Yoga is just one of the classes offered through Eaglecrest Healthy Agining, which is part of the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan. (pxhere.com)
Are you looking for ways to become or stay active in the new year? Don’t know where to start? Eaglecrest Healthy Aging — part of the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan — may be the right fit for you. Their motto is “Start where you are! Use what you have! Do what you can!” There is no pressure to jump into the highest level, instructors have modifications throughout the programming and can meet you where you are. They like to say, “You do You”.
In the new year, Eaglecrest Healthy Aging has expanded its suite of programming to include more specialized classes. The SISU Seated class will give folks just beginning to exercise, or those recovering from illness or injury, a place to start. Yoga, EnhanceFitness, Tai Chi, Boom Muscle, and Silver Sneakers Circuit are other classes that will help build endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility.
Eaglecrest Healthy Aging programs are designed specifically for older adults. They are dedicated to helping older adults stay active and independent, offering evidence-based classes that are safe and effective. As people get older the chance of suffering a fall increases. According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), 1 in 4 Americans aged 65 and older falls each year. Incorporating a balance and exercise program can help build up a body’s flexibility and strength.
The Eaglecrest Healthy Aging classes come to you via Zoom. Want to try it without making a commitment? Interested participants can try all the live classes virtually for a week for free. Participants can meet the team of certified instructors and see the class format before committing to buying a package. There is no cost for SilverSneakers or Silver & Fit insurance members.
As an Eaglecrest Healthy Aging member, participants also gain access to its wide library of videos, so you can fit your workouts into your schedule. The revamped virtual class schedule just launched on Jan. 3.
To sign up for your free week or to learn about membership and view the latest class calendar, visit www.aaawm.org/HA. You may also email healthyaging@aaawm.org, or call 616-588-2580.
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)
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.”
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.
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.”
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)
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
State law makers are considering a bill that would decriminalize psychedelic plants and fungi. (pxfuel.com)
By Cameryn Cass Capital News Service
As Ann Arbor readies for a one-year anniversary celebration of its decriminalization of psychedelic plants and fungi, state lawmakers are considering a similar move that would apply to the entire state.
It would drop the punishment for possessing and using entheogenic plants and fungi that contain naturally occurring psilocybin, mescaline, ibogaine, psilocyn, dimethyltryptamine and other hallucinogenic compounds.
Sens. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, and Adam Hollier, D-Detroit, recently introduced the legislation. The bill would be the first step in encouraging research and understanding about these controversial substances that have medicinal and religious value and a low propensity for abuse, Irwin said.
“To me, it makes a lot of sense to focus on these substances and decriminalize them because locking people up and spending police time and resources trying to ruin people’s lives over use of these substances makes zero sense,” he said. “We need to end the war on drugs.”
Sen. Roger Victory, R-Hudsonville (Supplied)
In 2016, Michigan spent $860.3 million to enforce drug control, according to the Cato Institute. Irwin said he wants to refocus this effort on helping people with programs and therapy, a strategy for drug control that a handful of other cities, states and countries have followed.
Sen. Roger Victory, R-Hudsonville, who chairs the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, has not scheduled it for a hearing.
“It’s not on my radar screen,” he said. “There’s a lot to consider.”
There is more research and clinical testing to do, said Victory, who wants to review scientific studies before taking it up.
Michael Williams, the co-director of Decriminalize Nature Michigan, an advocacy group that lobbied Ann Arbor to decriminalize entheogenic plants, said that any substance carries a risk.
These substances are largely non-addictive and safe, said Williams, who credits them with helping end his drug addiction.
“You just need to weigh the risk with the benefit,” he said.
Psychedelic drugs have been used with therapy to help patients suffering from depression, anxiety and substance abuse, according to Decriminalize Nature.
Especially helpful are psychedelic mushrooms containing psilocybin, which binds with several serotonin receptors, according to a study in the Mental Health Clinician.
With these substances being illegal, people are “constantly having to make that choice about whether or not to take a product that helps relieve their pain or their stress and breaking the law,” Irwin said.
But critics worry about the impact on impaired driving.
As there is no set chemical test to give someone suspected of being under the influence of a hallucinogenic drug, a certified drug recognition expert is required to make an arrest, said Robert Stevenson, the executive director of the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police.
There are only 100 certified drug recognition experts in Michigan, and certifying more is a lengthy process, Stevenson said. Drivers suspected to be under the influence of a hallucinogenic drug also require a blood test, which requires a search warrant.
After the legalization of recreational marijuana, there were similar concerns about an increase of drug driving.
“We haven’t seen the surge they had expected,” said Marquette County Sheriff Greg Zyburt. “Originally, everyone thought the sky was going to fall in, and we haven’t seen that.”
Advocates of decriminalization argue it’s unlikely that impaired driving rates will increase, as it’s unlikely that recreational use will increase.
“If someone is impaired and they are unsafe to be on the road, that’s going to come out in the examination on the roadside,” Irwin said. “There’s a relatively small number of users, and people who do use usually use much less frequently.”
As Michigan is looking to decriminalize only entheogenic plants, Irwin said “part of the beauty of decriminalization, for its limitations, is that it doesn’t require any enforcement.”
Decriminalizing psychedelics has been on ballots around the country several times with varying success. Advocates are looking for a way to end former President Richard Nixon’s 1971 war on drugs.
“We need to end the war on drugs. The war on drugs is the granddaddy of all big government failures,” Irwin said.
Now is the time to do what you can to boost your and your family’s immune systems. Cases of COVID-19/Delta variant are on the rise. Kids are back in school. And the fall flu season is just around the corner. In addition to heeding the good advice of the Kent County Health Department, you can take five easy steps to make yourself less vulnerable to colds, flu, and COVID. 1. Eat. 2. Drink. 3. Move. 4. Sleep. 5. Align!
1. Eat healthy foods. When fall activities take a bite out of your time, avoid falling into the fast-food trap. The time you spend cooking healthy foods from scratch today may well save you time and money spent on illness tomorrow. Nutritious local fruits and veggies are still in season so make them most of your plate. On its website, the Mayo Clinic talks about the importance of good foods to the immune system, sharing that recent studies have identified a few key nutrients as being critical to immune cell growth and function: Iron, zinc, and vitamins A, C, D, and E.
2. Stay hydrated. I suggest drinking half your body weight in ounces of water each day — if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 ounces of water. According to Johns Hopkins Health Library, your body needs water to power the lymph fluid, which helps your immune system fight off sickness. Water also helps you to maintain a normal body temperature.
3. Exercise. Though they may seem like opposites, both exercise and sleep provide huge boosts to your immune system. According to WebMD, people who don’t exercise regularly get more colds than people who do. WebMD advises, “Try to get regular, moderate exercise, like a daily 30-minute walk. It can help your immune system fight infection.” Exercise also relieves stress that also puts a damper on immune function.
4. Sleep. This is just as important. Adults usually require at least eight hours a night, children and teens more than that. People who don’t get enough sleep are more apt to catch colds or other infections.
5. Align your spine. Published studies have established that the nervous system controls the immune system — a compromised nervous system can cause the immune system to function less than optimally. Other studies show that a single chiropractic adjustment stimulates increased immune system activity for hours after an adjustment Chiropractic adjustments correct spinal subluxations and can help restore this communication link.
Regular chiropractic wellness care keeps your body, and your immune system, functioning the best they possibly can for a lifetime!
A biologist sampling for aquatic insects. Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy staff sampled 741 locations over the summer of 2020. Credit: Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Quality. (Supplied)
By McCoy Scribner Capital News Service
The Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy is assessing the state’s water quality, something that’s necessary in a state that’s rich in water resources.
The department is conducting its annual surface water sampling to protect human health and aquatic life and to maintain suitability for recreation.
Water sampling is done at locations across the state. But certain locations are trend sites. This means staff will return in consecutive years to understand what long-term developments look like.
Kevin Goodwin is an integrated report specialist for water assessment with Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. He says the department samples for a variety of reasons.
“Things like bacteria levels, E. coli for concerns for human health, to fish contaminants looking at whether or not folks can eat fish safely in the state, to looking at insects and other fish communities to see what the ecosystem looks like and a host of other things,” Goodwin said.
Sampling takes place in rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water.
In 2020, the staff sampled:
151 macroinvertebrate sites
73 water chemistry monitoring sites
31 harmful algal bloom monitoring sites
123 E. coli monitoring sites
48 fish contaminant monitoring sites
287 PFAS surface water sampling sites
7 sediment sampling projects
9 river nutrient expression sampling sites
12 lake nutrient expression sampling sites
Goodwin says the team has a process where it asks for input on where staff should go and what problems there might be.
“That’s kind of a targeted approach. We can pick places that we or others have an interest or concern and we can look there. Then we’ve got other programs that we’re just kind of broadly moving around the state just to kind of keep general tabs of what’s going [on].”
Results start becoming available in the fall through the winter. The timing depends on how long it takes to get the lab results entered into various databases, quality-checked and then analyzed.
McKoy’s story is brought to you as part of a partnership between WKAR and Michigan State University’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism.
Climate change could be the next impact on public health. (pxhere.com)
By Elaine Mallon Capital News Service
More than three-quarters — 77% — of local health department officials surveyed across Michigan agree that climate change will impact their jurisdiction in the next 20 years, according to a recent study in the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences.
The study examined local health departments’ readiness and perception of climate change on public health.
An undergrad at the University of Michigan, Julie Carter, led the research for her honors thesis project. Carter said the discrepancy between health officials’ view on the impact of climate change and how they prioritize climate change was the most interesting take away from the study.
Only 35% of the officials said that climate change was a priority in their department, even though over three quarters said it will be a problem in the future.
The state Department of Health and Human Services has identified five adverse health effects of climate change. They are heat illness, respiratory diseases due to change in air quality, waterborne diseases, vector- borne diseases, and injury and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Patricia Koman is a research investigator in environmental health sciences at the University of Michigan and a co-author of the study.
According to Koman, health departments can’t direct policies centered around climate change without the support of community leaders. She said it’s crucial for people like elected officials and business leaders to also be knowledgeable about health effects related to climate change.
“If these groups have little or no knowledge, or if the local public health department doesn’t know what’s going on with these leaders, that means that they’re not having the necessary conversations about climate change,” Koman said.
“It means that they aren’t doing everything they can to prepare. As we saw in the (Covid-19) pandemic, when we’re not prepared, people suffer.”
Each negative health effect was recognized as a current issue for local departments.
However, 56% of those surveyed said vector-borne illness is a problem. Health and Human Services reports that as winters become milder and summers become hotter, mosquitoes and ticks will survive in larger numbers, leading to greater risk of Lyme and West Nile diseases.
The Michigan Environmental Public Health Tracking reports that 334 ticks were collected in 1999. The population has fluctuated each year, but a record number of 1,412 ticks were collected in 2019. In 2020, the number fell to 650.
In line with the rise in ticks is the rise in Lyme disease cases. The department found 66 Lyme disease cases in 2011. Eight years later, 370 cases were recorded.
Kalamazoo County reported the most cases: 53.
The survey, conducted in 2019 but not published until earlier this year, went to officials from all 45 local health departments in the state. There were 35 responses from both urban and rural areas, representing 60% of the agencies.
Koman said the attitudes of health department officials on climate-related health issues may have changed since 2019.
“The public health implications of climate change are becoming more and more apparent,” Koman said.
According to Koman, recent flooding in the Detroit area, which prompted Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to declare a state of emergency, and the severe drought at one point across over a third of the state indicate that not only are these effects happening now, but they’re expected to increase.
Since 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Climate and Health Program has worked with states in implementing policies and procedures oriented around climate change. The nationwide program receives $10 million in funding, but the Biden administration budget blueprint allocates an increase to $110 million.
At the state level, the climate health program has received $200,000 each year for the past 10 years, according to Aaron Ferguson of the state Department of Health and Human Services.
“At least from our program’s perspective, that doesn’t leave a lot to provide direct funding for local health departments,” Ferguson said.
The state agency focuses on training local health department leaders by integrating environmental health impacts in assessments of a community’s needs, and also helps track climate data.
Both Carter and Koman said that one reason local departments may not prioritize climate health effects is because they are underfunded. However, Ferguson said it doesn’t necessarily require extra work to integrate climate health planning into what officials are already doing.
“We just have to reshape with climate effects in mind,” Ferguson said. “Climate change is a risk multiplier, so the things that are already impacting communities, climate change has the potential to make it worse.”
As the manager of the state agency’s climate and tracking unit, he said that while each community may differ in the severity of climate health effects, increased precipitation is the most pressing issue at hand for everyone.
“Mid-Michigan overall has gotten wetter,” he said. “Precipitation is heavier. And just a couple of weekends ago, we saw that the 100-year or 500-year rain and flood events are occurring much more frequently than that. We’ve probably seen four or five of these types of events in the seven years since I’ve been with the department.”
In addition to putting a strain on farmers, increased precipitation has led to flooding in peoples’ basements and potential exposures to sewage and other contaminants.
After a 2014 flood event, Macomb County did a health impact assessment and found an increase in negative mental health effects from the disaster — particularly in low-income and minority areas of the county.
“Mental health in these sorts of recurring events is a big issue, especially when you’re already in the middle of coming out of a pandemic,” Ferguson said.
Along with proponents integrating climate change into the conversation of public health, he said that it must transcend all facets of public life.
“There’s a lot of room for infrastructure design for the climate that we have now,” Ferguson said. “It goes back to bringing the health perspective to infrastructure planners. We need to help them understand that there’s a real health impact, and a lot of it is from climate change, but a lot of it’s because our communities aren’t prepared for that kind of stuff.”
As both pro and against masks supporters protested in Kent County, Kent County Health Department Administrative Health Officer Adam London issued a statement announcing he had no plans at this time to issue a mask mandate.
Dr. Adama London’s full statement on COVID guidelines and masks. (Kent County Health Department)
“…I am not issuing a public health order mandating masks in the schools at this time,” London said in the three-page release. “This decision is due to the reality that not all options have been exhausted to prevent the danger before us.
“The schools and the parents have even a greater power than the health department to protect the children and the community in this instance.”
London said the challenge facing many communities across the nation is indeed severe. The Delta variant spreads many times quicker than the original form of the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevent has estimated that upwards of 83 percent of all new COVID cases in the U.S. are the Delta variant.
According to London, a person infected with the the Delta variant will, on average, spread that infection to between five and nine others compared to the original form which spreads to two or thee other people. The current surge in new COVID cases began in the southern states and is rapidly advancing across the nation.
“Sadly, there has also been a steep incline in the number of pediatric COVID cases reported over the past six weeks from about 8,400 per week to almost 94,000 last week,” he said, adding that pediatricians are also increasingly concerned about multi system inflammatory syndrome, which can be serious, even deadly inflammation of a child’s internal organs, and also the chronic effects of long-term COVID.
According to Kent County Health Department information, in Michigan, the new COVID cases has risen from 11 per day in early July to 86 per day this week. The rate of which COVID tests are found to be positive has increased from 2 percent to 7.3 percent during that same timeframe.
“At this time, I am presenting the community with the highest recommendation possible that schools and the parents require adherence to the guidance of the CDC, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and the Kent County Health Department,” London said in his statement. “Above all, I expect that the children under the age of 12, who are not yet eligible for vaccine, are protected through mask use and other proven prevention strategies.”
For up-to-date information on COVID and related issues, visit the Kent County Health Department’s website
For many American families, back to school means back to waking up early, stressful schedules, and junk food. All three of these can wear down children’s immune systems, leaving them more vulnerable to colds, the flu, and, these days, COVID-19. What can parents do keep their kids’ immune response strong? The answer is a lot!
Sleep, the great healer
As the new school year approaches, start encouraging kids to wake up and go to bed a little earlier each day. That way, the 6 a.m. alarm won’t be such a shock on the first day of school. According to the Mayo Clinic, when we don’t get quality sleep we are more likely to get sick when exposed to a virus. And, when we do get sick, we might not recover as fast.
When we sleep, our immune system releases cytokine proteins, which not only help promote sleep but help our bodies handle infections and stress. When kids don’t get enough sleep, their bodies may make fewer cytokines. Lack of sleep also reduces our bodies’ production of the antibodies that fight off infections.
Over-scheduled and overwhelmed
Another hallmark of the school year is the full calendar. Between schoolwork, sports, clubs, music lessons, and other appointments, many families rarely have time to enjoy some good old-fashioned downtime. One lesson we learned during the COVID lockdowns was how to be with our families. Resist the urge to step back into overbooked routines amp up stress and reduce quality family time.
On its website FamilyDoctor.org, The American Academy of Pediatrics advises, “Finding a balance between school, activities, and play can mean the difference between a well-adjusted child and a stressed-out one. Finding this balance is different for every child. It’s up to you, as the parent or guardian, to find the mixture of scheduled time and play time that works best for your child.”
Try to arrange your schedules so kids have free time every day and a day every week with nothing to do.
Overfed and undernourished
Back to school too often means back to junk food. We cave into sugar cereals at breakfast to get them to eat something. If kids eat hot lunch at school, they may eat the sugary treats and throw the real food. In the trash. And, when school activities dominate the calendar, it’s way too easy to serve them a fast-food dinner.
Plan ahead
Make a list of healthy breakfast, lunch and snack items that your child will eat and stock your pantry accordingly. Look for items without added sugars or chemicals and 100% whole grains. Stock up on fresh fruits and veggies—bring baggies of carrots, celery and green pepper with you when you go to pick the kids up. Keep them on the table for munching. Serve them alongside meals. Instead of chips and cookies, stock up on nuts, seeds, 100% whole grain cracker snacks. Don’t forget the cheese and peanut butter! Pop some popcorn the old-fashioned way–in a pan on the stove where you control the additives.
Plan healthy dinners, too. Put that crock pot to use or cook two portions and keep one for the next day to cut your prep time in half. As you cook dinner, relax. The simple act of preparing healthy food can bring solace to the soul as well as health to the body.
A well-adjusted child
You may not have realized that chiropractic care is for kids, too. Many spinal problems seen in adults begin at childhood. Children experience bumps, falls and accidents almost daily. These incidents can cause their spine to misalign the same as they do in adults. Chiropractic care keeps children’s spines and nervous systems healthy, too! Chiropractic adjusting techniques are modified to fit a child’s size, weight and unique spinal problem. Parents of children, who are regularly adjusted, report that their children seem healthier than other children their age.
It’s good to see schools opening and kids getting back to normal. Let’s all do the best we can to support the kids in our lives with good sleep, good times, good food, and good care!
Metro Health – University of Michigan Health, which will soon become University of Michigan – West, will be adding cardiovascular services with a new agreement between the health facility and Mercy Health Saint Mary’s and Mercy Health Muskegon. (Supplied)
Work is underway at Metro Health – University of Michigan Health Hospital campus in Wyoming to accommodate new cardiovascular services now that a joint operating agreement has been finalized.
Peter Hahn, MD, MBA, president and CEO of Metro Health – University of Michigan Health (Supplied)
On July 21, Metro Health (which is becoming University of Michigan Health – West), Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, and Mercy Health Muskegon finalized the agreement to form the Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan. Under this agreement, the network will be providing advance cardiovascular services such as coronary artery bypass surgery, cardiac valve repair or replacement, and repair for birth defects. The network also will utilize the clinical expertise of University of Michigan Health’s Frankel Cardiovascular Center, one of the nation’s highest-rated centers for cardiology and heart surgery, and the No. 1-rated program in the state. The services will be offered at Metro Health.
Dr. Peter Hahn, CEO of Metro Health – University of Michigan Health, said the network is envisioned as the region’s leading program for open-heart, structural heart and advanced electrophysiology services.
“This will show what is possible through innovative regional collaboration, working in tandem with one of the highest-ranked heart programs in the nation, University of Michigan Health,” Hahn said.
Network partners have selected key leadership to advance their plans, which include expanding open- heart surgery availability in the Grand Rapids market, adding choice to the largest population center in the state currently with only a single open-heart program.
The network’s inaugural executive director will be Dr. Himanshu J. Patel, a U-M cardiac surgeon, Joe D. Morris Collegiate Professor of Cardiac Surgery and Section Head of Adult Cardiac Surgery at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center. The administrative director will be Kristine Todd, clinical service director for heart and vascular services at Mercy Health Saint Mary’s. The network also announced the appointment of two associate medical directors: Dr. Matthew Sevensma of Metro Health – University of Michigan Health, and Dr. Eugene Chung of Michigan Medicine.
Dr. Himanshu J. Patel, executive director for the Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan
Patel said the network builds on a strong history of cardiovascular collaboration each of the partners has established with University of Michigan Health.
“This initiative is based on each partner’s overarching goal of providing not only the highest quality care, but also choice for the patients we serve in west Michigan,” Patel said. “To accomplish this goal, for the fastest-growing part of our state we will also leverage the rich expertise already present at University of Michigan’s Frankel Cardiovascular Center.”
Physicians will confer on cases in a collaborative approach. This is similar to the tumor boards established by the Cancer Network of West Michigan, which the same partners established last year to provide broader regional access to advanced, state-of-the-art, comprehensive diagnosis, treatment and support.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services earlier this year issued a certificate of need authorizing open-heart procedures at the Wyoming site. Later phases of the network’s plans call for a dedicated facility.
All hospital providers and staff will remain employed by their respective health systems, and no staff reductions will take place as a result of this agreement.
The Kent County Health Department is looking for residents to join one for four subcommittees to help implement its three-year strategic plan. (Supplied)
The Kent County Health Department is looking for partnering agencies, organizations, and residents to join in developing and implementing its three-year strategic plan 2020 Community Needs Assessment.
This is the next step in the Needs Assessment which was was started in August 2020 with a community-wide survey asking residents to identify the most pressing health issues impacting Kent County. The survey results identified four areas – mental health, access to health care, discrimination and racial inequity, and economic security – as priorities for the community. Based on these results, an action-oriented and collaborative strategic plan will be developed and implemented to address these community concerns.
“In order to address the health needs of our community, we not only need community input in identifying the areas of concern but we must have community participation in implementing the strategies to addresses those issues,” said KCHD Public Health Division Director Brian Hartl. “We encourage anyone who would like to be part of this process to join a subcommittee.”
Interested individuals should complete a survey by Monday, July 26. Subcommittee participation will require a one-year commitment and attendance at monthly subcommittee meetings and quarterly coalition meetings.
The Health Department is also seeking individuals to serve as subcommittee chairs. Individuals serving in this capacity must have previous or current affiliation with a community-based organization and be willing to facilitate.
KCHD has been in the business of providing health services to Kent County since 1931. The Health Department is home to nearly 260 employees including public health nurses, sanitarians, health educators, technicians, public health administrators, and specialized staff at the Kent County Animal Shelter. The Health Department operates one main clinic and three satellite clinics located in Kentwood, Rockford, and Grand Rapids. To learn more about KCHD services, visit www.accesskent.com/health.
For a person with sickle cell disease, a blood transfusion remains one of the most effective and proven treatments, according to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. So imagine heading to the hospital and possibly not being able to receive that treatment.
This is what many West Michigan hospitals and blood clinics are facing as blood donations have dropped “to critically levels” since the COVID pandemic, according to Kent County Health Department’s Administrative Health Officer Dr. Adam London.
“Donations have been down certainly due to the pandemic,” said Versiti Area Vice President and Director of Donor Services Dawn Kaiser, during a recent interview on A Matter of Public Health podcast, hosted by the Kent County Health Department. “We were down about 40 percent in 2020 and into 2021 because of high schools, colleges, and university not hosting — kids are at home learning — and that is where we get our brand new donors and about 40 percent of our blood.”
The same is true for many businesses, with people working from home, making it difficult for organizations to host mobile drives.
One such Versiti blood drive partner that has faced those struggles has been SpartanNash which has hosted blood drives at its offices and distribution center, both located in Byron Center, since 2015. The grocery company received the Beacon of Hope award in 2019 from Versiti for its blood drives which in had collected 560 donations treating about 1,680 patients that year. In the past six years, SpartanNash employees have donated more than 2,000 pints of blood.
According to Versiti Blood Center, it receives about 60 percent of its blood from mobile blood drives hosted by local businesses and other organizations. (pxhere.com)
“We have been a longtime Versiti blood drive partner,” said SpartanNash Community Engagement Specialist Courtney Carlson. “With COVID, we discovered we just couldn’t do that as our distribution center was overloaded with supply chain issues and the risk of safety, we had to cancel our drives, especially during the COVID time.”
SpartanNash was able to host a drive in March of 2020, just as the state was starting to shutdown. But like many manufacturing and distribution centers, visitors were not allowed in to the SpartanNash distribution center and many of their office workers worked from home.
As the world resets itself and more employees return to work, events like blood drives can happen, according to London.
“Blood donation sites are a very low risk place in terms of COVID,” London said during the A Matter of Public Health podcast. “I am not aware of any outbreaks associated with a blood draw event and the majority of the blood we have in our blood supply comes from the sort of community events at churches and schools and places of work. We really need those places to step up and allow Versiti and other blood banks to come in and do their important work.”
SpartanNash hosted offsite blood drives over the past several months but next week will be having its first onsite blood drive since the pandemic at its distribution center. While the offsite donation drives helped, Carlson said it is much easier for employees to donate at their work place since they can simply take an hour, donate, and then get back to work versus having to drive to another location.
As for safety, Carlson said they have confidence in Versiti which requires face masks, has temperature checks before donating, cleans between donors, and works at making everyone comfortable.
“We are hoping that by letting the community know that we are hosting mobile blood drives at our facilities that it will inspire other work places and organizations to do the same,” she said.
London noted that about one in several people visiting a hospital will need blood and that the shortage is critical.
While O-type is always needed, blood from a diverse pool is very important, Kaiser said.
“Everybody has an A, B, or O blood type. Everybody is pretty familiar with that,” she said. “There is also about an alphabet after that most people don’t know. So a little more specific type.”
For African-Americans, 44 percent of them have a blood type called RO in addition to their A, B, O blood type. According to the Centers for Disease control, one our of 365 African-Americans have sickle cell anemia with the major treatment being blood transfusions. A person with sickle cell anemia may have 10 to 15 units of blood in a month and because of that need, would benefit from blood from someone with the same or similar ethnicity, according to Kaiser.
“That is why we are asking communities of color to roll up their sleeves and give back to their communities,” she said.
To host a blood drive or to donate, visit Versiti’s website, Versiti.org.
Those working for, contracting with, or conducing business at Mercy Health Saint Mary’s will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 21.
Trinity Health, the parent organization to Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, recently announced effective immediately, the national health system will require all colleagues, clinical staff, contractors, and those conducting business in its health care facilities be vaccinated against COVID-19. The requirement applies to Trinity Health’s more than 117,000 employees in 22 states nationwide.
This includes roughly 24,000 Trinity Health Michigan colleagues working across five Saint Joseph Mercy Health System hospitals, three Mercy Health hospitals – such as Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, and two employed medical groups – IHA and Mercy Health Physician Partners. Along with the hospital located in downtown Grand Rapids, there is a Mercy Health Southwest Campus in Byron Center, Mercy Health Physician Partners in Wyoming, Mercy Health Southeast Lab in Kentwood and several other Mercy Health locations in and around Grand Rapids.
Trinity Health is the second known healthcare organization to announce the COVID-19 vaccine requirement. Henry Ford Health System in Detroit made a similar announcement in June. Mercy Health Saint Mary’s is the first known health organization in Grand Rapids to require COVID vaccines. Officials from both Spectrum Health and University of Michigan Health – West (formerly Metro Health – University of Michigan Health) stated while encourage team members to get vaccinated, the vaccines are optional and not mandated.
Spectrum Health officials said nearly 70 percent of Spectrum’s on-site team members have been vaccinated.
“We continue to practice active infection control measures, including heightened cleaning protocols, masking n all clinical areas and a daily symptom survey for all on-site team members,” according to a hospital statement. “Additionally, we continue to monitor positivity and vaccination rates in the community and amount our team members.”
Since December 2020, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first vaccine for Emergency Use Authorization, Trinity Health has strongly encouraged vaccination for all colleagues and within the communities its various Health Ministries serve. To date, the health system estimates that nearly 75 percent of Trinity Health employees have already received at least one dose of the vaccine, and it now looks to close the gap with this new requirement.
“As a faith-based health care system we have pledged to protect the most vulnerable, those that have a high risk of developing severe health complications if they were to contract this deadly virus,” said Rob Casalou, president and CEO of Trinity Health Michigan and Southeast Regions. “We are grateful to all colleagues working inside our hospitals, and specifically those navigating the frontlines. We understand that not everyone will agree with this decision, but after listening to their feedback, and after careful consideration, we know this to be the right decision.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that more than 331 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the United States. The vaccines have proven to be safe and effective against symptomatic infections, hospitalizations and death, with more than 99% of COVID-19 deaths today occurring in unvaccinated people.
“As a trusted health care leader within Michigan communities, our patients and colleagues look to us to keep them safe,” said Rosalie Tocco-Bradley, PhD, MD, chief clinical officer of Trinity Health Michigan. “There is widespread acceptance of the vaccines and their effectiveness within the medical community. The science is clear – vaccines protect against infection and they help save lives.”
Employees at Trinity Health and its Health Ministries must meet a series of rolling deadlines, with most locations requiring them to submit proof of vaccination by Sept. 21, 2021. It has not yet been determined if a COVID-19 vaccine booster will be required annually, but if so, employees will also need to submit proof of the booster as needed. Exemptions are available for religious or health reasons and must be formally requested, documented, and approved. Employees who do not meet criteria for exemption and fail to show proof of vaccination will have their employment terminated.
Here in West Michigan, farmers market season is in full swing. Have you been to the Kentwood Farmers Market? It takes place at 4900 Breton Ave. SE on Thursdays from 4:30 to 7:30. In Wyoming, the Metro Health Farmers Market, also take place on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 5900 Byron Center Road SW. We all know that we should be eating more fresh fruits and vegetables. And there’s no time like now to get started on building a healthy habit.
According to the Harvard School of Public Health publication, The Nutrition Source, eating lots of vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some cancers, reduce eye and digestive problems, and help maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Eating apples, pears, and leafy greens might even help you lose weight.
You can go bananas trying to figure out which fruit or vegetable provides the exact vitamin or mineral you need. Or you can simply eat a wide variety from the nine different fruit and vegetable families. Next time you stop by the farmers market, choose a variety of types and colors to give your body all the kinds of nutrients it craves. There’s a lot to be said for fresh, local produce. When produce is picked green to accommodate long shipping distances, it loses nutritional content. In fact, eating quick-frozen local produce is probably more nutritious than eating fresh produce shipped thousands of miles from California or South America.
As I chiropractor, I love sharing how adjusting the spine helps all of the body’s organs to function better. And I love seeing my patients regain strength and mobility—and experience less pain. But I also love seeing patients who eat the healthy foods that support the work that I and the rest of their healthcare team provide.
Like I said, there’s no better time to start building a healthy habit than now—and there’s also no better time to visit your local farmers market.
Are you seeing purple? If yes, that’s because June is designated as Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. Those purple ribbons remind us of the fight against Alzheimer’s dementia. Everyone is at risk for Alzheimer’s. However, you can take action to reduce that risk.
While there is no known cure for Alzheimer’s, physicians can prescribe medications that can address its symptoms. And, as a chiropractor, I can’t help but point out the value of chiropractic adjustments. The brain and the spine work together to message and manage the entire body. An aligned spine can better relay the messages that the brain sends to the various organs and body parts. Many of my colleagues have reported success in supporting the journeys of their patients with Alzheimer’s.
What else can you do? Diet has been shown to be a big factor in brain health. Some experts are even calling Alzheimer’s disease Type 3 diabetes. Studies have found that some cases of Alzheimer’s disease were triggered by a form of diabetes in the brain. An Alzheimer’s gene variant, APOE4, seems to interfere with brain cells’ ability to use insulin. As a result, those brain cells seem to eventually starve and die. Mayo Clinic researchers have even tested an insulin nasal spray that has been developed to improve Alzheimer’s symptoms.
Alzheimer’s Association’s Longest Day will be June 21. (Alzheimer’s Association)
While treatments like this are wonderful, wouldn’t it be even better to reduce risks for the disease? That’s where choosing foods that do not lead to insulin resistance, prediabetes, and diabetes come in to play. In addition to avoiding sweets and carbs that wreak havoc on blood sugar levels, choose fatty fish, leafy greens, eggs, and legumes. When you make your stop at the farmers market this summer, stock up on strawberries, broccoli, squash, and avocados. In between meals, snack on trail mixes that include chia and flax seeds. Cook with extra virgin olive oil and don’t be shy about using lots of fresh garlic.
When you eat healthier, you’ll not only reduce your risks for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, but you’ll also improve your overall health. These other suggestions for reducing risk of Alzheimer’s from the Alzheimer’s Association do the same: Physical and mental exercise, smoking cessation, getting plenty of sleep, enjoying the company of friends and family, and avoiding head injuries.
Back to the color purple. If you see an extra flourish of purple ribbons this month, they may also be promoting the Alzheimer’s Association’s Fight Alzheimer’s on The Longest Day® campaign, taking place on June 20, the summer solstice. “The day with the most light is the day we fight®.” For information, visit ALZ.org.
When COVID-19 kept families apart, it meant fewer opportunities for loved ones to notice the signs of stroke. And so, more people fell victim to one of the leading causes of death and disability.
The pandemic contributed in several ways to an increase in fatal strokes in the United States last year, said Dr. Jeffrey Fletcher, who specializes in neurocritical care, neurology and vascular neurology for Metro Health – University of Michigan Health.
Despite the complications of COVID-19, the most important aspect of stroke treatment has never changed, he said: Every second counts to limit the risk of brain damage and death.
“It is essential to recognize the signs of stroke and call 911 to get to the hospital as soon as possible,” he said, “because time is still brain.”
May is Stroke Awareness Month, an appropriate time to emphasize the importance of recognizing the signs, which can be memorized by the acronym B.E. F.A.S.T.:
B-Balance (Is the person having trouble with balance?)
E-Eyes (Does the person have blurred or double vision?)
F-Face (Does the face look uneven?)
A-Arm (Is one arm or leg suddenly weak?)
S-Speech (Does speech sound strange?)
T-Time (It’s time to call 911)With early data showing a significant increase in stroke deaths in 2020, stroke remains a leading cause of death in the United States, bumped down to No. 4 only because of COVID- 19. But Fletcher noted that, even among survivors, stroke takes a huge toll as the leading cause of disability.The devastating effects of stroke are another argument to be vaccinated for COVID-19, he said. There is moderate evidence that contracting COVID-19 increases the risk of stroke – and strong evidence it can contribute to more severe stroke outcomes.“In terms of stroke prevention, there’s a lot you can do by limiting risk factors and leading a healthy life,” Fletcher said. “That would include things that mitigate the chance of getting COVID, such as following public health measures, including immunization.”Acknowledging recent concerns about very rare blood clots among people who received vaccines, Fletcher said, “the risk of stroke with COVID is 1,000 times greater.”
Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Fletcher remains optimistic about the future of stroke care. Technological advances mean doctors are able to treat more strokes than ever. But for that to be possible, patients must arrive as soon as possible at a comprehensive stroke center like the one at Metro Health – University of Michigan Health.
“It gets back to recognizing what B.E. F.A.S.T. means,” he said. “Calling 911 can be the difference between death, severe disability and recovery.”
To learn more about recognizing the signs of stroke, plus the resources for stroke survivors and their caregivers, visit the Metro Health – University of Michigan Health website.
For Dr. Adam London, the Kent County Health Department health officer, nothing underscores the need for people to get vaccinated than the more than 200 people hospitalized for COVID, of which 50 are fighting for their lives.
“We all want to get back to life as we want it to be as quickly as possible and the COVID vaccine and the vaccination is the best way to do that,” London said during a recent PSA for the Health Department. “We all want to see our restaurants full, we want concerts and ballparks and classrooms full. We want to get back to work and back to life as we want it to be here in West Michigan. The power to do that is your hands.”
London said the best way to accomplish these goals is for people to get vaccinated, and for those already vaccinated, to encourage or help others to do the same.
London noted that the vaccines are safe and and effective and are held to the highest standards before being approved. More than 75 percent of people 65 or older have received vaccines and that group is having the fewest number of new cases, London said.
The groups that are driving up the resurgence are the 20s and 30-year-olds, London said. In the twenty-something group, there is a 22 percent vaccination rate and in the thirty-something group, there is about a 32 percent vaccination rate.
“We need to do what we can to get these numbers down,” London said. “We are seeing more than 400 new cases of COVID diagnosed everyday in Kent County.”
For those unable to navigate the internet or schedule appointments online, they can call 2-1-1 for assistance.
For more about COVID cases in Kent County, visit the Kent County Public Health Department’s website.
March was Women’s History Month and with that in mind, this is a good time to highlight the everyday women’s journey through healthcare.
Most young women are healthy and are not seen for regular checkups, however even as a young adult routine exam are essential. Same goes for men. By the time you are 18 years of age you should have had one or more encounters with a health care professional to monitor your growth, been seen for a sick visit, or even received a vaccine.
You should visit your health care provider from time to time even if you are healthy. The purpose of these visits is to:
1. Assist you in getting to know your provider just in case you may become ill
2. Encourage a healthy lifestyle
3. Screen for Medical concerns
4. Go over Family and Past Medical history
5. Update Vaccinations
6. Assess your risks for future medical problems
7. Physical Exam
8. Obtain routine lab work
These visits could help you to avoid medical conditions such as high cholesterol and diabetes that are often obtained from labs in the early stages without evidence of symptoms. Not to mention high blood pressure is checked regularly at these visits.
There are of course more specific times when you should see your provider especially between the ages of 18 and 39.
You may be screened for alcohol misuse as early as 18-years-old with too much drinking being seen as greater than three drinks per day or seven drinks per week.
Screening for mammograms begins at 40, while screening for colon cancer begins at 50 but should be considered sooner if someone in your family has or has had it/
Cholesterol screening should start at 20 if you have known risk factors for heart disease such as smoking, high blood pressure, obesity or family history.
Go to your dentist twice a year or yearly.
Receive a flu shot every year. Also consider the COVID 19 vaccine as well as get up to date with all other vaccines.
Cervical Cancer screenings begin at age 21 and as per provider recommendations thereafter usually ranging from three to five years depending on your age.
Just how deadly colorectal cancer can be came to light with the death of actor Chad Bostwick, best known for the movie “The Black Panther.” After a four year battle, Bostwick died on Aug. 28, 2020.
Per the Centers for Disease Control, colorectal cancer, also known as color cancer, bowel cancer, and rectal cancer, affects both women and men and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Every year, approximately 140,000 people in the U.S. get colorectal cancer and more than 50,000 people die from it.
The American Cancer Society predicts that 1 in 21 men and 1 in 23 women with develop colorectal cancer in their lifetime.
Regular screenings for cancer can improve or save your life. These screenings began at age 50 are essential for preventing colorectal cancer. If you are 50-75, get screened regularly.
Symptoms include various gastrointestinal issues that include: diarrhea, constipation, right red blood during bowel movements, black stool, abdominal pain, abdominal bloating and feeling that your bowel does not empty properly after a bowel movement. You may have unexplained weight loss along with fatigue or tiredness. Men may experience unexplained iron deficiency while women may experience unexplained iron deficiency after menopause. A lump in the abdomen or back may be felt on exam by a medical provider.
Please keep in mind that most of these symptoms may also be indicative of other illnesses so please see your primary care provider if symptoms are present for longer than four weeks.
As a result of significantly increasing numbers of patients admitted with COVID-19 and the increase in community positivity rate, Spectrum Health has revised its visitor policies to reduce the number of people in its Grand Rapids and regional hospitals and outpatient care sites.
Effective Wednesday, March 31, adult patients are allowed one adult family member or guest per patient. This must be the same person for the patient’s entire hospital stay. The following exceptions will apply:
Labor and delivery obstetrics patients are allowed two adult visitors. These must be the same two people for the patient’s entire hospital stay.
Patients with COVID-19 are not allowed in-person visitors, however the care team will work with patients and families to coordinate virtual visits.
Emergency department patients are limited to one adult guest per patient.
Adult radiology and laboratory patients at the hospital or outpatient care sites are not allowed guests except for those patients here for an obstetric ultrasound or those who need assistance with activities of daily living or have cognitive impairments. These individuals will be allowed one adult guest.
Adult patients at Spectrum Health physician offices and surgery centers are allowed one adult family member or guest for surgical sedated procedures, but no visitors unless the patient needs physical or cognitive support. Patients may contact office staff for extenuating circumstances.
Pediatric patients under the age of 21 are allowed two adult family members (parent or guardian or their designee only) per patient stay.
For pediatric outpatient services, physician offices and surgery, pediatric patients are allowed one family member or guests per patient visit.
Pediatric radiology patients are allowed one adult family member per patient.
Pediatric hematology and oncology clinic and infusion center patients are allowed one adult family member per patient.
The new restrictions apply to the following Spectrum Health hospitals and nearby physician offices and ambulatory care sites:
Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital
Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital
Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital
Spectrum Health Fred and Lena Meijer Heart Center
Spectrum Health Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion
Spectrum Health Big Rapids Hospital
Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial
Spectrum Health Kelsey Hospital
Spectrum Health Pennock
Spectrum Health Reed City Hospital
Spectrum Health United Hospital
Spectrum Health Zeeland Community Hospital
Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital
In addition, in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus, all visitors will be screened and are required to wear a mask that covers their mouth and nose to enter the hospitals and outpatient facilities. Spectrum Health dining rooms continue to be closed to visitors. Hospital food service will be available in the cafeteria through to-go orders.
More information about visitor restrictions can be found here. Spectrum Health’s COVID-19 resource center can be found here.
Leaders from 50 Kent County congregations volunteered to roll up their sleeves last week to show their communities they are walking the talk on the COVID vaccine front, each getting “a shot of love” at West Michigan Vaccination Clinic at DeVos Place, which is a collaborative effort of Kent County, Spectrum Health, Mercy Health and Vaccinate West Michigan.
“Whatever your faith tradition, the principle of love thy neighbor is pretty consistent across centuries,” said Pastor Charlie Selmon, Jr. of Wellspring Church. “Getting a vaccine, just like wearing a mask, is about showing love for ourselves, our neighbors, our elders, and our children. It is about protecting the sanctity of human life.”
This Tuesday at 3:30 p.m., the Kent County COVID-19 Church Task Force will ve sting a COVID-19 Vaccine Rally and Registration Drive. The event will take place at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, 510 Franklin St. SE. The purpose of the rally is encourage resident in high priority zip codes based on COVID-19 incidents and other socially vulnerable index factors are registered to receive the vaccine.
Local pastors roll up their sleeves to get their shots and encourage others to do so. (Supplied)
At 4 p.m., more than 200 volunteers will canvass select census tracts in the 49507 zip code going door-to-door to ensure that every adult resident has the opportunity to register to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
This is the first of 10 scheduled drives across Kent County to help ensure that the most vulnerable members are vaccinated. Those attending must follow the instructions of the medical safety team and adhere to the safety guidelines of local state and national health departments.
“As a physician, and as someone who has lost loved ones to COVID-19, I urge you to consider getting the vaccine as a way to help us defeat this deadly virus,” wrote TaLawnda Bragg, MD, attending physician at Spectrum Health. In the recent blog post, she said, “I am eager to do whatever I can to help halt the scourge of this virus in our community.”
Until now, access to the vaccine has been limited to essential workers and select, high-risk demographics. With the national supply of vaccines expanding quickly, outreach to the broader community is underway. Starting April 5, the vaccine will be offered to all Michiganders age 16 and older according to Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. In Kent County more than 86,885 residents or 16.8% of the population have been vaccinated.
“Over 2.7 million doses of the safe and effective COVID vaccines have been administered in Michigan, and we are well on our way to vaccinating 70% of Michiganders age 16 and up,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS. “We will continue to focus our efforts on removing barriers to access for our most vulnerable to exposure and those at highest risk of severe illness due to COVID-19. These vaccines are the way we are going to end this.”
According to Kent County Health Department’s Administrative Health Officer, Dr. Adam London, “faith leaders have been providing essential counseling and care for vulnerable people throughout this pandemic; they are now also helping us as volunteers. Their level of commitment and support for our community has been extraordinary.”
This Tuesday, the Kent County COVID-19 Church Task Force will be hosting the first of many Vaccine Rally and Registration Drives. (Supplied)
Local faith leaders expect enthusiastic participation at vaccine sites in the weeks ahead.
“We understand in the 21st century that individual health and public health go hand in hand,” said Rev. Khary Bridgewater, Coordinator of the Kent County COVID-19 Church Task Force. “Faith leaders know that we must protect the individual health of our most vulnerable citizens if we all want to share the blessings of a healthy community.”
In past 100 years, the average life expectancy of a man in the United States has gone from 40 to 77 with women going from 40 to 88. With the average life expectancy continues to increase so does the likelihood of older adults suffering from four or more chronic diseases.
Amongst these chronic diseases, Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia reign supreme. Although both disorders are common, they are not a result of “just getting old”. In other words “getting old” doesn’t necessarily mean you will get dementia.
Mild dementia: In early stages of dementia your loved one may not experience any symptoms though changes in the brain are present. Family members or spouses may notice small abnormalities that are indeed so small that one may dismiss them as normal forgetfulness. This can include forgetting a meeting, loosing your keys, or misplacing an item.
Moderate dementia: In moderate dementia signs of memory changes are more evident. Ability to maintain ones household is more difficulty because bills aren’t being managed. Forgetfulness in regards to managing medication and eating is apparent. Next the individual requires more assistance with activities of daily living such as dressing, remembering addresses and hygiene.
Severe dementia: In severe dementia, constant supervision is required. Loosing control of bowel and bladder may be present. Personality changes are noticed. Speech starts to decrease and the ability to recognize loved ones wane. The individual is unaware of his/her surroundings and is unable to communicate their needs.
Dementia effects the patient and the family. The total lifetime cost of care for someone with dementia is estimated to be nearly $350,000. Learn to recognize early and late signs will allow for your love one to be cared for appropriately and always contact your health provider with questions.
Did you know that March is Brain Injury Awareness Month? According to the Brain Injury Association of Michigan, 58,500 Michiganders will experience a brain injury during 2021. Ranging from mild to fatal, brain injuries happen to people of all ages. Those due to congenital abnormalities or from degenerative disease like Alzheimer’s are called acquired brain injuries. The kind of brain injuries that you can help prevent are traumatic brain injuries—TBIs.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services found that 30% of TBIs in Michigan are caused by car crashes. TBIs can happen if you are in an automobile accident, you fall and hit your head, you dive into shallow water, or you’re hit by a hard ball during sports activities. One type of TBI you’ve probably heard of, a concussion happens when you bump or receive a hit to your head that moves your head rapidly back and forth.
The CDC has put together this list of ways you can prevent traumatic brain injuries:
On the road
Wear a seat belt every time you drive or ride in a motor vehicle.
Never drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Wear a helmet when you ride a bike, motorcycle, snowmobile, scooter, or use an all-terrain vehicle.
Tots and tykes
Install window guards to keep young children from falling out.
Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs.
Go to playgrounds with soft material like mulch or sand under swings and slides.
Never shake a baby or child.
Playing sports
Wear a helmet when you play sports—contact sports, skating or skateboarding, running bases, riding horses, skiing or snowboarding.
Jump in first to check water depth in rivers and lakes. Obey “no diving” warnings at pools.
As you age
Review your prescription and over-the-counter medicines—can they make you dizzy or sleepy?
Ask your healthcare provider about vitamin D.
Do exercise, like tai chi, to strengthen your legs and improve your balance.
Get a vision check-up at least once a year.
In your home, remove trip-and-fall hazards like small rugs; install grab bars by the tub or shower and next to the toilet; put railings on both sides of stairs; and keep your home well-lit, including nightlights.
If you or a loved one experience a hit to the head followed by nausea, unsteadiness, headache, or difficulty concentrating, go to your primary care doctor, urgent care, or emergency room right away. Prompt treatment can mean the difference between life and death—or a life lived with severe impairments.
Depending on how serious a TBI is, recovery can be a slow and painful process. Those with serious brain injuries may survive, but never completely recover. A report on the National Institute for Health website states that traumatic brain injuries provide “a unique target of opportunity for complementary and alternative medicine.” The report explored modalities like acupuncture, meditation, and mindfulness.
When one of my patient’s sons was seven years old, his brother accidentally threw a screwdriver at his head. After emergency surgery and nine days in a Grand Rapids hospital, doctors said he might never be able to read or walk very well. During each of those nine days, his chiropractor visited and gave him gentle adjustments. After discharge, the little fellow began music therapy. Throughout high school, he was first-string quarterback—and graduated as valedictorian. Today, he is a successful architect.
That said, the best course of action is to take care of your noggin. Buckle up! Wear a helmet! Avoid falls! In other words, use your brain!
Social isolation has effected us in so many different ways. Some have chosen to take advantage of this pandemic to spend time with family, focus on themselves or take a vacation, while social isolation and other COVID-19 related life changes has lead to an increase in use and abuse of alcohol.
Social media outlets have made memes about “quarantinis” and COVID drinking, making light of a truly serious condition. Unwinding with a “quarantini” or a glass of your favorite spirit might seem like a good way to cope with the stress of this pandemic, but for some people, too much alcohol is a problem.
Quarantini memes make fun of a serious concern.
Consuming alcohol can weaken your body’s ability to fight off infections leading to depression, anxiety, obesity and liver disease. In addition, excess alcohol many lead to such conditions as hypertension (high blood pressure), strokes and heart attacks. ti also could lead to increase susceptibility to contracting COVID-19.
Instead of going down the road of the misnomers of alcohol abuse, let’s take a look at what happens when you actually stop abusing alcohol.
1. Improved health with decreased sicknesses. Alcohol impacts your immune system’s ability to fight off disease.
2. You will dodge accidents and fatal injuries. Even cutting back your drinking by a third can lower the number of injuries and sick days.
3. Your heart gets healthier. Reducing your alcohol intake may lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels and nay decrease your chances of stokes and heart attacks.
4. The liver heals. The live is responsible for helping your blood clot along with breaking down fats, proteins, and sugars.
5. Weight loss. Alcohol accounts for so many empty and non-nutritional calories.
6. Ease depression and anxiety. Alcohol is actually a downer working as a depressant to slow down vital bodily functions.
7. Decrease your cancer risk.
8. Improve your libido. In women, reducing alcohol use may improve vaginal lubrication and in men, it may decrease erectile dysfunction.
9. Restful nights/daytime sleepiness. Alcohol disrupts rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage that is essential in learning and making or retaining memories.
10. Clearer thinking. As mentioned above, reducing your alcohol intake increases your ability to retain and make memories.
Always be mindful of your alcohol intake and drink responsibly.
While some may enjoy all the winter activities, there are others who are facing some of the darkest periods of the year.
These are people who may suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression that is related to changes in the season. SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. For most, it starts in the fall and well into the winter months although some can have the verse of Spring and Summer Affective Disorder.
This past year has been one like no other with stress brought on by the COVID pandemic, an election and unprecedented movements such as the Black Lives Matter movement which may have further complicated those dealing with SAD.
Not able to adhere to exercise routines or to take a trip to sunny or warmer climates or just having access to the therapist presents obstacles.
Don’t brush off your feelings as a case of the winter blues or just being in a funk. If you find you are losing interest in what you enjoy doing, can’t focus or are even having suicide thoughts, make sure to tell someone.
It is normal to have some sad days but if those days outweigh the good, then you should talk to someone. Remember, you matter.
Hoping to push yourself up in the line for the COVID vaccine? Well the West Michigan Vaccine Clinic at DeVos Place maybe able to help.
The Clinic, which is operated by Kent County, Spectrum Health and Mercy Health in collaboration with Vaccinate West Michigan, is seeking community volunteers in non-clinical roles to support the vaccine clinic.
According to officials, when the vaccine is available for the clinic to open at full capacity, approximately 150 volunteers are needed per 4-hour shift. Volunteers may assist with greeting clinic attendees, providing directional assistance, escorting attendees who need help, sanitizing and organizing supplies, performing temperature checks and more. Volunteers need not have prior healthcare experience.
To begin the volunteer process, community members ages 18 and older are asked to complete this survey with Kent County Emergency Management, which is partnering to assist with volunteer management at the clinic. Additionally, volunteers must not have any felonies or misdemeanors within the last ten years, have a valid driver’s license with no suspensions in the past five years, and not had a fever or symptoms of the COVID-19 virus for at least 14 days prior to volunteering. The survey will include authorization for a routine background check. Upon completion, eligible volunteers will receive a confirmation email and instructions for signing up for available shifts.
“Vaccinating our community is a huge undertaking. Just as our organizations are working together, we believe that the West Michigan spirit in so many of our community members will draw people to this volunteer opportunity,” said Dr. Adam London, administrative health officer at the Kent County Health Department. “We are all in this together, and we believe the COVID-19 vaccine provides great hope for us to be able to return to normal and enjoy being with our families and friends again.”
Volunteers who sign a commitment promising at least 20 hours of service at the West Michigan Vaccine Clinic will become eligible for vaccination as a health care volunteer and part of critical infrastructure. These vaccinations will be made as soon as reasonably possible given the limitations of available vaccine supply and clinic schedule.
Volunteers will not receive pay for their time or travel; however, they will receive free parking in designated nearby parking structures and light refreshments will be provided.
Volunteers will receive training for their role immediately prior to their shift. Also, all volunteers will be required to wear a mask for their entire shift and must complete the CDC Facilities COVID-19 screening survey within four hours prior to the start of their shift.
Clinicians who are interested in volunteering are invited to complete the survey and may serve as general support volunteers. At this time, clinical roles are being staffed through partnering healthcare organizations and healthcare education partners. Should clinical volunteer shifts become available, clinical volunteers may be contacted with opportunities to fulfill such assignments.
As vaccine clinics expand and open within all west Michigan counties and with a focus on historically underserved communities, additional volunteer opportunities will arise here and with other vaccine providers.
Metro Health – University of Michigan Health’s newest outpatient office is now open, bringing more services, including heart and vascular specialists, to East Grand Rapids, Cascade and surrounding areas.
Metro Health Beltline, at 1310 E. Beltline Ave. SE, just north of Lake Drive, replaces a smaller clinic on Cascade Road. All the providers from that office are relocating to the East Beltline site, and their phone numbers will not change.
The building’s modern design emphasizes a patient-centered concierge atmosphere. Nurse triage spaces provide convenient access for walk-in patients. The office is equipped with technology that allows self-rooming and self-checkout to reduce patient wait time and promote safety.
“As we enter a new world of healthcare delivery, this office is an example of Metro Health’s commitment to finding new and innovative ways to deliver quality care to our patients,” said Dr. Rakesh Pai, Chief Population Health Officer and President of the Medical Group.
At 30,500 square feet, the office is Metro Health’s largest primary care site. It has the capacity to accommodate up to 20 providers and 55 staff, caring for between 400 and 500 patients a day.
The office’s comprehensive services include family practice, sports medicine, internal medicine, behavioral health and diabetes education. Additionally, with adult and pediatric heart and vascular specialists, patients will have the choice of seeing their cardiologist at the main hospital or the East Beltline location. Heart and vascular services offered include chest x-rays, electrocardiograms (EKG / ECG), stress echocardiogram exercise or medication, graded exercise tests (GXT) and continuous portable telemetry monitoring.
With two patient care levels, the building also includes on-site x-ray and laboratory services. The office is open 7am to 5pm weekdays, with walk-in visits accepted. Call 616-252-1500 or visit Metro Health’s website for more information.
“We’re all looking forward to maintaining a relationship with our existing patients in this new location, where they will have convenient access to a wider range of services,” said Dr. Edwin Kornoelje, Metro Health Beltline Site Director. “At the same time, we look forward to adding new patients to the Metro Health family.”
“I feel awesome,” declared Mary Wisinski, the first person at the Kent County Health Department to receive the Pfizer vaccine.
Distribution of the Pfizer vaccine is underway with the Kent County Health Department administering its first vaccine on Friday, Dec. 18, to Wisinski, the the department’s immunization program supervisor.
“This is an incredible day,” she said. “we’ve been working so hard to battle this virus, and some days, it felt like it got the best of us. This isn’t one of those days. This gives us hope — we’re going to beat this.”
Because Wisinski will lead the health department’s team of immunization nurses in administering the vaccine, she was among the first group deemed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to receive the vaccine.
“Stay Positive, Stay Heroic, Stay Healthy” is what the sticker from the Kent County Health Department says. (Photo courtesy Kent County Health Department)
The Kent County Health Department received 1,950 doses on Dec. 17 and will be administering those doses to individuals in the highest risk groups. which also includes Kent County area medical first responders.
Area Hospitals, such as Metro Health — University of Michigan Health, also began administering doses to its frontline healthcare workers. Metro Health began on Friday.
The Pfizer vaccine requires two doses that are administered 21 days apart. Most agencies, such as the Kent County Health Department, will receive its second does within three weeks.
Vaccines receive support
Both the Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration last week, received support from seven Catholic bishops in Michigan included Most Rev. David J. Walkowiak, Bishop of Grand Rapids.
The statement, which can be found at the Diocese of Grand Rapids website, states “It is morally permissible to receive the vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna. Neither of these vaccines have used cell lines originated in tissue taken from aborted babies in their deign, development and production. However, both Pfizer and Moderna vaccine did use such a cell line in the confirmatory testing. This connection to the abortion is very remote, however, it is important to keep in mind that there are varying levels of responsibility. Greater moral responsibility lives with the researchers than with those who receive the vaccine.”
The statement goes on that the Congregation for Doctrine of Faith indicates that it is morally permissible to be vaccinated if there are not alternatives and there are serious health risks as in the current COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of a consortium of West Michigan health departments and other health organizations, the Kent County Health Department announced the site VaccinateWestMI.com. The site is designed to provide information about vaccine availability, local distribution plans, safety and efficacy, and will be updated regularly as new information becomes available.
At 6 a.m. today, Metro Health – University of Michigan Health began to vaccinate its employees with the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19.
“This vaccine will provide much-needed protection for our employees , who serve on behalf of our community on the front lines of the pandemic,” said Metro Health – University of Michigan Health President and CEO Dr. Peter Hahn. “This is a breakthrough moment. This is how we start to turn the tide in our long battle with COVID-19.”
One of the first Metro Health staff to be vaccinated, Dr. Gabriel Pedraza, director of critical care at Metro Health, agreed with Hahn.
“I am going to fee a lot more comfortable treating my patients, my COVID patients,” Pedraza. Pedraza said he trusts the Center for Disease Control and knows that the Federal Drug and Food Administration would not have approved something that would put people at risk.
“Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation out there,” Pedraza said. “I have looked at some of the data. I trust the CDC. I trust the FDA. They are not going to release an unsafe vaccine.
A Metro Health – University of Michigan staff person shows her vaccine record. (Supplied)
“This is a big moment for our country and for us and I really highly recommend that we all get vaccinated. I did. I do what I preach and I think it is very important that we all do that. I recommend that everyone can, get vaccinated.”
The Pfizer vaccine was the first to be approved by the FDA on Dec. 11. Shipments of the vaccine, which is made in Kalamazoo, started leaving the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Airport on Monday. The vaccine arrived at Wyoming’s Metro Health – University of Michigan Health on Thursday.
“This generation’s greatest minds have been working tirelessly on vaccines from almost the moment the pandemic began,” he said. “Soon we will have to do our part, by being vaccinated as soon as the vaccine is available to each of us.”
Hahn praised the historic scientific effort and rigorous evaluation that made a vaccine available this year.
Metro Health’s initial shipment was 975 doses, with more anticipated on a regular cadence over the weeks to come. Metro Health’s Human Resources team collected input from its own Infection Prevention experts and clinical leaders, along with guidance from the CDC, to develop tiers of vaccine distribution based on risk of exposure and role in daily operations.
“As vaccine supplies grow, we look forward to extending the vaccine’s protection beyond our walls by following the guidance of public health experts,” Hahn said. Hahn and other leaders plan to receive the vaccine as soon as they meet the distribution criteria.
“As an ICU physician and healthcare leader, I will urge everyone to do the same,” he said.
