectrum Health will dedicate an additional 40-percent to improve health equity.

“We are working to try to create the most equitable health outcomes possible. at the individual level, at the neighborhood level and the regional level that we serve.”

In mid-April, Spectrum Health began treating COVID-19 patients with blood plasma from patients who have recovered from the disease, providing an additional treatment option to the most severely affected COVID-19 patients.  Doctors have a report on the progress they’ve made and a call for more donors.

“When we first started our goal was to prove the treatment is safe and we did that. Now our second step is to prove that the treatment is working.

Spectrum Health presents an employer toolkit to help businesses in the midst of COVID-19, Keith Hustak, PA-C, VP APP Services and Operations shares the details.

Spectrum Health is offering guidance to West and Southwest Michigan businesses as they adapt to operating in a new environment with the COVID-19 Pandemic. They’ve developed a “toolkit” to help out.

“In the early days here in West Michigan, a lot of local businesses stepped up for us, providing us with hand sanitizer and masks, they took their business and changed it for us in healthcare, and we want to do the same.”

The Economic Club of Grand Rapids and the Chamber hosted a virtual town hall meeting this week. One of the topics is preparing for the reopening the local economy.

The West Michigan community has taken extraordinary measures “flattening the curve.” While testing for COVID-19 has increased, the number of cases has plateaued and the positivity rate continues to fall. Dr. Adam London is director of the Kent County Health Department. He says the pathway to reopening the local economy will come with risk.

After studying over 10,000 children with cancer across racial and ethnic spectrums, Doctor Surender Rajasekaran, the medical director of research at Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, came to this conclusion…

“Hispanic and African American patients tended to do worst in surviving ICU disease when they had cancer.”