Category Archives: Health

Local faith, medical leaders rally behind healthcare workers, stress dark COVID days remain but will pass

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The Rev. Khary Bridgewater and Kent County Chief Inclusion Officer Teresa Branson, at left, led the Monday, Dec. 20, “Prayer Service for Health Care Workers” and pandemic awareness gathering. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

It is no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic seriously impacts the lives of all Kent County residents regardless of race, ethnicity and faith — although current statistics make clear it impacts the unvaccinated to a more serious degree.

It is not surprising, therefore, that speakers at a Monday, Dec. 20, “Prayer Service for Health Care Workers”, attended by county clergy, the leaders of local hospital  networks, and Kent County officials, stressed three things: appreciation to frontline healthcare, the non-discriminatory nature of the virus, and the need to get vaccinated as an individual’s part in keeping themselves and their neighbors safe.

The prayer service was led by several local clergy. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

“One of the realities that we are seeing — and I just came off the hospital floor — is the fact that there is not sector or section of this community that is not being affected by COVID,” Rev. Khary Bridgewater said to WKTV at the gathering at  Mercy Health Saint Mary’s downtown Grand Rapids. “Young. Old. Regardless of ethnicity. Regardless of creed … We are all in the same boat. We are all dealing with the same impact.

“Everyone is having the same sort of regrets as they struggle with this virus, particularly those at the end of life and they realize this was an avoidable situation. It doesn’t matter who you were when you get to a hospital bed. We are working very hard with every member of our community to stress the simple truth that COVID is dangerous.”

The gathering and prayer service was led by the Kent County Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Team, formerly known as the Kent County COVID-19 Task Force). The gathering’s stated goal was to “stand with our front-line medical workers, hospital staff and public health officials, as well as their families, who are sacrificing daily to provide the care that our community needs.”

Leading the gathering was Rev. Bridgewater, facilitator of the Kent County Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Team, and by his side was Teresa Branson, Kent County Chief Inclusion Officer, who as been a leader of the group since its inception. The pandemic-aware gathering was limited to local media, a few other people, and several persons remaining in their cars in the parking lot location.

The gathering also highlighted numerous churches and faith-based organizations “coming together to raise community awareness of the current situation in our hospitals; issue a public statement of commitment; and pray and bless our health care personnel and their families.”

Among the local medical leaders present were Dr. Matt Biersack, president of Mercy Health Saint Mary’s; Dr. Darryl Elmouchi, president of Spectrum Health; Kent Riddle, CEO of Mary Free Bed; and Dr. Ronald Grifka, chief medical officer of University of Michigan Health-West.

“In this season of hope, when so many workers turn to their home, their families, their traditions, remember many healthcare workers will be working around the clock taking care of their patients,” Grifka said to the gathering. “That selfless spirt embodies what we celebrate this time of the year. I ask that no matter what your beliefs, please keep our healthcare workers in your hearts.”

At a Monday, Dec. 20, “Prayer Service for Health Care Workers”, Kent County clergy, leaders of local hospital  networks, and county officials gathered. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

The Kent County Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Team, according to supplied information, is a group of faith-based and non-profit community leaders that have partnered with the Kent County Health Department and its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office.

“Together, they have reduced the spread of COVID-19, provided space for church vaccination clinics and informed the community about the vaccine,” according to the supplied information. But in doing so, thy have also heard “the concerns of our hospitals who are beyond capacity and our health care professionals who are weary and overburdened.”

In response to the current pandemic situation, faith leaders from across the city and the county also pledged to eliminate all non-essential, indoor gatherings; restrict essential gatherings to less than 50 people per 2,000 square feet; require all attendees at indoor gatherings to wear a mask and abide by social distancing and COVID-19 hygiene; and — maybe most importantly — to encourage all members of our community to get COVID-19 vaccination and any appropriate booster shots.

Hospital COVID cases are mostly those not vaccinated, Omicron variant found in Kent County

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By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

The Omicron variant of COVID has been discovered in a person from Kent County. (pxhere.com)

On the heals of announcing that the Omicron variant has been detected in Kent County, the Kent County Health Department released some sobering COVID-19 statistics.

The positivity rate has been 20.5 percent for COVID with the average number of cases per day being 377 in the last seven days.

Currently there are 400 people hospitalized with COVID, of which 102 are in intensive care units. About 90 percent of those patients in ICU are not vaccinated.

There is some good news in that about 62 percent of those eligible to be vaccinated, which are people who are ages 5 and up, are fully vaccinated. About 67.2 percent of population that is eligible has received at least one dose. Also 128,859 boosters have been administered in Kent County.

Kent County Health Department Director Dr. Adam London said the best way to protect against COVID-19 and the Omicorn variant is to be fully vaccinated and to get the booster shot.

“The identification of the Omicron variant is not unexpected,” London said. “We are fortunate that we have an effective, safe, and available vaccine that can protect us from this illness. We continue to urge people to get their vaccine and their boosters as soon as they are eligible.”

Early indicators suggest the Omicron variant causes milder COVID-19 than the Delta variant but seems to spread faster. The person identified with the Omicron variant is vaccinated but has not received a booster. However, according to KCHD officials, it is too early to determine precisely the severity of the disease caused by Omicron or if existing treatments will be as effective.

Other steps to take:

Get vaccinated against influenza

Stay home if you are sick

Wear a mask in public, indoor spaces, or crowded outdoors

Avoid large indoor gatherings

Wash your hands frequently

Get a COVID-19 test if you are exposed or are symptomatic

London also noted that the public health order on required facial coverings for pre-kindergarten to sixth grade would be in effect until Jan. 2, 2022. There are no plans at this time to extend the order.

“Vaccination appointments are readily available throughout the community,” London said. “And more importantly, school and legislative leaders have had ample time, with an awareness of the timeline and the relevant facts, to create long-term policies for COVID mitigation.”

On Oct. 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted vaccine authorization for children ages 5 to 11. Since vaccinations started being administered this age group, 26.8 percent of children in Kent County, have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

Working with school officials, the Health Department has developed a COVID-19 Precautions for Students flyer in both English and Spanish. A few tips from that flyer are:

Students with symptoms MUST stay home

Consider contacting your family doctor or scheduling a test

Practice healthy behaviors like social distancing, getting good sleep, eating well, and staying active.

 

For more information from the Kent County Health Department, visit www.accesskent.com/Health/. 

In love and health: Handling grief through the holidays

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Health,

By Dr. Erik Johnson
Love & Health Chiropractic

When a loved one dies, we experience a great amount of stress. Not only are hearts broken, but disruptions to daily routines and holiday celebrations can take a huge emotional toll. As one of the most common causes of stress, losing a dear friend, family member, or spouse can lead to serious illness, including depression.

 

Those suffering from a loss during the holidays should engage in practical self-care and tend to the essentials such as eating a well-balanced diet.
The lost of a love one can been difficult during the holidays. (Courtesy of Love and Health Chiropractics)

Stress from loss can show up as negative attitudes or feelings of being out of control. Headaches, neck pain and back pain are common among people who are grieving. So, chiropractic adjustment is one practical way to deal with the general stress as well as the physical manifestations of grief.

The Harvard Medical School Health blog’s “A Guide to Getting through Grief” counsels those mourning a loss to engage in practical self-care and “Tend to the essentials.” Eat a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fruit, veggies, lean proteins, and a daily multivitamin. Stay hydrated. Make sure to stay on your prescribed medications. And get plenty of sleep—grief can really tire you out. Don’t overdo caffeine or alcohol as both can sabotage a good night’s sleep.

 

Even if you feel like a slug, try to do a little more exercise than usual. It will not only boost your energy levels but also ease depression, anxiety, and anger. Push yourself to take care of yourself each day. What would make you feel a little better? A funny movie, coffee with a friend, a phone conversation with a family member? If you were a caregiver of the person you lost, now is your chance to take care of you.

Because of the ongoing toll that COVID-19 is taking on us here in Michigan, don’t be surprised to find out that you are not alone in your grief. You might even want to join a grief support group. Many of the meet safely over virtual formats. The State of Michigan Family Center has put together this guide listing grief support by county. In addition, you can find a list of local church-based grief support groups here. Ele’s Place specifically helps children who are grieving. Local hospice organizations and mental health care providers can also help you walk through your grief.

The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center offers these “7 Things to Remember When Dealing with Loss.”

  • It won’t feel like this forever. 
  • You can handle it, even when you feel like you can’t.
  • Be gentle with yourself. 
  • Think in cycles, not lines. 
  • Your feelings are normal. 
  • Grief can beget meaning. 
  • You’re not alone.

Dr. Erik Johnson DC is a chiropractor at Love and Health Chiropractic in Wyoming at 1586 44th Street SW.

After weekend storm, Kent County Health Dept. offers a few safety reminders

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Health, , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Food can last up to fours in a refrigerator that has no power. (pxhere.com)

This past weekend’s high winds that left thousands without power had the Kent County Health Department offering up tips on maintaining proper food safety and generator safety.

 

According to the Health Department, if properly prepared, most families could deal with the inconvenience of a few hours or even a couple of days without power. Having no power, means that most homes would be without refrigeration, running water and sanitary services. Depending on the season, homes may also not have heat.

The biggest reminder, which also came from Consumers Energy, is to never touch a down power line. If you are uncertain if the line down is a power line, call emergency services for help and treat it like a down power line.

Generators

Those who can will turn to generators to help power the home should remember not to operate a generator indoors as it does produce carbon monoxide, which can kill in minutes.

 

Because a generator can create 100 times more carbon monoxide gas than a car exhaust, extensive studies have been done into how far a generator should be placed from the home. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly half of the non-fatal carbon monoxide poisonings reported during the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons involved generators that were seven feet from the home. While it is recommended that generators be at least 15 feet at the home, studies have determined that may not be far enough as carbon monoxide will still enter the home. A generator should be placed as far away from the home as possible and away from any doors or windows.

To help check carbon monoxide levels in a home, make sure that the home’s carbon monoxide detector has been checked and is working properly. 

Refrigeration

Food will last up to four hours in a refrigerator and up to 24 hours in a half filled freezer and 40 hours for a full freezer. So if the power is out for a couple of hours, the food in the freezer will be safe to eat, according to the Health Department.

While the power is out, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to keep the food cold longer. If possible, have frozen ice packs ready in case you need to move food from the refrigerator to a cooler to keep it safe.

 

Refrigerated food needs to be at a temperature of 40 degrees or less and frozen food should be between 0 and -10 degrees. Keeping a thermometer in the refrigerator and freezer at all times to help you determine what the temperature of the unit is and if the food is safe. As always “when in doubt, throw it out,” according to the Health Department.


The Kent County Health Department has guide sheets on how to prepare a disaster supply kit with food and other general supplies along with tip sheets on other emergencies such as flooding, water safety, and preventing the spread of flu in the home.

World AIDS Day is Dec. 1 — if you don’t know for sure, Kent County hosts day of free, walk-in tests

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World AIDS Day 2021, with its red ribbon symbol. (womenshealth.gov)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

Dec. 1, 2021, marks 40 years since the beginning of the HIV epidemic in the United States. Since then, more than 700,000 people in the United States have died from the virus.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one-in-eight people living with HIV in the United States do not know they have the disease. And testing is the only way for someone to know their status and take the necessary steps to stop the spread of the HIV virus.

 

In recognition of World AIDS Day, the Kent County Health Department (KCHD) will be holding a free walk-in HIV testing event on Wednesday, Dec. 1, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the health department’s main clinic at 700 Fuller NE in Grand Rapids.

Certified test counselors will be at the clinic to provide testing, answer questions, and connect residents with needed services.

 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has made testing difficult,” April Hight, Personal Health Services Supervisor at KCHD, said in supplied material. “This year we are hoping that more people will take advantage of our clinic and we will raise the level of community awareness about the importance of HIV testing.”

Great strides have been made in the treatment of HIV. While there is no vaccine for the virus, today’s treatments enable people with the virus to live long and healthy lives. One treatment is PrEP, a daily pill that is 99 percent effective at reducing the risk of acquiring the virus.

A person living with HIV who is on treatment and has an undetectable level of the virus in their blood are unable to transmit the virus to others. The prevention method is estimated to be 100 percent effective as long as the person living with HIV take their medication as prescribed, and gets and stays undetectable.

This concept, which the KCHD supports, is known as Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U).

HIV testing and PrEP is available at the KCHD Personal Health Services Clinic. Residents are encouraged to call the KCHD at 616-632-7171 to schedule a test or to find out if PrEP is right for them.

The theme for the 2021 World AIDS Day is “Ending the HIV Epidemic: Equitable Access, Everyone’s Voice,” which emphases the United States’ commitment to ending the HIV epidemic globally by addressing health inequities and ensuring the voices of people with HIV are heard.

Visit worldaidsday.org to learn more about this global health day.

 

Wyoming Gives Back canceled as county health leader ‘deeply concerned” about rising COVID cases, urges vaccination

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A Kent County Health Department nurse gives a COVID-19 vaccination shot. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

WKTV has been informed by the City of Wyoming that the planned Wyoming Gives Back event planned for next week has been cancelled due to health concerns for public gatherings.

This follows an announcement this week that the Kent County Health Department is alarmed by the rising COVID-19 cases which have led to local hospitals operating at “extremely high capacity.”

The health department is also encouraging residents to “do their part” and get vaccinated and take other measures to slow the spread of the virus. Among the statistics which have alarmed health leaders are current test positivity rate of 22.8 percent, as of early this week, as ell as a 7-day average for new cases is 645.

“This is a crisis for all of us who live and work in Kent County,” Dr. Adam London, KCHD Director, said in supplied material. “The capacity for hospitals to provide care, which is exasperated by staffing shortages, is at a tipping point. We should all expect increased wait times for emergency, urgent, and primary care as well as delays in ambulance transfers and some surgical procedures until we control the spread of COVID-19 in the community.”

Among the recommendations issued by county health officials are:

Get vaccinated against COVID-19 and Influenza. “Vaccines are widely available, safe, and effective. According to our local hospital leaders, most of the individuals who are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated,” according to the county health. “If more people get vaccinated, it will greatly help reduce the number of COVID-19 patients in our hospitals. We also strongly urge residents to get the influenza vaccine. If you have questions about the vaccines, talk to your health care provider and visit vaccinatewestmi.com to find a location for a COVID-19, booster, or influenza vaccine location.”

Wear your mask in public settings. “While masks are not perfect, they provide an additional layer of protection by reducing the spread of virus laden droplets in exhaled air. Masks are especially important for people who are not vaccinated, not fully vaccinated, may be infected and do not have symptoms, or have health conditions that make them more vulnerable to becoming sick if they are infected with COVID-19.”

Get tested. “To help mitigate the spread of the virus,” it is important to get tested if you have been around someone who has COVID-19, experiencing any symptom of COVID-19, before attending indoor gatherings with people above the age of 65 or with underlying health conditions, or if you have been around someone with COVID-19, get tested five days after exposure.

“I am thankful to everyone who has been following our recommendations since the onset of the pandemic,” London said this Thanksgiving week. “The current problems would be far worse if not for your actions. We are now asking for your consideration once again as we look to slow the spread of the virus, regain access to our hospitals, and continue to work to get this pandemic behind us.”

Flying this holiday season? Ford Airport has good news, great travel tips despite expected big crowds

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Gerald R. Ford International Airport Director of Commercial Development Stephen Clark talks to WKTV about one of the reasons to be relaxed — and healthy — this holiday season when traveling through the Ford. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Yes, the Gerald R. Ford International Airport is expecting passenger levels to equal or exceed 2019 pre-pandemic levels this Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year’s holiday season.

But there is good news on several fronts — from an “all hands on deck” workforce at the airport, to COVID testing being available for travelers, to the local airport bucking a national trend to have crew issues causing flight delays or cancellations.

However, patience, as always, will need to be packed in your carry-on along with your tooth brush and credit card.

A recent forecast by Ford Airport management of 33,000 people traveling in and out, from the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to the Sunday after, may well rise and come close to the 35,000 travelers experienced in 2019. And it should be much the same return to flying norms form the Wednesday before Christmas Day Saturday possibly thorough New Year’s weekend Sunday.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening areas at the Ford are expected to be at full strength this holiday season. (WKTV.K.D. Norris)

But airport Director of Commercial Development Stephen Clark told WKTV there will be plenty of reasons to be festive and relaxed this holiday season at the Ford.

 

“When we look at the holiday season, and trying to celebrate that with our guests, it starts when you come into the facility, creating that sense of place that is West Michigan, so you will see the decorations out here,” Clark said. “But more importantly this year, we are still in the pandemic, so cleanliness is our number one priority.

“As a team, we are cleaning the areas more frequently. You are going to see a heavy emphasis on high-touch areas. And the facility feels different, we are moving the air through the facility more … certainly we are doing everything we can got create a good environment.”

And, Clark said, the Transportation Security Agency (TSA), and all the airports partners, are gearing up for the expected rush — TSA should have all security lines open during peak travel days, he said, and “that should ease one of the more anxious points for travelers, the security check point.”

Tips for travel, as always and due to pandemic

This holiday season is the first time the many people have traveled in a couple of years, Clark said, so, as a general reminder, the first tip for travel is arrive early and pack your checked bags and carry-on bags smartly.

The runway at the Ford International Airport. (Supplied)

“When you are packing your bags make sure you are keeping your medications, your car key and those items you will need right away he you get to your destination, or even come back home, with you,” he said. “Then when you come to the airport, make sure you get here at least two hours early — that is pretty common knowledge these days — but as we get to the holiday season, lines start getting little bit longer, folks start getting a little stressed out … That gives you plenty of time to get your bags checked, if you are checking them, and get through security.”

“Biggest thing we are asking is that people are packing their patience,” Clark added.

There are pandemic requirements to be dealt with as well, especially if you are traveling internationally — make sure you know the COVID requirements of your airlines and at your destination.

“We do have a COVID test site here at the airport that is available to the public, travelers or otherwise,” Clark said. “They can get that PCR Test, that is the gold standard that they will need … additionally when you come to the airport, we just ask that you pack a mask.”

And what about flight delays cancelations

While there has been a lot of talk in recent weeks about airlines needing to cancel flights due to scheduling and crew issues, and the Ford has not been immune to the problem. But there is a simple reason that it is not a big issue, even during busy travel  periods — Grand Rapids’ airport is not a huge airport.

“One of the things we started seeing in the later part of the year were flight delays and crew issues. Fortunately, here at the Ford airport, we really haven’t had a ton of that,”  Clark said. “That really speaks to the fact that we have so many non-stop destinations. As an airport, we have 30-plus non-stop destinations this holiday season … because we have so many non-stop flights were are not having as many crew issues because they are going right to that destination. … A lot of those issues (crew changes) are happening in major hubs.”

For more information on travel and the Gerald R. Ford International Airport, visit grr.org.

Grand Rapids author’s debut book delivers message of hope, guidance on journey of self-discovery

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It was a day to celebrate for Sheila VanZile when her debut-work books arrived. (Supplied)

By D.A. Reed, WKTV Contributing Writer

ken@wktv.org

Sheila VanZile, Grand Rapids resident and businesswoman, recently released her debut book, My Waterfall of Awakening: How Loss Can Bring You Home to the Life You Want — A Guided Journal, offering hope and guidance to other women through her own journey of self-discovery.

“My true calling is to share my story with women who could recite a similar journey in the hopes that by revealing the truth below the surface of a seemingly successful and satisfying life there is a very different picture,” VanZile explains on her website. “My hope is to deliver the message that you are never alone and it is never too late to live a life faithful to your true self.”

Sheila VanZile’s My Waterfall of Awakening: How Loss Can Bring You Home to the Life You Want — A Guided Journal. (Supplied)

Enduring a complex relationship with her distant, love-withholding mother, VanZile realized the impact of that relationship ran so deeply that it changed the course of her entire life.

“I always did what I should do,” VanZile said to WKTV. “I was always the good girl who did what she should.”

The author revealed that her life of “shoulds” began at age four. Having a gift for piano playing, VanZile embarked upon a path of music, majoring in piano performance in college. “I didn’t think about whether I liked it. Whether I liked it or not wasn’t the point. I was good at it, so I should do it.”

Partway through her college experience, VanZile switched her major to economics, becoming a product of the first generation of career women that resulted from the 1960’s original feminist movement.

“I got a job in insurance because they were accepting women in the professional capacity,” said VanZile.

VanZile has been successful in her career, eventually founding her own insurance agency in 2005. Even so, the businesswoman found herself dissatisfied, disillusioned with the workforce, and unfulfilled.

At age 60, the death of VanZile’s mother helped her realize she had been given the gift of time. VanZile “reclaimed her journey,” she states, and she and shares her powerful transformation in My Waterfall of Awakening in the hopes of helping other women realize that it is never too late to live life on your own terms.

When asked why she chose the written word to share her journey rather than public speaking, VanZile said, “My message is very personal; it’s not a big crowd thing. People are touched by being able to hear a story personally, and they can then use the journal to forge their own journey.”

One journey leads to others

VanZile’s journey of healing began with slowing down.

“I decided to let the universe open up in front of me and let it decide the path for me,” said VanZile. The result was more than she could have hoped for. “Life has filled in with all these things I wanted to do.”

A 12-day pilgrimage to Oregon led to hours of self-reflection about what VanZile wanted for her life. When she returned, opportunities began to present themselves.

“I had the opportunity to sell my agency — so I did,” VanZile said. “A sudden chance to buy a house in France came up — so I did. Then I was introduced to a book-writing coach.”

VanZile that writing My Waterfall of Awakening was “very satisfying” and she is “grateful for this opportunity.”

And what’s next …

The businesswoman and author plans to retire at the end of 2021 and continue to live life to the fullest — on her own terms. When asked what that might mean for her and what the future holds, VanZile said, “I don’t know.”

And she is okay with not knowing. “Friends have asked if I will move to France now. I tell them, ‘I don’t know.’”

When asked if she plans to continue writing, VanZile delivered the same response: “I don’t know. It feels like there’s a book on France somewhere. The wonderful fabric of the community there, that could be a book.”

Blogging, however, will remain in VanZile’s immediate future. Her blog (and book) can be found on her website and features lessons with a similar approach as those contained in her book, along with other subjects “as the muse strikes.”

VanZile is willing to allow her future to unfold at its own rate, remembering that she is not alone in her journey, and urges others to do the same on her website: “You know you are not alone. And we celebrate our stepping into the light. Together.”

Advocates want to push ban of PFAS, other chemicals in food packaging

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Panera is one national chain that is working to eliminate food wrappers with “forever chemicals” such as PFAS. (Wikipedia)

By Vladislava Sukhanovskaya
Capital News Service

LANSING — Some lawmakers and environmental advocates want to ban chemicals in food packaging that they say threatens the health of Michiganders.

PFAS, bisphenols and phthalates can be found in almost every food package — from burger wrappers to bottles for drinks.

The chemicals include per- and polyfluorinated substances or PFAS, a large group of chemicals that has been used globally since the 1940s to manufacture “products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. PFAS chemicals are so effective that they’re used in many industries, including food packaging.

A bill that would ban these chemicals from food packaging has been introduced in the Michigan Senate.

Other troublesome chemicals identified in the proposed ban are bisphenols and phthalates. Bisphenols are used to line cans and phthalates are commonly used in plastic food packaging to add flexibility, Courtney Carignan, an assistant professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition of Michigan State University, wrote in an email.

 

It’s not easy to tell which food package contains these chemicals because there are no labeling requirements for them, Carignan said.

PFAS, bisphenols and phthalates can be found in burger wrappers, french fry bags, canned food, and packages for drinks, according to the Ecology Center, a nonprofit environmental group located in Ann Arbor and Detroit.

Whether these chemicals are released into food depends on the temperature, time of storage and the acidity of food, said Rebecca Meuninck, the deputy director of the Ecology Center.

“Many of these chemicals have been linked to concerning health effects such as infertility, hormone and immune disruption,” Carignan said.

They accumulate in peoples’ bodies, said Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, who sponsored the legislation to ban them. “The more we are exposed to them the worse it’s for our health. People have PFAS in their blood. PFAS lasts for an extremely long period of time, they don’t break down.”

PFAS can cause high cholesterol, decreased immune system response to vaccines and development of certain types of cancer, according to the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.

It’s important to avoid PFAS in packaging not only because it can be released into food, but also because manufacturing this type of packaging and disposing of it pollutes the environment, Meuninck said.

There are alternatives to PFAS, such as bamboo, palm leaf, bio-wax, clay and compostable plastic polylactic acid that usually is made from corn, according to Toxic-Free Future and nonprofit Clean Production Action. Both organizations advocate for safer products and chemicals.

 

PFAS is a long-standing controversial problem in Michigan.

State officials say that at least 1.9 million people are affected by PFAS and more than 11,000 sites are contaminated by this family of chemicals, according to news accounts. In 2018 and 2019, the state spent $69 million to clean up and address PFAS, according to Bridge Michigan.

One of the state’s largest contamination areas is that in Rockford, where Wolverine, a shoe company founded in the community, was found to have left a 25-mile square wide trail of PFAS contamination from a former tannery factory. Wolverine’s PFAS supplier was the chemical corporation 3M.

People can ask companies like McDonald’s and Burger King to phase PFAS out of packaging, said Rebecca Meuninck, the deputy director of the Ecology Center.

In 2021, 3M sued Michigan to oppose state new limits for PFAS in drinking water, saying that those limits are flawed because they were made in a “rushed and invalid regulatory process,” according to Bridge Michigan.

People can ask companies like McDonald’s and Burger King to phase PFAS out of packaging, Meunick said. Panera and Whole Foods are working to do that now.

It’s absolutely possible for companies to eliminate PFAS and other chemicals from food packaging, Irwin said. “There are many food packaging systems out there that don’t use these chemicals. And Michigan is a major center for packaging innovation and food products.”

This is Irwin’s second attempt to ban the chemicals in packaging. He said, “Legislation hasn’t gotten much traction in the past, but every year we learn more about PFAS.”

This time around, he has the support of the governor who on Oct. 27 issued an executive directive to limit the state’s purchase of products with PFAS.

And the Biden Administration recently announced a plan to “prevent PFAS from being released into the air, drinking systems and food supply.”

 

Similar bans have taken place in California, Connecticut, Minnesota, Maine, New York, Vermont and Washington.

Joanne Bailey-Boorsma contributed to this story.

Discrimination complicates organ transplants for those with disabilities

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While there has been no reported cases of discrimination for organ transplants to those with disabilities, state leaders are hoping laws will prevent it from every happening. (Pxhere.com)

By Emerson Wigand
Capital News Service

LANSING – Without laws to prevent it, Michiganders with disabilities are not guaranteed equal consideration for needed organ transplants, advocates say.

This discrimination has been an issue for those with developmental disabilities nationwide, said Nicole Patton, the manager of state government relations at the National Down Syndrome Society. Notable cases have occured in New York, Maryland and Texas.

“One example was James Wellman, of California,” Patton said. “He was denied a kidney transplant because of a dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and autism.”

Of the 29 states that have passed laws prohibiting organ transplant discrimination, 13 acted in 2021 alone, Patton said.

Michigan could join them. Similar legislation has been proposed by Rep. Bronna Kahle, R-Adrian, and Sen. Curtis Hertel, D-East Lansing. Without a state history of cases, Michigan’s proposed legislation is preventative.

“We haven’t heard any explicit stories from Michigan,” Patton said. “But that doesn’t mean that they haven’t happened.”

Cyndie Peters, an advocate for the special needs community in Grand Rapids, was shocked to discover this issue existed. The former nurse has a daughter who has Down syndrome. She  is supporting these bills to add new protections.

 

The bills would restrict those involved in organ transplants from basing decisions on an individual’s disabilities. This includes denying transplants or giving lower priority on a waiting list to those with disabilities.

Peters said without these laws one can’t ensure equal consideration for people like her daughter.

“It’s not specific to Down syndrome,” Peters said. “It could be anyone with a cognitive disability.”

A lot of this discrimination happens at the referral stage, as some doctors consider disabilities in transplant recommendations, Patton said. Some doctors make assumptions regarding the quality of life for those with conditions like Down syndrome, as well as their potential to recover from transplants.

Seeking justice for organ transplant discrimination can be difficult, Peters said. Legal red tape and court processes can waste vital time.

“Suddenly it’s a year down the road,” Peters said. “But your child needed an organ transplant six months ago.”

That’s why enforcement is the biggest part of this legislation, Patton said.

Hertel agrees that there needs to be consequences for this type of violation. His bill would allow those alleging discrimination based on disability to have their time-sensitive court case prioritized.

In addition to Hertel’s bill, a bill sponsored by Kahle was passed by the House. Both are  in the Senate Health Policy and Human Services Committee.

Hertel said he hopes to see a hearing soon, and he expects to see bipartisan support.

“We should be able to agree that all lives have value,” Hertel said. “People shouldn’t be discriminated against based on physical or mental disability.”

20 years of safe delivery for Michigan’s newborns

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, ,

By Barbara Bellinger
Capital News Service

LANSING – In the past 11 years, the number of Michigan infants who were abandoned illegally has declined dramatically from 62 in 2010 to just 18 to date in 2021, according to state statistics.

Experts say a 2001 safe haven law is a major contributor to the decrease.

In the late 1990s, increasing media reports of infants found in dumpsters, on church steps, in bathrooms and on the sides of roads prompted lawmakers to pass the Safe Delivery Law. It allows parents to surrender their infant for adoption legally, safely and confidentially within 72 hours of birth.

 

Since then, the law has rescued 288 children from abandonment, and at times death, in 38 counties, according to the Division of Maternal & Infant Health at the Department of Health and Human Services.

While challenges remain, advocates say overall it has been a success.

The law was developed with the infants’ health and safety in mind, said Heather Boyd, a maternal infant vitality specialist for the division.

“We’re very grateful for all of the hard work and dedication of the hospitals and emergency personnel who have helped provide hundreds of families and Michigan with this safe legal option,” Boyd said.

  

Infants can be legally surrendered to hospitals, emergency service providers such as police and fire departments and through 911. Hospitals received the vast majority of surrenders – 281 infants. Fire stations received six, and one was left at a police station.

 

“I think that families just know that their hospitals are a safe place,” Boyd said. “But awareness of the law remains a critical issue.”

Advocates for safe haven laws say they need funding for advertising.

A $10 million proposal to promote adoption as an alternative to abortion was part of a package of pro-life initiatives, vetoed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, in this year’s state budget.

The funding would also have been used to advertise safe delivery as an option that leads to adoption, said Genevieve Marnon, the legislative director for Right to Life of Michigan.

And there are plenty of Michigan families waiting to adopt a child.

“For every one infant adoption, there are 36 couples waiting to adopt a baby,” Marnon said.

Bethany Christian Services is a private adoption agency that places surrendered infants in approved adoptive homes.

It has successfully placed 30 surrendered babies in the last four years, 11 in 2020 alone.

“We find, all the time, medical professionals that aren’t familiar with (the law), and do need to be educated about it,” said Dawn Baker, the director of infant adoption. “There is a need for broad education, so that people can be aware of it.”

 

Bethany Services uses the free educational materials provided by the Division of Maternal Health on its website.

“We talk long and hard about this law to whomever will listen to us. We do education with our hospitals and help to train those medical professionals that are going to encounter these women who come in,” Baker said.

While Safe Delivery was developed with infants in mind, Michigan’s program has evolved to a more inclusive and holistic approach.

“Most of the laws around the country are not built ensuring the safety and health of the entire family,” Boyd said.

“Michigan is very proud that over the last decade, we have moved towards making sure that mom has a safe environment to return to,” said Boyd. “That she is getting the care she needs if she needs any mental or physical health care.”

No one type of family makes use of legal infant surrender, advocates say. And there are other options.

“A number of the moms who choose safe delivery have a closed adoption,” said Nate Bult, the senior vice president of public and government affairs at Bethany. Closed adoption means the birth parent(s) will have no direct contact with the adoptive family.

“But it’s become far more common for many moms, who choose to make an adoption plan for their child, to choose an open adoption,” he said. “Mom still has a relationship with her child and with her child’s adoptive family long into the future.

Right to Life of Michigan supports the recent reintroduction of a law allowing ‘baby boxes’ as another legal surrender option and an alternative to abortion.

A Safe Haven Baby Box includes a silent alarm that notifies staff at the facility that a baby has been placed there. (Saven Baby Boxes)

Baby boxes are equipped with heating and cooling features and notify emergency service providers within 30 seconds. They are installed on the sides of fire stations, hospitals or other public safety buildings, according to the Safe Haven Baby Boxes website.

Former Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed a similar bill in 2018, stating the need for interaction between the surrendering parent and fire, police or hospital personnel.

But babies aren’t always born in hospitals, said Marnon. “Sometimes women hide their pregnancies.”

And this can lead to a baby born at home or elsewhere, in secret.

 

“Many times that’s done when there’s been sexual assault,” said Baker, “where there’s been abusive relationships and there is fear of identifying all the individuals that are involved.

 

One intent of the ‘baby box’ is to provide women a means of legally surrendering their babies that gives the new mother and baby an extra layer of confidentiality and safety and one that doesn’t involve a dumpster or a trash bag.

The boxes are in use in the United States in Indiana, Ohio, Arkansas, Florida and Arizona, where they are called ‘baby drawers.’ Indiana has not had a death by abandonment since it installed its first baby box in April 2016, according to Safe Haven Baby Boxes.

Not every new parent can get to one of the above-mentioned locations, and there is a legal surrender option for them, too, said Marnon.

“Call 911,” said Marnon. “This would bring paramedics to her location and she can legally surrender the baby.” 911 for surrender has never been used in Michigan.

Said Baker, “We just want them to know that we’re here in a nonjudgmental place, that we’re just here to come alongside them, and to share with them and to walk alongside them as they make the decision that they feel is best for their child.”

Some Michigan community colleges push to offer four-year nursing degrees

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Some community colleges are pushing to offer four-year degrees in nursing. GRCC officials stated they currently have no plans to do so. (pxhere.com)

By Cameryn Cass
Capital News Service

Michigan community colleges want to offer bachelor’s degrees in nursing to battle a shortage of nurses surging across the state and fueled by the pandemic.

Demand for intensive care and emergency nurses grew by 186% in the past year nationwide, according to a 2021 study by Incredible Health, a nationwide company that helps nurses find jobs.

The Henry Ford Hospital System in Detroit has already arranged a program to soon fly in 500 nurses from the Philippines to meet its needs, said Michael Hansen, the president of the Michigan Community College Association. More are coming from Canada.

“We’ve got students here in Michigan who are willing and able, if we could just let our colleges train them,” Hansen said.

Community colleges have been interested in offering four-year programs since Gov. Jennifer Granholm recommended they do so in the early 2000s, Hansen said. A provision in the Community College Act of 1966 prohibits community colleges from conferring bachelor degrees. It requires legislation for that to be allowed.

The law was amended so now they can offer bachelor degrees in four areas — maritime, culinary, energy production and concrete technology — to meet local demands, Hansen said.

They have wanted to do more than nursing, but that’s being proposed now because of the acute shortage, Hansen said. Community colleges traditionally respond to local workforce needs.

Advocates say allowing community colleges to also offer four-year programs would make access easier for adult students, which would help with the nursing shortage.

Opponents say it’s unnecessary and say there is no unmet need. They worry there might be too many colleges to choose from as it is.

Since COVID-19 has intensified the need for nurses, community colleges want to offer programs to help, Hansen said.

Jackson College, Lake Michigan College, Schoolcraft College and Northwestern Michigan College are among the community colleges interested in offering nursing programs, Hansen said.

Representatives from Grand Rapids Community College stated they have no plans to offer a four-year program and in fact, GRCC does not offer any four-year degrees in any of its programs. GRCC does offer an associate degree in nursing which has been approved by the Michigan Board of Nursing and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Those with an associate degree in nursing can enter a number of fields including hospitals, nursing care facilities, doctor’s offices, outpatient care centers, and specialty hospitals.

However, Rep. John Roth, R-Traverse City said the two-year registered nurse programs and online courses community colleges offer now are insufficient for providing the hands-on experiences nurses need. Roth is working on legislation to allow colleges to offer four-year nursing degrees.

“They offer a very good program, it’s just not enough for what hospitals are requiring now,” Roth said.

An associate degree sufficed in the past, but the baseline hiring requirement in most hospitals is a bachelor of science degree in nursing, Roth said.

Many jobs now require schooling beyond an associate degree, a demand community colleges could help satisfy, Hansen said. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, in 2018, 41. 5 percent of registered nurses were required to have a bachelor’s of nursing degree, 31.1 percent were required to have a vocational associate degree, and 20 percent were required to have an associate’s degree. GRCC has a waiting list for its associate in nursing degree program.

But Daniel Hurley, the chief executive officer of the Michigan Association of State Universities, calls the proposal irrational. It does nothing to produce more nurses, he said.

The few four-year degree programs community colleges offer now see little demand, Hurley said.

In 2020, Michigan granted 58 bachelor’s degrees from community colleges; 44 of them were from Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City, Hurley said. The demand for four-year programs at community colleges isn’t there.

Plus, the high school graduation rate is expected to drop by 15% between 2019 and 2037, which means fewer prospective college students, Hurley said.

“We need more students right now, we don’t need more four-year institutions in the state,” Hurley said.

Managing Editor Joanne Bailey-Boorsma contributed to this story.

Kent County Health Department now offering vaccines to children 5 to 11

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Education, Health,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

With the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention granting emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, the Kent County Health Department has announced it is making vaccination appointments for children in those age ranges.

In addition to the appointments, extended clinic hours at all locations will be held Nov. 9 and 16 from 8 – 11:45 a.m. and from 12:45 to 6:45 p.m. Appointments can be made for all three KCHD clinic locations during regular business hours by calling 616-632-7200.

A parent or legal guardian is required to attend the vaccination appointment or send an attestation form with an adult who is at least 18-years-old, stating they are legally allowed to sign on behalf of any minor child for the vaccine. This adult should be familiar with the medical history of the child.

The new children’s vaccine from Pfizer and its partner BioNTech is now available at the Kent County Health Department. (KCHD)

“We are tremendously excited to be able to provide this next wave of vaccines to younger children,” said KCHD Immunizations Supervisor Mary Wisinski. “We have seen an increase in the number of children being infected with COVID-19 since this summer. This vaccine not only protects them, but it will help slow the transmission of the disease in our community. Vaccinating just one has the potential to save many lives.”

According to Michigan Department of Human Health and Services, COVID cases among 10-19-year-olds remain high at about 515 daily cases. The Kent County Health Department has tracked the age groups more aligned with vaccination eligibility. The 5-11-year-old age group made up 11.7 percent of the county’s cases in the month of October. The same group made up about 7.3 percent of the county cases in the April/May months. The revise has happened to the 12-18 age group which made up 13.3 percent of the county cases in April/May but accounted for 9.7 percent of the county cases in October. COVID vaccines were approve by the CDC for 12-15 year-olds in May.

Like the adult version, the vaccine for 5-11-year-olds entrails two shots of a vaccine, given at least three weeks apart. However, the dose is approximately a third of what adults received. Also, different packaging will be used to guard against mix-ups and smaller needles will likely be used.

 

Among its findings during clinical testing, the U.S. food and Drub Administration found that the Pfizer vaccine was 90.7 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 in children 5 to 11. The vaccine safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children aged 5 to 11 with no serious side effects detected in the ongoing study. Currently, only the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for use in children ages 5 to 11.

To help with questions about the vaccine, the Health Department has released a video featuring local physicians answering the most frequently asked questions regarding vaccines and children ages 5-11. Among those physicians was Dr. Ronald Grifka, the chief medical officer for the University of Michigan – West, which has its hospital facility in the City of Wyoming. (The video is posted above.)

“The vaccine has been tested with 100,000 people. It is very safe,” Grifka said in the video about the vaccine. “A few people have gotten muscle aches, pains, chills. A few people have had swelling of the heart, very minor, very transient. It has not lasted long and they have all recovered. So again the vaccine is much, much, much safer than the risk of getting COVID and the long term manifestations of a COVID infection.”

The Kent County current school mask mandate will expire 60 days after the date COVID-19 vaccine is authorized or approved an available to person in pre-kindergarten through grade six or the infection rate is classified as “low” by the CDC for at least seven consecutive days.

For more information or for clinic locations, visit vaccinatewestmi.com.

City of Kentwood, state health department, to host no-cost COVID-19 vaccine clinic Nov. 4

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A Kent County Health Department nurse gives a COVID-19 vaccination shot. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wtv.org

The City of Kentwood and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) will provide a no-cost COVID-19 vaccine clinic Thursday, Nov. 4, at the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE.

The clinic will offer COVID-19 vaccines, including booster shots, from 2-5 p.m., in the library’s Community Room.
 

The clinic will be open to all community members and no appointment will be necessary.
 

The Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be available for first, second and third doses, as well as boosters. Vaccine and booster eligibility is determined by the current CDC guidelines.

For information about COVID-19, community members may visit michigan.gov/coronavirus or call the COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136 (press 1). The hotline is available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Together at St. Jude releases free coloring book about COVID-19 vaccines

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Together by St. Jude has just released a free coloring book that talks about the COVID-19 vaccine and how it protects people from the virus. (Together by St. Jude)

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

On the heels of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use approval for a COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has created a free coloring book to help children learn about vaccines and how they work to prevent COVID-19.

 

The coloring book was developed and reviewed by patient education and infectious disease specialists at St. Jude. It is available for download at the Together by St. Jude web-based resource.

 

A “St. Jude Coloring Book: COVID-19 Vaccines” answers questions about COVID-19 vaccines in words children can understand. “A COVID-19 vaccine uses the body’s immune system to fight the coronavirus,” the book reads. “Your immune system is like a team of superheroes that protect you from germs.” The book also uses simple pictures to show how the vaccine works to help your body make antibodies to fight the virus that causes COVID-19.

“The vaccine coloring book offers children the opportunity to learn more about the COVID -19 vaccine by coloring images of doctors, children, and the COVID-19 virus,” said Rachel Schmeizer, a child life specialist at St. Jude. “The illustrations in the book help to prepare children for the vaccination process and explains how the vaccine works to protect their bodies from COVID-19.”

Together by St. Jude published its first coloring book on COVID-19 in 2020. “Learning About the Coronavirus” helped children understand the virus and taught ways to stay healthy by keeping a distance, wearing a mask, and washing hands often. The coloring book was translated into 16 different languages and was downloaded more than 14,000 times in more than 150 countries and territories.

“Throughout the pandemic, parents have struggled  through numerous difficult conversations with their children. We want to prepare our children for the significant changes in their daily lives and teach them how to stay safe, but how can we do this without scaring them?” said Niki Jurbergs, PhD., Jude Psychology Department. “We created these coloring books to prepare parents with the tools they need to introduce these new and potentially scary concepts in an age-appropriate way. Having a plan ahead of time, including talking points, can make parents feel more comfortable during this conversations.”

In addition to the two COVID-19 coloring books, Together by St. Jude has also released “Riley Takes a Medicine,” a coloring book that teaches children undergoing cancer treatment about the different types of drugs and the importance of medication compliance. All three coloring books are free to download. 

Nursing shortage renews push for patient load limits

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Health, Our Cities, Senior Living,

By Nicholas Simon
Capital News Service

LANSING — A staffing crisis at Michigan hospitals has renewed efforts to protect nurses from unmanageable patient loads and too many hours of consecutive work.

The Safe Patient Care Act, first introduced in 2017, has picked up additional cosponsors from both parties in the House and Senate. It seeks to regulate how many patients a nurse can care for and the number of consecutive hours that they can work.

It would also publicize hospital nurse-to-patient ratios.

  

Nurses are “forced to make painful choices every day,” Jamie Brown, the president of the Michigan Nurses Association, said in a statement.

“The hospital industry has been purposely getting by with inadequate (registered nurse) staffing levels for years,” said Brown, who leads the state’s largest nurses union. 

“Nurses have long warned that our communities would suffer the kind of dangerous crisis that nurses and patients are facing now. The pandemic has only worsened and exposed hospitals’ emphasis on money above all else,” Brown said.

The union says that those choices are a result of hospitals trying to protect their bottom line. But Brian Peters, the chief executive officer of the Michigan Hospital Association, argues that government mandates for every hospital would be ineffective and make it harder for hospitals to operate.

“The one-size-fits-all approach inherent in legislatively mandated decisions impacting clinical care typically fails to recognize the complexity of patient care and the diversity of healthcare environments,” Peters said in a statement.

Unlike truck drivers, air-traffic controllers, pilots and rail operators, nurses have no federal limit on how many consecutive hours they can be forced to work, according to the Michigan Nurses Association.

 

Nurses can be fired and have their licenses stripped for refusing forced overtime even if they don’t feel fit to work because hospitals can claim that they are abandoning their patients.

Medical errors are the leading cause of preventable death, beating out smoking and obesity, according to the Journal of Patient Safety.

 

Nationally, the Nurses Association estimates that 440,000 people in the United States die every year due to infections and delayed or incorrect medications, problems that proper nursing care could prevent.  Studies over the past two decades have linked  patient mortality and staffing ratios, according to the union.

In Michigan, even before the pandemic, one in five nurses was aware of when understaffing led to a patient’s death, and half of registered nurses said they are assigned unsafe patient loads at least half the time they are working, according to the union.

Hospitals say that staffing is a collaborative process and fixed ratios “don’t allow for flexibility and innovation,” said John Karasinski, the communications director for the Michigan Hospital Association.

 

“Every hospital in Michigan has a process in place to ensure that each of their clinical units is appropriately staffed,” Karasinski said. “These processes are based on individual patient needs and the training, experience and capabilities of the entire clinical care team, including nurses.”

However, half of Michigan nurses say hospitals rarely or never adjust their schedules, even when they report unsafe workloads, according to a survey paid for by the Nurses Association. The majority (80%) of Michigan nurses are not protected by a union and face harsh repercussions for speaking out against hospital practices. The Nurses Association reports that multiple nurses have been fired over the last two years for trying to raise the alarm over this issue, worsening staffing shortages that are already at crisis levels.

    

Staffing shortages are affecting hospitals across the state. The Michigan Hospital Association says 80% of nursing groups nationally have reported an increase in turnover due to the pandemic and that there are nearly 2 million openings for nurses across the country.

“Hospitals want to hire more nurses, and they want to retain the nurses they currently employ, but the current national demand for nurses far exceeds the available supply,” Karasinski said.

The Michigan Nurses Association said that the Safe Patient Care Act will bring nurses back to work. It points to data from the federal Department of Health and Human Services that indicates Michigan was on track to have a more than 5,000 nurse surplus by 2030 as proof that there are plenty of nurses, but that hospitals are causing them to leave their jobs.

 

Brown, who also works as a critical care nurse at Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo, said nurses are staying away from hospitals for safety concerns.

“Evidence shows there are enough qualified nurses to fill needed positions,” Brown said. “However, unless there is a serious commitment to safe staffing, fewer and fewer nurses will continue to choose to work in these dangerous settings.”

The Safe Patient Care Act was introduced in March and is a continuation of previous failed efforts. But supporters say they hope the pandemic has refocused attention to safer hospital care.

The legislation dealing with limits on forced overtime has 45 sponsors in the 110-member House. That’s 34 more cosponsors than it did the last time it was introduced in 2017.

 

The package of legislation was sent to a committee in March and there are currently no meetings scheduled to take up the issue.

Brown said the problem cannot be put off any longer, and she hopes to see movement on the issue before the end of the term.

“We are seeing this downward spiral happen in real time,” Brown said. “Michigan legislators need to address the problem. We don’t need Band-Aids, we need substantive solutions.”

ABOUT NICHOLAS SIMON

Nicholas Simon is a multimedia reporter from South Haven, Michigan. His areas of interest include international relations, commercial spaceflight, ecology, and globalization. He has covered events for both print and broadcast outlets ranging from protests to presidential debates and currently covers the Grand Ledge community for the Spartan Newsroom.

Advocates say more work needed to maintain drop in homelessness

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Health, Non-Profits, Our Cities, Politics, Volunteers, West Michigan, ,
Increasing more affordable housing would reduce the need for shelters, according to Family Promise of Grand Rapids officials.(pxhere.com)

By Emerson Wigand
Capital News Service

As winter approaches, local officials worry that a reported drop in homelessness is misleading or temporary based on short-term pandemic relief.

Michigan’s Campaign to End Homelessness recently reported a 19% decrease in those seeking emergency shelter since 2019.

“Those numbers don’t tell you that homelessness is down,” said Cheryl Schuch, the chief executive officer for Family Promise of Grand Rapids. “What they tell you is that the number of people being served by our shelter system is down.”

 

Family Promise operates the only family shelter in Kent County. There’s been an increase in families facing homelessness here, Schuch said. Collecting data on the issue can be challenging, especially in the case of families.

Despite the reported decrease in homelessness, Family Promise is at capacity, she said.

 

Full shelters aren’t limited to West Michigan.

 

“I don’t see that the homeless population is going down,” said Michelle Munn, the case manager at New Hope Center, in Cadillac. “The numbers look good, but it’s only because there’s extra funds right now for COVID.”

New Hope Center is the only shelter provider in Wexford and Missaukee counties. Its shelters are generally full, with vacancies filled quickly by walk-ins or those on a waiting list, Munn said.

While Munn said she thinks this drop is positive, she worries about what will happen when pandemic relief programs end.

COVID impacts were a large part of the statewide decrease, said Eric Hufnagel, the executive director of the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness.

The biggest help was the eviction moratorium, which ended in August, Hufnagel said. Another factor was the Covid Emergency Rental Assistance funds that are still available.

“That was the No. 1 reason we saw our numbers decline,” Hufnagel said. “We believe that’s slowing down what could be a flood of evictions.”

Imagine a front door and back door, Hufnagel said: The front door is how people come into homelessness, the back door is how people are rehoused.

“Our hope is that we can put a dent in the flow through the front door,” he said. “The challenge we are seeing now is that back door.”

Michigan’s affordable housing stock is the weakest it’s been in decades, Hufnagel said. That means higher prices and rental rates for the housing that is available.

 

It’s even harder for people to move to new housing because there are fewer options, and existing options cost more.

 

“The majority of our families can’t afford housing even though they’re working,” Schuch said. “That has really been magnified in West Michigan.”

Family Hope of Grand Rapids has been working with Eastbrook Homes which is developing more affordable homes for the area. Also, Holland Home sold its former Fulton Manor to Hope Network, which plans to turn the former nursing home into a 120 affordable home. The nonprofit housing corporation ICCF is currently working on several affordable housing projects.

The pandemic has decreased shelter space in part due to fewer volunteers to staff facilities, Hufnagel said. Additionally, distancing recommendations have reduced available space in some shelters.

Rising COVID-19 cases adds to these concerns, said Susan Cancro, the executive director of Lansing-based Advent House Ministries. Increasing positive cases could halt new admittances for areas with limited shelters.

“That’s a problem for those on the street who are homeless,” Cancro said. “Especially as the weather becomes more cold and wet, and there’s nowhere to go.”

Schuch said it’s important to increase access to temporary housing to keep people safe for now.

 

“We have families staying in cars and other places,” Schuch said. “We have to make sure there’s adequate shelter available.”

Without more affordable housing, those problems will only get worse, Schuch said.

“Only investing in shelter doesn’t make sense. They won’t need our shelter if there’s enough housing.”

For one West Michigan woman, knowledge is power as she faces Huntington’s disease, search for a cure

3-bottom, Community Health, Education, Health, Local Faces, Non-Profits, WKTV Projects, ,
Ashley Greenway — with husband Kyle, daughter Bailey and son Brody — is a wife and mother from Holland who has tested positive for Huntington’s Disease and is an advocate for the cause though her work with the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. (HDSA)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

When it comes to Huntington’s disease, a fatal genetic disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain, some people simply do not want to know if they have the defective gene.

According to the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA), there are currently approximately 41,000 symptomatic Americans and more than 200,000 at-risk of inheriting the disease. The symptoms of HD are sometimes described as having ALS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s — simultaneously. And it has no cure.

For Ashley Greenway, a wife and mother from Holland, Mich., who has tested positive for Huntington’s disease (HD) — leading to the knowledge that it may well impact her physical and mental abilities during her prime years and that her two children are at risk — testing was the right thing to do.

In her case, knowledge was and is power: the power to speak out; the power to advocate; the power to help others now and — maybe — her children in the future.

“Someday, my kids may need to take advantage of the resources HDSA has to offer and I wanted to make sure that I did my part,” Greenway said recently to WKTV. “It’s the same feeling when I participate in medical studies for HDSA. Last week I was in Wisconsin and had a lumbar puncture done so HDSA could have spinal fluid to assist in their efforts to better understand the disease and find a cure.

“A cure may not be available in my lifetime, but perhaps my kids could receive it. It’s very rewarding just thinking that I play a small part in helping understand and cure this disease.”

Finding out, finding ways to help

After first finding out she was at risk in 2006, then researching and agreeing to be tested, she tested positive in 2012. She then also faced inward soul-searching and outward reflection of her own family.

Ashley Greenway, with husband Kyle, daughter Bailey and son Brody. (HDSA)

“At the time of diagnosis I was working outside the home and a mother already,” Greenway said. “I do believe that if I had known my prognosis prior to having kids, it would have impacted my decision on starting a family. The first thing my parent with HD said to me when I told them I was positive was ‘I’m sorry’. … I can’t imagine the guilt I’ll feel if I find out I passed this on to my kids.”

But, she points out, now there are methods available for couples at risk of HD to have kids with no HD risk.

While she declined to talk much about her HD-positive parent — who is nearing 60 year old but with no symptoms — Greenway did say was the only one in her family, out of 20 at risk members (first cousins, their children, siblings, and nephews), that has been tested voluntarily.

“No one else is open about it or wants to know,” she said.

“I used to think of that day (when she learned the test results) as the day I was given my expiration date, but now I see it as the day I became a better person,” Greenway said in supplied material. “Surprisingly, I didn’t cry. I was too in shock to process. I was trying to figure out what this meant and how I felt. I have three siblings, two nephews, and my own two children that are at risk of inheriting this horrific disease and I’m the only one who’s been tested.”

And how did she respond to knowing?

In 2013, Greenway started to get more involved in the HD community, including involvement with the Predict HD medical study out of Rochester, New York. In 2014, Ashley was involved with the documentary film Alive and Well, the film follows seven people coming to terms with the reality of living with HD.

She went back to school, graduating in 2015 from Baker College of Muskegon with an associates degree in business. In 2019, she trained for the Chicago Marathon with Team Run for HD, but it was cancelled due to the pandemic. Recently she took part in the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) #LetsTalkAboutHD Stories.

Ashley Greenway’s daughter Bailey, shown with a quilt inspired by Ashley’s work with the West Michigan Team Hope run/walk, a fundraising event for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. (HDSA)

She has also have become heavily involved with the annual HDSA’s West Michigan Team Hope Walk/5K Run — the West Michigan portion of HDSA’s largest national grassroots fundraising event, which takes place in over 100 cities across the U.S. and has raised more than $20 million for Huntington’s disease since its inception in 2007.

She has gained support from her family in her work as well — husband Kyle, daughter Bailey and son Brody — both with her fundraising and with her advocacy for the cause. To honor all that support, she even has made a quilt out of all her family’s and friend’s Team Hope shirts from previous years and donated it to HDSA as a silent auction raffle item.

She is now lead coordinator for the local event, and has seen the event though a rough time in this time of COVID.

“During 2020, HDSA had to cancel all of their in-person events,” Greenway said. “These events generate a lot of funds for social worker’s salaries, grants to scientists for trials, or money to families affected by HD for medical bills. Whatever the use of the funds, they were understandably lacking during the pandemic. … It was important to me that our group still meet our fundraising goal for the year.”

And, Greenway says, she leans on her HD-positive parent as she moves into the future.

“My HD positive parent is still here inspiring me to stay strong and encouraging me to get more involved in HDSA, without symptoms,” she said in supplied material. “My involvement in HDSA provides me with a sense of purpose I’ve never felt before. When HD takes me out of this world, I’ll be leaving it a better place because of how I’ve helped this HD Community.” 

Huntington’s Disease Society of America

HDSA was founded in 1967 by Marjorie Guthrie, the wife of legendary folk singer Woody Guthrie. Woody died from HD complications when he was only 55 years old, but the Guthrie family legacy lives on at HDSA.

A sign at a West Michigan Team Hope run/walk, a fundraising event for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. (HDSA)

The DNA error that causes HD is found in a gene called “huntingtin”. This gene was discovered in 1993. Everyone has the “huntingtin” gene, but only those that inherit the mistake, known as the HD mutation, will develop HD and risk passing it on to their children.

HDSA, according to supplied material, is the “premier nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of everyone affected by Huntington’s disease. From community services and education to advocacy and research, HDSA is the world’s leader in providing help for today, hope for tomorrow for people with Huntington’s disease and their families.”

One of its current efforts involved changes to federal rules which it comes to Medicare policy through advocacy for the HD Parity Act (HR 2050/S 868) in 2021.

“Without passage of the HD Parity Act, patients with Huntington’s disease will continue to suffer the mandated 2-year waiting period for Medicare benefits after qualifying for Social Security Disability Insurance,” according to an HDSA statement. “Individuals with HD have a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disorder. During those two years, patients continue to decline, and are falling through our social safety net by being denied access to Medicare when they need it most.”

For more information on the HD Parity Act, visit HDSA.org/takeaction.

To learn more about Huntington’s disease and the work of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, visit HDSA.org or call 800-345-HDSA.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, WKTV partnership begins new ‘Hands On Health’ informational program

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Community Health, Education, Going Local, Health, Local Faces, Non-Profits, WKTV Projects, ,
Karla Black, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at Kent County Health Department, was invited to Hands on Health to discuss COVID-19 and the vaccines with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services’ Nancy Piersma, Community Education Coordinator, and Rowan O’Dougherty, Board President. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Kentwood non-profit Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services is always looking for new ways to serve the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing communities. And WKTV Community Media is always looking for ways to work with groups in service of its Wyoming, Kentwood and West Michigan audience.

So the two this fall have partnered to begin a new multi-media project, Hands on Health, to provide health education in a format that is accessible to the Deaf, Deaf/Blind, Hard of Hearing — as well as other community members.

The first two episodes are now available on WKTV cable channels in Wyoming and Kentwood (check out the initial schedule below and WKTV cable schedule), on the WKTV Video Podcast page, and on the social media platforms of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (D&HHS) — YouTube and Facebook.

D&HHS, according to supplied material, has served the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing (D/DB/HH) communities across West Michigan for more than 25 years. The agency began after a deaf man’s medical emergency turned nearly fatal due to the emergency services’ lack of accessibility.

“The situation shone a light on the lack of access and services for the D/DB/HH communities,” Deb Atwood, D&HHS executive director, said in printed material. “Today, our agency serves 27 counties across West Michigan, providing a wide range of services specifically for the D/DB/HH communities.

“Each day, we work toward our mission of providing equal communication access, education, and advocacy to the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing in pursuit of all life’s opportunities.

The genesis of Hands On Health

A study published in 2016 by a group of University Medical Departments found that health literacy among the deaf is alarmingly low. When compared to their hearing counterparts, deaf participants were 6.9 times more likely to have inadequate health literacy.

These disparities are caused by several factors including communication barriers, fewer opportunities for incidental learning, and especially lack of accessible information. Many within the D/DB/HH communities are not given appropriate access to information that allows them to understand or practice autonomy over their own health.

“Our agency has recognized the of issue inadequate health literacy among the D/DB/HH in the Greater Grand Rapids area and throughout West Michigan,” Erica Chapin, D&HHS community and partnership manager, said in printed material. “These issues were made alarmingly clear throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. With limited accessible information about COVID-19 and vaccines, D/DB/HH individuals have been susceptible to misinformation and unable to make informed decisions about their health and safety.

“This situation has brought to light the lack of information on general health and wellness topics. To combat this issue, our agency is starting the ‘Hands On Health’ video series that provides health education in a format that is accessible to the D/DB/HH and other communities.”

These first two episodes feature two deaf hosts — Nancy Piersma, Community Education Coordinator, and Rowan O’Dougherty, Board President — with guest Karla Black, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at Kent County Health Department, who was invited to discuss COVID-19 and the vaccines.

Hands on Health has premiered on WKTV Cable Channel 25 with Episode 1 continuing today, Oct. 21, at 5 p.m. Episode 2 will premiere Oct. 25 at 9 p.m., and continue Oct. 26 at 9:30 a.m., and Oct. 28 at 5 p.m. They may also run at different days and times; see the weekly schedule.

For more information and to donate to Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services, visit  www.deafhhs.org/donate.

Suggestions for future topics can be sent to handsonhealth@deafhhs.org.

Hands on Health continues a discussion on COVID-19 and the vaccines, hosted by Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services’ Nancy Piersma, Community Education Coordinator, and Rowan O’Dougherty, Board President. (WKTV)

Kentwood artists take part in exhibit bringing healing to veterans

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Entertainment, Health, Local Faces, Non-Profits, Our Cities, Recreation, Senior Living, ,
George Doornbos created this piece of a soldier kneeling in front of a grave. (Supplied)

By Sheila McGrath
WKTV Contributing Writer

George Doornbos and Dewey Heetderks, two veterans residing at Holland Home’s Breton Woods campus, both took up woodworking in their retirement years and found the art form greatly enriched their lives.

So when an opportunity arose to take part in a veterans-only exhibit designed to bring healing through art, they both signed on.

Doornbos and Heetderks each showed woodworking pieces in Has Heart, an ArtPrize venue at Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Grand Rapids. ArtPrize 2021 ran Sept. 16 to Oct. 3. 

The 21 works in the Has Heart collection were all created by military veterans, many of whom struggle with homelessness, PTSD, military sexual trauma, and thoughts of suicide.

 

Doornbos said working with wood helps keep his mind off aging and other unpleasant things. He was eager to participate in the exhibit hoping other veterans might also find peace through making art.

Artist George Doornbos (Supplied)

“I am very glad I went through it,” Doornbos said. “We were hoping to inspire some veterans or older people like myself to see if we could interest them in art or some other hobby to keep their mind off their troubles.”

Doornbos was in the Army from 1953 to 1955, serving as a radio operator. He took up woodworking seven years ago, at the age of 80, in the Holland Home wood shop. He works in a process called intarsia, which involves coloring and combining pieces of wood to form an art piece.

 

Dewey Heetderks creates hand carved wooden bowls using the grains and natural defects found in the wood to create unique and expressive works. (Supplied)

He typically creates animals, scenery or lighthouses, he said, but for the ArtPrize exhibit he entered a piece depicting a soldier kneeling over the grave of a fallen comrade. It was an idea that came to him about a year and a half ago, after he took part in an Honor Flight.

Honor Flights, funded by a nonprofit organization, transport American veterans to Washington D.C. to visit the memorials honoring those who have served and died for the country.

“We went to the cemetery and the various war monuments, and this impressed me – the number of people who have given their lives so we can live with the freedoms we have. I was moved by that whole experience that whole day,” Doornbos said.

Heetderks worked in the Army medical corps as a urologist from 1963 to 1965, after graduating from the University of Michigan. He began turning wood about 15 years ago, at the age of 75, while spending winters in Florida.

 

Heetderks hand carves wooden bowls, using the grains and natural defects found in wood to create unique and expressive works.

Artist Dewey Heetderks

“Wood is a beautiful product of our lord,” he said. “If it’s sanded and polished and given the opportunity with a beautiful finish, it’s lovely. I embellished every bowl I made. I made a special effort to create something unique, and that was a lot of fun.”

Neither of them had any plans to enter ArtPrize until a representative from the organization visited Holland Home to tell the residents about the veterans-only exhibit being created this year.

Both artists said the most important thing about the exhibit was giving veterans a creative outlet.

“For those that were involved, art for them was particularly important, particularly those that were suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome,” Heetderks said. “It was obviously a release for them. It’s wonderful.”

Allegan County lawmaker proposes mental health crisis line merger

3-bottom, Health, Our Cities, Upcoming Events, ,

By Kyle Davidson
Capital News Service

LANSING — As the federal government works to roll out a 9-8-8 suicide hotline, one lawmaker is looking to expand crisis line services within Michigan.

Rep. Mary Whiteford, R-Casco Township, wants to  incorporate the Michigan Crisis and Access line and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline under the same three-digit phone number.

 

“It’s just to make it really simple. No matter where you live in Michigan, you have one number that you can call to find local help,” Whiteford said. 

Whiteford had introduced the Michigan Crisis and Access Line that was signed into law in January 2020. The 24/7 phone, text and chat line serves the Upper Peninsula and Oakland County and is rolling out statewide.

It can be accessed at 1-844-44 MICAL.

With the national designation of 9-8-8 as the new phone number for the National Suicide Hotline, Whiteford wants to designate the Michigan Crisis and Access Line as Michigan’s crisis hotline center. That would provide intervention services and care to anyone accessing the 9-8-8 hotline.

 

“We’ve always talked about aligning (the Michigan Crisis and Access Line) with 9-8-8, but that was the next step,” Whiteford said.

There are 46 community mental health centers in the state that operate local crisis lines.

 

The advantage of the Michigan Crisis and Access Line is you can advertise one number statewide and receive referral to local mental health resources and the local crisis line, said Robert Sheehan, the executive director of the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan.

 

The Crisis and Access Line is also working to provide other resources, including referral to substance abuse recovery centers and the psychiatric bed registry.

“That’s not been available statewide, so that would be a real great cataloging of mental health resources on a statewide level,” Sheehan said.

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for Michigan residents age 10 to 34, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. In 2020, 76.5% of Michigan communities did not have enough mental health providers to serve residents, the foundation reported.

In addition to incorporating the state’s crisis line under 9-8-8, Whiteford also introduced a companion bill to create a fund to support crisis services.

It would gather funds from a monthly 55-cent charge to the cell phone bills of all Michigan residents and a 2% charge per retail transaction for prepaid wireless calling services. That charge can be adjusted to fund program operations, expansions and maintenance.

 

“I really wanted to get that out there to have a conversation about something we could do to have sustainable funding for crisis services for the state,” Whiteford said.

The state Department of Health and Human Services would be responsible for managing the fund. It could be used to set up additional crisis stabilization units and to offer more services because the fund does not lapse into the state’s general fund at the end of the year, Whiteford said.

While Michigan has a very comprehensive mental health system, it receives about 95% of its funding from Medicaid, a public health insurance program for low-income people, making it inaccessible to most residents who do not qualify for Medicaid, Sheehan said.

 

By taking a public utility approach in providing a crisis response line and crisis response teams, anybody can call and get the care they need, he said.

While Whiteford is the sole sponsor of these bills, she said she expects they will receive broad, bipartisan support in the Committee on Health Policy. Both bills are pending committee review.

 

ABOUT KYLE DAVIDSON

Kyle Davidson is an MSU Junior working to complete his degree in Journalism. Kyle currently works with both The Spartan Newsroom and Capital News Service covering public safety, criminal justice, politics, and women’s issues in the political sphere.

Shatner’s reaction to space flight offers a fresh viewpoint on human reaction, according to GVSU researcher

3-bottom, Health, , ,
Dr. Deana Weibel (GVSU)

By Peg West
Grand Valley State University

Actor William Shatner’s emotional reaction to his brief ride into space on Oct. 13 was a fascinating, unfiltered response that gives new insight into how experiencing space affects humans, according to a Grand Valley State University cultural anthropologist.

Dr. Deana Weibel, who specializes in studying space exploration and religion, has conducted interviews with people who traveled to space to get their impressions on the experience.

The immediate, unfettered reaction from Shatner is a new element to observe, she said. His thoughts were not filtered through memory as they would be for an interview conducted later. And he also is not steeped in the cautious NASA culture, where those going to space are trained to communicate in a straightforward way.

“This is an outpouring of an instant reaction without time passing; it’s really fresh. I’m glad it’s recorded because it’s going to be influential,” Weibel said. “I know I’m going to make reference to this.”

The experiences of people traveling into space through private companies and as paying customers may present another channel of research on how people react to seeing space because they can be more open, Weibel said.

 

William Shatner (Super Festivals, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

Weibel was struck by how profoundly the 90-year-old Shatner was affected, noting that while there was an air of celebration with those around him as he exited the capsule, Shatner appeared to want to reflect.

“William Shatner didn’t want to pop the champagne and jump up and down,” Weibel said. “He just had his mind blown.”

She said she has encountered the cautious NASA culture when she interviewed active astronauts as part of her research on religion and space. They were hesitant to go far afield, even knowing personal details would be omitted.

“People have to be really careful about what they say,” Weibel said. “There’s an awareness among active astronauts that they may lose their next flight if they say something questionable.”

 

But Shatner freely and emotionally encapsulated his experience, describing his awe. And his references to the life on the blue of Earth along with the black of space, pondering if the latter was death, had religious overtones even if he didn’t talk specifically about religion, Weibel said.

She also noted that his words immediately after the flight indicated he experienced what author Frank White coined as the “overview effect.” She described it as a profound emotional response to seeing Earth from space and realizing its fragility; some astronauts have experienced it, while others haven’t.

“It’s recognizing the reality of living on this sphere suspended in space that hits you in a way that was so abstract before,” Weibel said.

University of Michigan Health-West first state health system to utilize AI-powered documentation

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Health, Our Cities, Senior Living, Tech Trends, , , , ,
University of Michigan Health – West Chief Medical Information Officer Dr. Lance M. Owens discusses patient care while the Dragon Ambient eXperience program takes notes. (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

University of Michigan Health-West (formerly Metro Health – University of Michigan Health) is the first system in the state to pilot automated documentation in the exam room, allowing health providers to focus on the patient rather than the computer.

 

The AI-powered Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience (DAX) is an ambient clinical intelligence solution that captures and contextualizes every word of the patient encounter and automatically creates clinical documentation.

 

The pilot at University of Michigan Health-West began earlier this year with 13 providers, throughout primary and specialty care settings.

 

“We have already discovered multiple advantages to suggest that Nuance DAX could become a transformative innovation for our organization,” said Dr. Lance M. Owens, Chief Medical Information Officer, who is leading the pilot. “This technology captures documentation automatically and removes the computer as a barrier between providers and their patients and enables better patient- provider engagement. It is yet another way we are relentlessly pursuing our vision to deliver innovations that change care and care that changes lives.”

University of Michigan Health – West Chief Medical Information Officer Dr. Lance M. Owens has been leading the pilot on ai-powered documentation. (Supplied)

“University of Michigan Health-West is a model for the deep partnerships needed to transform healthcare delivery and empower physicians with the advanced technology they need to provide personalized patient care,” said Diana Nole, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Nuance Healthcare. “Nuance DAX works seamlessly in the background unlocking the physician from the burden of administrative tasks and enables them to focus solely on the patient. This was our vision when introducing Nuance DAX, and now, together with our customers like the University of Michigan Health-West, we are bringing that vision to life by delivering an enhanced patient-provider experience.”

 

In initial surveys at pilot sites, when asked to compare their visit to previous healthcare encounters, patients overwhelmingly agreed with several performance indicators, stating:

  • “My visit felt more like a personable conversation.”
  • “The provider seemed to be more focused on me during the visit.”
  • “The provider spent less time typing on their computer.”

“The benefit to patients is becoming readily apparent,” Owen said. “By reducing the documentation burden, we allow providers to focus on delivering the best care for their patients and stronger patient-provider relationship.”

 

After using Nuance DAX, one University of Michigan Health-West provider saw a decrease in 31 minutes per day in documentation. Another provider saw an average reduction of 5 minutes of documentation time per appointment. One particularly efficient provider decreased time per note from two minutes to 1.9 minutes, totaling a significant decrease in documentation time overall. In addition to helping providers stay on schedule and spend more time with patients, the system improves accuracy and thoroughness of documentation because providers don’t have to divide their attention between patient and computer.

“As we continue to track key metrics during the pilot, we plan to roll out the system for all primary care physicians over the next year,” Owens said. “We see potential to expand for specialty use, in the Emergency Department and nursing settings in the near future.”

 

For more about University of Michigan Health-West and its innovation initiatives, please visit www.uofmhealthwest.org. 

In Love and Health: The Great Pumpkin

3-bottom, Community Health, Environment, Food, Health, Local Food, ,

By Dr. Erik Johnson
Love and Health Chiropractic

With Halloween right around the corner, kids are thinking trick-or-treat and adults are stocking up on bags of candy. As if that won’t be enough sugar, every grocery store has Halloween-theme decorated cupcakes and cookies. The pumpkin spice must flow. No wonder kids come down with colds and flu in early November. Sugar can impair the body’s natural immune response and leave us more vulnerable to germs and viruses. (Since we are still in the middle of a global COVID-19 pandemic, this is pretty important information.)

It’s a shame that all eyes (and tastebuds) are focused on sweets when another Halloween celebrity offers a host of health benefits. Pumpkins! 

One of the first cultivated foods of the Americas, pumpkins were a staple food in Oaxaca (Mexico) as early as 8750 BC—long before corn or beans. By 2700 BC, they had spread to the eastern United States. The Pueblo, Apaches, Hopi, Navajo, Havasupai, Papago, Pima and Yuman all counted on the pumpkin’s flesh and seeds as a staple food. They roasted the seeds and ate them with chili powder or mixed with fruits and nuts. As for the flesh, they roasted, dried or boiled it. Mashed boiled pumpkin was mixed with batter or syrup or used to thicken soup. Dried pumpkin was sliced into rings and hung in storerooms for winter.

Pumpkin flesh is low in fat and rich in nutrients. One cup of cooked pumpkin provides three grams of fiber, magnesium, potassium and vitamins A, C and E—200% of your daily requirement of vitamin A (for healthy eyes). It also provides carotenoids, which can help lower your risk for cancer.

Pumpkin seeds have anti‐microbial benefits, including anti‐fungal and antiviral properties. So, they are a great snack during the cold and flu season. Studies on laboratory animals have shown pumpkin seeds may improve insulin regulation and help kidney function. Because they are an excellent source of the mineral zinc, the World Health Organization recommends eating them. Eating whole, roasted unshelled pumpkin seeds gives you the most zinc.

You can roast the pumpkin seeds you remove from your Jack O’Lantern. And you can buy pumpkins seeds at most grocery stores. They are also called pepitas. Pepitas are a very popular snack in the Latinx culture, perhaps because some of their ancestors were among the first in the world to discover and cultivate pumpkins.

If your Jack O’Lantern goes bad before you have a chance to roast it, look for “pie pumpkins” in your store’s produce department or at the U-M Health West Farm Market—and try a recipe besides pie!

Another way to boo-ooo-oost your immune system is to come in for a chiropractic adjustment. Keeping your spine aligned helps your brain, gut, immune system, and other body organs to work better with each other and keep you healthy naturally.

Dr. Erik Johnson DC is a chiropractor at Love and Health Chiropractic in Wyoming at 1586 44th Street SW. 

Snowmobile helmet exemption proposal proposed just in time for winter

3-bottom, Health, Recreation, ,
Through series of bills, those with off-road vehicles and snowmobiles would only need a doctor’s note to be released from wearing a helmet.

By Barbara Bellinger
Capital News Service

LANSING — Off-road vehicle and snowmobile riders who are claustrophobic would not have to wear a helmet if a series of bills are passed by the Legislature.

A doctor’s note would give a get-out-of-jail-free card to Michigan outdoor enthusiasts who have certain medical conditions and use off-road vehicles (commonly known as ORVs) and snowmobiles for hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation.

An Upper Peninsula senator sponsored the bills after a constituent asked why he couldn’t get a doctor’s excuse to not wear a helmet when people could get them for not wearing seatbelts.

“He himself has a number of special needs, including body shape development of his head, that are not typical, and it makes it impossible or very painful for him to wear a helmet,” Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township, said at a hearing that resulted in the bills being passed in the Senate this spring.

Doctor’s notes could also include nonphysical conditions.

“There’s also the reality that some of the individuals I’ve talked to, as I’ve worked on this piece of legislation, their medical condition that impairs their wearing a helmet is not necessarily physical,” McBroom said. “Claustrophobia is a particular ailment, and I talked to an individual who has panic attacks.”

Allowances may need to be made in these types of circumstances, said Karen Middendorf, the executive director of the Michigan Snowmobile & ORV Association.

“We all know helmets are worn for safety, and it is safest to have one on while riding. However, if you have an incapacitating condition that does not allow you to cover your head, this becomes a very personal decision. An exception may be needed,” she said.

McBroom said the bills are not linked to what others consider the main issue: that motorcyclists aren’t required by law to wear helmets, yet snowmobile and ORV riders are.

“In this bill package, we are not dealing with that larger issue of is mandating helmets for everybody right or wrong in the first place,” he said.

But some snowmobile and ORV riders say the larger issue is personal choice.

 

“The doctor’s note should not be part of anything like this — that is truly ridiculous,” said Chris Bovee, a longtime snowmobile rider and resident of Harbor Springs.

“While I would always ride a motorcycle or snowmobile on trail with a helmet, it being a law isn’t right,” Bovee wrote in an email. “At the very least, if I am on private property, piss off. The decision to wear a helmet or not is something I am very capable of making… Don’t need a law for it.”

Paul Anderson, the owner of Sled Solutions in Acme and a longtime snowmobile rider, agreed it should be the choice of the rider, not the government.

But the government is involved, and helmet-wearing exemptions are presenting as partisan issues. The bills passed the Senate mainly along party lines.

The Department of Natural Resources and the Gov. Gretchen Whitmer administration are against it, McBroom said.

“Frequently the party that is the same as the administration decides to support the governor and departments and divisions, those kinds of things,” he said. The bill would have attracted more Senate Democrats, McBroom said, but the department and current administration opposed it.

John Pepin, the Department of Natural Resources deputy public information officer, said the agency had no comment.

McBroom said he hopes to gain support from both sides of the aisle before the bills come up for a vote in the House.

“I certainly have some good connections with Democrats and Republicans in the House that I hope I’ll be able to utilize to get bipartisan support,” he said.

Dr. Alistair Chapman, a Spectrum Health trauma surgeon and director of the Spectrum Health Trauma Research Institute in Grand Rapids, said the bill should neither be partisan nor an issue in the first place.

 

“I am disappointed that legislators are again exploring helmet exemptions. A helmet is a common-sense safety mechanism. Wearing one is smart and safe,” he said.
|

Anderson said he plans to continue on as he has been: “I wear a helmet on my snowmobile not because I’m required to but because I want to.”

Getting rid of the ORV/snowmobile helmet law as a whole wouldn’t make that much of a difference in people’s behavior, he said.

“If you took a poll of how many people would opt out of wearing a helmet on a snowmobile if the law didn’t require it, you’d find most would still wear it,” Anderson wrote in an email.

 “Why? Because it’s cold without one!”

ABOUT BARBARA BELLINGER

Barbara Bellinger

Barbara Bellinger is a master’s student in journalism at Michigan State University. Her journalistic interests include undocumented immigration, international journalism and the criminal justice system. She hopes to become a reporter for CNN, NPR or a local Michigan news outlet.

Harvest of Justice luncheon to honor clinic that vaccinated 500 migrant workers

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Health, Non-Profits, Our Cities, , ,
A member of the Migrant Legal Aid staff gets a vaccine. (Supplied)

By Sheila McGrath
WKTV Contributing Writer

A Sparta health clinic that went above and beyond the call of duty to vaccinate West Michigan farm workers will be honored at Migrant Legal Aid’s annual Harvest of Justice Luncheon this month.

The event, designed to share client success stories with donors and the community, will be held at noon on Wednesday, Oct. 13, at the Eberhard Center on GVSU’s downtown campus.

Clinics held at the Mercy Health Physician Partners office in Sparta last March vaccinated more than 500 migrant workers against COVID-19, according to Mary Bennett, CFO Of Migrant Legal Aid.

The clinic did an exemplary job organizing its vaccination site so farm workers could get in and out quickly without standing around waiting, according to Teresa Hendricks, executive director of the organization. 

“It was an incredible logistical feat,” she said.

Migrant Legal Aid, a nonprofit that advocates for migrant workers’ rights, has assisted at several vaccination clinics in hopes of getting as many of the workers vaccinated as possible. The state doesn’t keep numbers on how many farm workers have been vaccinated for the virus, Hendricks said, but Migrant Legal Aid has assisted with vaccinating 625 people so far.

They’re not done with the work yet, and they hope to persuade more migrant workers to get the vaccine through a video recently produced by WKTV. In both English and Spanish, the video dispels common myths surrounding the vaccine and presents the facts. Appearing on the video are Spanish-speaking doctors who have gotten the vaccine themselves.

“We realized a peer-to-peer video speaking about the importance of it was going to be key,” Hendricks said.

(Right) Mirgrant Legal Aid Executive Director Teresa Hendricks shows off her vaccine shot with a staff member. (Supplied)

The video will be shared on Migrant Legal Aid’s website and YouTube channel along with other social media sites. It will also go out to listservs (a mailing list) for other migrant providers, Hendricks said.

The video can also be used at migrant camps, where Migrant Legal Aid staff can show it on an iPad when they’re visiting, Hendricks said. At future vaccination clinics, they can have it playing on a loop while people wait to get their shots.

The Harvest of Justice luncheon is an important event to spread the word about what Migrant Legal Aid does, Bennett said. In addition to the award presentation, the luncheon will feature highlights of the work the organization has done over the past year.

“We have table hosts we ask to bring guests who might not be familiar with our program and what we do. That grows the community awareness as well as our donor base. Most of them, after they hear what we do, are eager to help,” she said.

Last year’s luncheon was held online at the WKTV studio due to the pandemic. The online version got a wide audience and raised the interest of people who are excited to come in person this year, Bennett said.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Charlie LeDuff, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and investigative journalist.

 

In his research for articles about farm workers, LeDuff has embedded himself with migrants crossing the border and working in the fields in California to see what they go through. He nearly died while crossing the border during his investigative reporting, Hendricks said.

Tickets to the luncheon are free, but there will be an “ask” for donations, Bennett said. For tickets, go to www.migrantlegalaid.org.

Drinking water filters eyed as better option to testing in schools and day care centers

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Education, Environment, Health, Our Cities, ,
Drinking water filters would be cheaper than the current “test and tell” method. (pxhere.com)

By Vlaislava Sukhanovskaya 
Capital News Service

LANSING — Children’s health advocates are pushing to install drinking water filters in Michigan schools and child care centers to protect them from lead poisoning.

The project, named Filter First, would provide schools with filtration stations that reduce lead in drinking water instead of requiring the costlier periodical testing of water for lead.

The move could cost about $55 million in the first year, said Charlotte Jameson, a water policy program director for the Michigan Environmental Council.

That’s still cheaper than the “test and tell” method that includes testing of all drinking water fixtures and then replacing those that test positive for lead above a set action level, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council and Safe Water Engineering.

Estimating the cost of two approaches to protecting children from water contaminated by lead. Chart by Natural Resources Defense Council and Safe Water Engineering.

The testing strategy costs about $81 million a year and doesn’t guarantee clean water because lead releases from time to time, Jameson said.

“One school did the testing regime just on their own.” she said. “They got a sample from the water fountain that didn’t contain any lead. Then they went back a month later and tested that same water fountain and it had a very high lead release.”

Other states following the testing approach spend a lot of money going out to test the water in schools, Jameson said.

“We have seen other states doing tests and we learned from them,” she said.

Test and tell is used in 24 states, according to Governing,  a publication that reports on and analyzes state policy.

It is expensive and doesn’t guarantee clean water, Jameson said. Filtration is cheaper and provides water free from lead.

The “test and tell” method requires constant testing and money for sampling, analyzing and replacement fixtures with high levels of lead.

Test and tell is a technique that would cost $497 million for Michigan in the first 10 years. That’s much more than the $166 million for filtration strategy even though it requires ongoing costs that include replacing the unit’s filters and sampling water to verify performance, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council and Safe Water Engineering.

“Schools and day cares are meant to be places for children to thrive,” said Becca Maher, the director of strategic campaigns at the Michigan Environmental Council. “But when lead, a harmful neurotoxin, gets into the drinking water of these institutions leached from plumbing, fixtures, and fittings, it presents a grave risk to the development of young bodies and minds.”

It’s unclear how many schools have a lead problem, Maher said. “But given the age of our school building stock and the fact that even fixtures labeled “lead free” still have lead in them, we expect all Michigan schools are at risk of lead leaching into drinking water.”

And the threat is significant, experts say.

“There is no acceptable level of lead for children,” said Larissa Miller, the associate executive director of Nursing and Government Affairs for the Michigan Nurses Association. “Any level of lead exposure is unsafe. Any exposure to lead can cause hearing loss, slow development of teeth and bones.

“Also, it can cause anemia and that’s a lack of adequate hemoglobin,” she said. “That means that kids may not have the oxygen they need to physically run or play or participate in childhood activities. With lead exposure the impacts are permanent and they are lifelong and can’t be reversed.”

The Senate Appropriations Committee is considering appropriating $85 million next year for grants to install filters. A package of bills was introduced in the Senate to regulate drinking water standards and filter use in schools and day cares.

If bills pass the legislative process next year, schools will have filtration stations installed by the 2025 school year, Jameson said.

Kentwood Glow in the Park returns with fun run, Glow Dance Party and other themed activities

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The City of Kentwood will host a Glow in the Park event Saturday, Oct. 16. (City of Kentwood)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

In 2019 the City of Kentwood hosted its initial Glow in the Park 5K and the community liked it so much the upcoming Glow in the Park event, set for Saturday, Oct. 16, will feature more activities in addition to a fun run/walk, including games, crafts, music, food and dancing.

As always, however, community members are invited to “illuminate the night” — participants and supporters are encouraged to wear brightly colored and glow-in-the-dark clothes and accessories — for the event, taking place 7-9 p.m., at Pinewood Park, 1999 Wolfboro Drive SE.

Among the glow-themed activities planned are light-up playground games and crafts, music, food — and, of course, the self-timed fun run/walk.
 

Proceeds will help keep Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department’s youth programs affordable for all children to participate, have fun and learn with their peers, according to a city announcement. Donations also will be accepted during the event.

The City of Kentwood will host a Glow in the Park event Saturday, Oct. 16. (City of Kentwood)

“Ever since the great turnout we had for our first after-dark running event in 2019, we have been looking forward to offering another Glow in the Park night in Kentwood,” Spencer McKellar, lead recreation program coordinator, said in supplied material. “This time, we’re including a variety of additional activities to encourage all ages to dress up and join us outside with friends, neighbors and loved ones.

“In addition to being a fun way to soak up the fall weather before winter comes, our Glow in the Park event is also for a good cause — helping more families be able to participate in our youth programs.”

The “lighthearted” — pun intended — run/walk will start at 7:30 p.m., with on-site packet pickup beginning at 7 p.m. Participants can choose to do either a 0.3- or 1-mile run/walk along a park path that will be lit with glow sticks and other colorful lights. Volunteers in glow wear will also help light the way. A water station will be provided at the course start/finish line.

Light-up playground games and crafts, music and snacks will be available throughout the event. The fun run will be followed by an after-party with dancing. The evening will conclude at 9 p.m.

Two levels of registration are available online at kentwood.us/GlowInThePark. For entry to the event with a goody bag full of glow supplies, registration costs $5. For those who also want to take part in the fun run/walk, registration costs $20 and includes a goody bag, T-shirt and race medal.

The City of Kentwood will continue to monitor public health guidance and orders, which may require changes to events.

For more information on City of Kentwood event’s visit kentwood.us.

Group pushes for teacher training to recognize epilepsy seizures

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The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Jack O’Malley, R-Lake Ann, would make seizure action plans for students with epilepsy accessible for employees in contact with them. (pxhere.com)

By Emerson Wigand
Capital News Service

LANSING — Advocates for children with epilepsy are pushing to train Michigan school employees to recognize seizures and provide necessary first aid.

The legislation would mandate education for all of the state’s school districts to help the 13,600 Michigan children with epilepsy and their families.

 

Elizabeth Stout, an Albion College student and youth consultant with Children’s Special Health Care Services of Michigan, said thebill is a great step.

“Every patient is different when it comes to their epilepsy and how you treat it,” said Stout, who has had epilepsy for the past 12 years. ”It’s hard when people assume things about a health condition, and it would be a lot easier if there was more education.”

The bill would require that all school employees be educated in seizure first aid and recognition. This one-hour training would be provided online for free, with in-person options as well. (pxhere.com)

The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Jack O’Malley, R-Lake Ann, would make seizure action plans for students with epilepsy accessible for employees in contact with them. Using information from parents, the plans are specific to each student’s needs, including information on medication or first aid.

The legislation would also mean each school would need have a full-time employee trained to administer emergency rescue medication in potentially life-threatening situations. Eleven other states have already passed seizure safe schools legislation.

“Most individuals we meet with, certainly on the legislative side, are surprised to know this training isn’t already in the repertoire for teachers,” said Brianna Romines, the president of the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan.

 

The bill would require that all school employees be educated in seizure first aid and recognition. This one-hour training would be provided online for free, with in-person options as well.

The training is also offered by the National Epilepsy Foundation, which allows broader access than the state’s chapter can provide, said Russ Derry, the Michigan Epilepsy Foundation’s director of education.

Romines said epilepsy training is as important as other safety training teachers receive. One school counselor, who was trained yearly in the use of fire extinguishers, said she has never had to use one in over 15 years But the counselor has responded to between about five and 15 seizure emergencies each year.

 

The lack of education is a problem because it stigmatizes epilepsy, said Sierra Cameron, the CEO of the Michigan chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“If a child goes into a seizure, it might not be as clinically bad as folks think it is,” Cameron said. “If you don’t have any familiarity with seizures, it might really daunt you.”

One of the consequences is that school employees call 911 and have children diagnosed with epilepsy taken from class to the emergency room, Romines said. This leads to trauma for the children and needless costs for families from hospitals, ambulance rides and lost wages for those who leave work.

“So, there are economic and emotional impacts to this,” Romines said. “But all of that could’ve been simply addressed with training.”

Another challenge is that school employees may be uncomfortable administering invasive rescue medication, Derry said. While nasal medication options are increasingly available, the primary rescue treatment for youth suffering seizures is administered rectally.

 

Derry empathizes with these employees, but he said rescue medication training is just as important as learning to use epipens for students with serious allergies. While a school nurse would ideally be administering the medication, all employees allowed to administer medication would receive training.

 

Derry said everyone should understand the needs of students with epilepsy as seizures can happen any time.

“In Michigan, we have one of the worst ratios of school nurses to students in the country,” Derry said. “We have about 4,200 students per school nurse.”

Stout said it’s also important to remember epilepsy is not just seizures with uncontrollable movements. Epilepsy can prompt staring spells that lead to students being disciplined for not paying attention, or to an assumption that they have attention deficit disorder, Romines said. Many effects of epilepsy and its medications are difficult to distinguish.

“That’s why we’re hopeful for this training,” Romines said. “Not only does it teach you seizure first aid, it teaches seizure recognition.”

The foundation says it hopes the House will hold hearings on the proposed Seizure Safety Act in October.

 

Stout said repeatedly explaining your condition is exhausting. While she was lucky to have teachers that were open to that conversation, that’s not always the case.

“If teachers and others within the education system understand epilepsy, then it’s easier for students to be honest about it, and share it,” Stout said.For youth diagnosed with epilepsy, and their families, in need of more support she recommends the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan’s Call and Connect Network.

Fresh produce more accessible for low-income Michiganders

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More fresh produce will be available to low-income Michigan residents. (supplied)

By Barbara Bellinger
Capital News Service

LANSING — A program that gives low-income Michigan residents fresh fruit and vegetables and a path to healthier nutrition recently got a $2 million boost from state lawmakers.

That’s up from the $900,000 they allocated last year for the Double Up Food Program. The program gives participants a dollar-for-dollar match on fresh fruits and vegetables. Families receive twice the quantity of produce for half the price.

“It feels as if when this program was started, it was just a crazy idea,” said Alex Canepa, the policy manager for the Fair Food Network, which manages the program. “Now it’s time has come. Both Lansing and D.C. (legislators) are talking about the importance of nutrition security.”

Michigan’s Double Up program launched in 2009 as the first state in what is now a 29-state program run by the Fair Food Network based in Ann Arbor. The program has grown from five Detroit-area farmers markets to around 250 farmers markets, mobile markets, food stands and independent grocers.

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded the food network a four-year, $12.5 million grant in 2019 for program expansion. But to get the money, the program needs a 50% match, Canepa said.

“The state money allows us to draw down the full remaining balance,” Canepa said.

This added benefit is necessary for a state that has 1.9 million people who are food insecure, according to a Food Security Council report. 

“One administrative change the state made early in the pandemic was to eliminate the $20-per-day limit for Double Up Food Bucks,” Julie Cassidy, the senior policy analyst for the Michigan League for Public Policy, wrote in an email. “This helped families stretch their food assistance dollars as far as possible when so many were suddenly struggling, food prices were skyrocketing, and local pantries were pushed to the limit.”

“It gives customers really good options,” said Courtney King, the manager of King Orchards in Kewadin and Central Lake in northern Michigan. “I love that it’s just for like fresh produce, which really helps us and them.”

Michigan farmer markets and farm stands are part of the Double Up Food Bucks program. (Supplied)

Becoming a Double Up Food Bucks retailer requires a lot of accounting, but it’s a great way to provide fresh produce to people who might otherwise think it is too expensive, King said.

“It’s a multi-pronged process,” said Joe Lesausky, food access director for the Michigan Farmers Market Association.

Farmers markets and farm stands first apply to be approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a vendor for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP. Then they must contact the Michigan Farmers Market Association to apply to become a Double Up Bucks retailer.

The program is in 67 of Michigan’s 83 counties and adds about 10 new sites a year, Lesausky said. Officials say they hope to reach all of the state’s counties in the next three years. 

“We saw an increase of Double Up spending before the pandemic in even middle and upper-middle class communities,” Canepa said.

“Nutrition insecurity isn’t always where you expect it to be.”

ABOUT BARBARA BELLINGER

Barbara Bellinger

Barbara Bellinger is a master’s student in journalism at Michigan State University. Her journalistic interests include undocumented immigration, international journalism and the criminal justice system. She hopes to become a reporter for CNN, NPR or a local Michigan news outlet.

Kent County Health Department now offering COVID-19 Pfizer booster shots

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A Kent County Health Department nurse gives a COVID-19 vaccination shot. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

The Kent County Health Department announced this week that it will begin making Pfizer BioNtech COVID-19 booster shots available to eligible individuals on Tuesday, Sept. 28, at all three health department clinic locations.

County clinic locations and hours can be found here. Appointments can be made by calling 616-632-7200; persons may also use this number to schedule a first dose of vaccine for those who have not already had it.

“Note that these boosters are only for people who have received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine. We expect other boosters from other manufacturers to be coming soon,” according to the announcement. “In the meantime KCHD continues to strongly encourage anyone who has not yet received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to do so as soon as possible.”

The Kent County Health Department (KCHD) action follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently recommending a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in certain populations and for those in high risk occupational and institutional settings. This recommendation only applies to people who originally received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine at least 6 months ago.

The CDC recommends the following groups should receive a booster: people 65 years and older, residents in long-term care settings aged 18 years or older, and people aged 50-64 years with underlying medical conditions.

Additionally, the CDC recommends that the following groups “may” receive a booster based on their individual benefits and risks: people aged 18-49 years with underlying medical conditions, people aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of their occupational or institutional (residential) setting. (This groups includes adults aged 18-64 years who work or reside in settings such as health care, schools, congregant care facilities, correctional facilities, or homeless shelters. This group also includes front line essential workers such as first responders — firefighters, police, and EMS — as well as food and agriculture workers, manufacturing workers, U.S. Postal Service workers, public transit workers, and grocery store workers.)

The county health announcement also states that after reviewing data in the coming weeks, the CDC is expected to make recommendations about the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines.

Booster vice ‘third dose’ difference explained

In the meantime, there have been reports about a “third dose” of the COVID vaccine that is now available. The third dose is different than a booster and has been approved by the FDA and recommended by the CDC specifically and exclusively for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised. These individuals have a medical condition or are on a medication that limits the strength of their immune systems and, therefore, they may not receive the same level of protection from a regular course of vaccination.

People who are immunocompromised may receive a third dose of either the Moderna or the Pfizer vaccine as soon as 28 days after the second dose. There is no additional dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine currently recommended.

“Again, the third dose should not be confused with a booster,” according to the county announcement. “A vaccine booster is an additional shot that is given to previously vaccinated people as the immunity provided by the original dose(s) has started to decrease over time. A booster is administered to help maintain the level of immunity in the future.”

Fall is best time to get your flu shot before the season begins

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Now is the time to get a flu shot. (pxhere.com)

By Vladislava Sukhanovskaya
Capital News Service

LANSING — Michigan health officials expecting a heavier flu season than last year hope to vaccinate more than 40% of the population.

Last flu season Michigan’s vaccination rate was about 34%, according to the Michigan Care Improvement Registry. That was the highest state flu vaccination rate of all time, according to state health officials.

In the 2019-20 flu season 31.6% of people were vaccinated, according to state numbers.

The best time for flu shots is in September and October so people are protected before the flu starts to circulate, said Terri Adams, the section manager of immunizations at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. 

The new flu season may be worse than last year when COVID-19 precautions helped keep it from spreading.

“Last year we had a low number of flu cases, but we were mitigated at home, socially separated, schools closed and sports were canceled,” Adams said.

Rates of viral infections are already rising, said Dr. Rebecca Schein, a Michigan State University assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development.

“Last winter was odd in that there was very little influenza due to the infection prevention measures that were in place,” she said. “This year, we are already seeing rising rates of other viruses and we anticipate a typical flu season with high rates of infection.”

The flu vaccination rate reported by Michigan in the 2019-20 flu season is 31.6%. That is less than the 49.7% the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that year.

The gap is caused by differences in collecting data, state officials say.

The state figures count people from 6 months to 20 years and part of the population above 20. The federal data is based on the National Health Interview Survey, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System to estimate the number of vaccinated people according to the health officials.

Michigan’s federal 2019-20 flu vaccination rate ranks 38th in the nation and is just below the national average rate of 51.8%.

Among the reasons people refuse to get a flu shot is that they don’t think that they’ll get sick or they are afraid of vaccine side effects, according to research scientists at the CDC.

Flu season pops up in different months every year, and it’s hard to say when the next season starts, Adams said. She said peopleshould receive the shot at least two weeks prior to the flu beginning to circulate for maximum protection.

But since the influenza season peaks in February, Adams said, it’s still worth getting a vaccine after the winter holidays and even into the spring or summer.

“Persons can receive an influenza vaccine as long as they are available until the vaccine expires, which for most of the inventory is June 30, 2022,” said Jackie Anderson, the personal health supervisor at Barry-Eaton District Health Department.

“People can get a COVID-19 and a flu vaccination at the same time, Schein said. “I have to say we don’t have direct data of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and a flu vaccine together. But from what we know from other vaccines given in groups, the CDC is not concerned about them giving at the same time. They have said that it is fine to get them together.”

Dr. Annette Mercatante, the medical health officer at the St. Clair County Health Department, agreed.

“In general, we like to vaccinate simultaneously because people don’t tend to come back,” Mercatante said. “So, you have them in front of you (and) you want to get them all vaccines that they are eligible for.”

It is official: Wyoming is now the home of University of Michigan Health-West

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Staff are getting new lab coats with the University of Michigan-West on them. (Supplied)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Today’s the day that Metro Health — University of Michigan Health’s name officially changes to University of Michigan Health – West.

The new name, announced earlier this year, serves two purpose. It describes the organization’s role as part of the state’s top-ranked health system, University of Michigan Health. And it emphasizes a focus on West Michigan, where the organization had been working to advance healthcare for eight decades.

Peter Hahn, MD, MBA, president and CEO of Metro Health – University of Michigan Health (Supplied)

Visible changes will be gradual as physicians and staff receive new lab coats and uniforms, and correspondence and signage are updated for multiple sites across West Michigan. The transition is expected to continue into 2022. Throughout the process, the experience for patients will be seamless. Patients will not need to change anything in the way they connect with services.

“University of Michigan Health-West will have the same progressive, patient-focused culture as when we were known as Metro Health or Metropolitan Hospital or Grand Rapids Osteopathic Hospital,” said Dr. Peter Hahn, president and CEO, University of Michigan Health-West. “Our founding physicians would be proud of our identity today, as part of one of the world’s greatest health systems.”

Metro Health was found in 1942 as the Grand Rapids Osteopathic Hospital with a home on Lake Drive converted to serve the new facility. In 1957, the hospital moved to Boston Street in Grand Rapids. In 1985, the hospital’s name was changed to Metropolitan Hospital.

In 2003, construction began on the the Metro Health Village in Wyoming and in 2005 the hospital changed its name to Metro Health.In 2007, the Metro Health Village was open and two years later, the hospital began relationships with the University of Michigan Health in several areas: cancer, neurosciences, pulmonology, cardiology, endocrinology, pediatric cardiology and pediatric endocrinology.

The former Metro Health became the premier affiliate of University Michigan Health on Dec. 15, 2016.

“As we approach the fifth anniversary of the affiliation, the name change reminds us of what our relationship with University of Michigan Health has made possible,” said Hahn. “Sept. 27 will become another important milestone of our long, proud legacy of innovation, compassion and excellence.”

Gradual changes will take place with new signage and other details. (Supplied)

Recent years have see the addition of multiple services and capabilities, including more outpatient care sites, certification as a comprehensive stroke center, and groundbreaking regional partnerships to advance cancer and cardiovascular care. Earlier this year, the state grand approval to launch Michigan’s first new open-heart surgery program in nearly 20 years.

 

“These accomplishment are bringing world-class care close to home for the patients we serve across West Michigan,” Hahn said. “This really is a testament to the dedicated staff across our organization, as well as visionary leadership through the years that made us who we are today. Together, they have set the stage for an even brighter future as University of Michigan Health-West.”

The 208-bed acute-care osteopathic teaching hospital serves 250,000 patients and 61,500 emergency patients a year, with more than 500 physicians on staff. UM Health-West operates 30 neighborhood outpatient centers and offices in West Michigan. 

Kentwood’s The Vibe offered inspiration, information about unique adaptive recreation

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Kentwood resident Brad Dion talks to the crowd at the City of Kentwood’s The Vibe event recently. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The Kentwood and West Michigan community, both those involved in and those who support the city’s Adaptive Recreation Programs, turned out as the city’s Parks and Recreation Department put on its “The Vibe” event recently.

The annual celebration and fundraiser, held Sept. 16 at the city’s Kent District Library branch, was a night of inspiration — especially the story of guest speaker Brad Dion — as well as a chance to mix with like-minded people supporting the goals and continuation of local adaptive recreation programs such as waterskiing and indoor rock climbing.

(WKTV informational videos on the various programs, produced with the Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department for TheVibe event, are linked at the bottom of this story.)

The Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department team supporting the Adaptive Recreation at September’s The Vibe event. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

Adaptive Recreation Program coordinator Ann Przybysz talked to WKTV at the event about the importance and uniqueness of the program — “The program serves those typically underserved in other recreation programs. We appreciate offering very inclusive programs.”

However, the highlight of the event, other than the money raised for a special need for the adaptive recreation water skiing program, was clearly Dion talking about his life, his efforts to overcome disability, and his passion for helping others to overcome — to thrive — however disabled.

“I like to call it a different ability,” Dion told the gathering from his wheelchair. “I don’t know what the future will hold, but I do know I will continue to be involved with these programs. Continue to teach wheelchair tennis to Kentwood parks and rec kids. To be involved.”

(See his complete talk, recorded by WKTV, above. And you can follow him on Facebook and Instagram.)

 

Dion, a longtime Grand Rapids resident and East Kentwood High School graduate, shared his life experiences of living with cerebral palsy, accomplishing goals and giving back to his community.

As a wheelchair athlete, Dion enjoys competing in wheelchair tennis. He also loves to mentor and coach wheelchair sports to kids with disabilities. While he spends his days inside the classroom teaching fifth- and sixth-grade general education as well as supporting special education. He has learned to use his life story, living with a “different ability,” to show others that “the sky’s truly the limit when it comes to what someone can do if they set their mind to it.”

Funds raised at this year’s event will go toward purchasing new jet skis for Kentwood’s adaptive water ski program — essential safety equipment as staff must be able to get to participants very quickly if necessary. The program includes various adaptive water ski clinics offered by the Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department in partnership with community partners.

Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department program coordinator Katelyn Bush and one of her Adaptive Recreation participants at September’s The Vibe event. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

The Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department provides Michigan’s most comprehensive adaptive recreation programming, according to supplied material, and does so in partnership with community partners such as Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan, Hope Network and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital and dozens of volunteers.

Adaptive programs available include archery, bike club, boccia league, bowling, canoeing, downhill skiing, golf league, leisure club, kayaking, rock climbing, track and field clinics, pickleball, wake boarding and water skiing, along with dances and other social events.

Open to individuals of all abilities in Kentwood and beyond, the programs enable participants to enjoy the benefits that come with any athletic or recreational activity, such as a sense of camaraderie, improved confidence and new skills.

To learn about current offerings, visit kentwood.us/adaptive.

Videos of various programs

Adaptive Archery

Adaptive Kayaking

Adaptive Snow Skiing

Adaptive Rock Climbing

Adaptive Water Skiing

GR YMCA’s Veggie Vans bring fresh food, healthy ideas to Kentwood, West Michigan residents

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The YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids’ Veggie Vans offer up not only fresh farmers market food but also heathy advice and information. (YMCA GR)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Most people think of the YMCA as being focused on healthy bodies through exercise, programs and classes. Yes, but healthy eating is also a key part of promoting healthy bodies.

On Monday, Sept. 27, residents of Kentwood’s Tamarisk Apartments will gain the opportunity for both healthy food and healthy ideas when they get a visit from one of the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids’ Veggie Vans as part of its ongoing regional tour of Y’s new community program.

On board the van will not only be fresh, healthy food but also information on other YMCA efforts, and available social programs, designed to help underserved residents live a more health lifestyle.

The YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids’ new Veggie Vans offer up fresh produce and other healthy foods. (YMCA GR)

“Eating healthy is a critical part to having a healthy body,” Belisa Melton, GR YMCA community collaborations director, said to WKTV. “That is why the Veggie Van also promotes the YMCA’s Healthy Corner Stores initiative, which connects small-scale growers and distributors with urban corner stores to increase the fresh fruits and vegetables to households across West Michigan.

“The goal is to bring healthier and more affordable food options to communities that often have limited fresh options by making local produce more readily available at neighborhood markets.”

And the is just part of the YMCA’s offerings.

“The Veggie Van also provides visitors with opportunities to learn about and engage with the YMCA’s free community fitness programs and nutrition education classes,” Melton said.

The Veggie Van will also serve up conversation and education about how to use the produce or benefits such as Double Up Food Bucks or SNAP.

“The knowledge of these programs and the opportunity to learn more from a trusted resource is important,” according to a recent YMCA announcement.

The Veggie Van’s September schedule for Kentwood-Wyoming includes a stop at Tamarisk Apartments, 4520 Bowen Blvd. SE, Kentwood, from 10-11 a.m., Monday, Sept. 27.

Goal: fresh veggies; fresh ideas

YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids, knowing farmers markets are a summer favorite for many West Michigan residents but not everyone has access to one, developed the Veggie Van as the region’s first mobile farmers market.

The YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids’ new Veggie Vans offer up fresh produce and other healthy foods. (YMCA GR)

The YMCA Veggie Van delivers locally grown, top-quality fruits and vegetables at cost directly to apartment complexes, senior living facilities and other locations in Grand Rapids and Muskegon, according to the recent announcement. The Veggie Van’s two vehicles run year-round, making stops in neighborhoods to provide “vulnerable communities with access to locally sourced produce when in season or sourced from local grocers.”

 

On a weekly basis, the YMCA supplements local produce suppliers to stock the vans by growing its own produce in a greenhouse and in raised beds at the Mary Free Bed YMCA branch.

Access to healthy, fresh food continues to be a significant issue for community members across the region, according to the announcement. While the pandemic has heightened awareness for the food deserts in our communities, the critical need for food security existed prior and continues now. Access to quality food can lead to improved work and school performance, healthy bodies and minds and stronger communities all while preventing chronic disease.

“The Veggie Van is a physical representation of health, wellness and community building,” Nicole Hansen, district executive director of community engagement and youth development, said in supplied material. “Through the availability of nutritious food, our teams help create access and success for those seeking to improve healthy habits.
 

“We believe strongly in building positive experiences with fruits and vegetables that lead to the consistent consumption of healthy meals by individuals and families throughout all neighborhoods in West Michigan.”
 

The YMCA Veggie Van is sponsored by the David and Carol Van Andel Family Foundation, Spectrum Health, Nelson Neighborhood Association and The Mart Dock.

For more information on the YMCA’s Healthy Corner Stores program visit grymca.org/healthy-corner-stores.

For more information on the YMCA’s community fitness and nutrition education classes visit grymca.org/community-group-fitness and grymca.org/community-programs.