Tag Archives: University of Michigan Health

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

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

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

Three area institutions partner to form new Cancer Network initiative

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By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Since 2010, the Centers for Disease Control predicted that the number of new cancer cases has increased 24 percent. 

For those in the medical field, the reason for that increase varies from early detection to people living longer. Because of some of those reasons, many agree that cancer care has become subspecialized and getting the right care often means that some West Michigan residents have had to leave home to find it.

Dr. Peter Hahn, President and CEO of Metro Health – University of Michigan Health (WKTV)

However, three institutions — Metro Health – University of Michigan Health, Mercy Health, and Michigan Medicine (formerly the University of Michigan Health System) — are looking to change that with a new initiative launched at the beginning of 2020, the Cancer Network of West Michigan.

The Cancer Network is being designed to integrate cancer care services in West Michigan with the goal of bringing broader access to advanced, state-of-the-art, comprehensive diagnosis treatment and support across leading health care institutions.

“We are really bringing together the talents of three world class organizations and combining it with the world class expertise of Michigan medicine,” said Dr. Peter Hahn, CEO and President of Metro Health – University of Michigan Health.

Dr. Kim Hyung, President of Mercy Health Saint Mary’s (WKTV)

Dr. Hyung Kim, president of Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, said the partnership is actually a natural extension of partnerships that already exist between the institutions. They Cancer Network of West Michigan will build on the foundation established by a radiation oncology collaborative already linking radiation oncology services between Michigan Medicine and Metro Health and between Michigan Medicine and Mercy Health.

Hyung said the question became “What can we do to take it to the next level. Especially in something like cancer care where there are more therapies and things are getting more complicated. Working together can make a big different in terms of what you can offer a community.”

Combined, the three West Michigan facilities treat 13,658 cancer patients a year. They bring to the collaboration a combined of 63 cancer specialists and sub-specialists, along with access to the latest research, treatments and clinical trails.

 

What does this mean for the average patient? Two or three years ago, a person with lung cancer only had one option, which was standard therapy such as chemotherapy, Hahn said. Today, there are so many different advances in terms of molecularity therapy that through the Cancer Network, the three partnering organizations will be able to offer that care in West Michigan versus a person having to travel to Ann Arbor or the Mayo Clinic, he said.

“We all know that people do better if they get excellent care close to home,” Hyung said.

For patients, the new Cancer Network will provide a more standardized cancer base-care with less variance. No matter which facility a patient goes to, they should receive the same treatment options.

 

Dr. Gary Allore, President of Mercy Health Muskegon (WKTV)

The initial announcement of the new initiative was received quite favorably by staff, acceding to the hospital officials. Currently, the three organizations are working to build the leadership team for the Cancer Network. There is a nationwide search for the person who will head the Network with the recruiting process for the specialists, who are in high demand, underway as well.

By having access to world class trials and advance therapies, Hahn said he believes the Cancer Network could help make West Michigan a destination for cancer care treatment.

“There is a lot of work to come, but we are all confident this could be a regional leading, potentially a national leader, in cancer care,” Hahn said. 

To learn more about the Cancer Network of West Michigan, visit wmicancernetwork.org.

Brick by Brick: Tributes placed in Cancer Center garden

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Photo supplied

 

By MetroHealth-University of Michigan Health

 

One of the most devastating words in the English language is “cancer”. Even more sobering is the fact and 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime (according to the American Cancer Society).

 

Pat Holland knows this pain firsthand. His dear wife, Peggy, lost her battle against cancer in 2014. Holland wanted to memorialize his wife and her 18-month journey at The Cancer Center at Metro Health Village.

 

“Peggy was everything to me, everything I could want in a wife and best friend,” said Holland. “I wanted to do something substantial to help celebrate her memory; something people would notice for a long time.”

 

Holland worked with the Metro Health Hospital Foundation and came up with a plan to install tribute bricks in the Cancer Center garden. A campaign was held offering anyone touched by the Cancer Center a chance to plant a brick in memory of a loved one. More than 30 people did so, purchasing bricks by making a donation to the Cancer Center via the foundation. Though most bricks are memorials, some bear message of hope from Cancer Center survivors.

 

Photo supplied

Last summer, a few dozen family members, friends and former patients gathered in the garden to dedicate  the first round of bricks, which raised more than $7,000 for the Cancer Center.

 

“It’s a little piece of tranquility,” Holland said of the garden, which is visible through a wall of windows from the chemotherapy infusion chairs. “Peggy and I found comfort in the view during difficult times.”

 

If you are interested in including your message to the garden, a gift of $100 or more will add a brick with your message of hope and celebration to the path in the Cancer Center Garden. Contact Foundation to make your gift today at 616.252.5000 or foundation@metrogr.org.

Metro Health ‘gets with the guidelines,’ earns award

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By Jennifer Hoff

Metro Health – University of Michigan Health

 

Metro Health – University of Michigan Health has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Award.

 

“Metro Health-University of Michigan Health is committed to striving for excellence in the acute treatment of stroke patients,” said Metro Health – University of Michigan Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Peter Y. Hahn. “This recognition from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines Stroke further reinforces our team’s hard work and commitment. We are proud to have achieved this status.”

 

Get With The Guidelines® sets specific quality measures to ensure hospital teams follow the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. To receive these awards, Metro Health – University of Michigan Health has provided patient care at or above most achievement indicators for the last 24 consecutive months.

 

One of these quality measures is to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke. This award recognizes that Metro Health – University of Michigan Health has been treating patients with intravenous tPA within 60 minutes in 75 percent or more of acute ischemic stroke patients.

 

“The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association recognizes Metro Health – University of Michigan Health for its commitment to stroke care,” said Paul Heidenreich, M.D., M.S., national chairman of the Get With The Guidelines Steering Committee and Professor of Medicine at Stanford University. “Research has shown there are benefits to patients who are treated at hospitals that have adopted the Get With The Guidelines program.”

 

Get With The Guidelines® puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping hospital care teams ensure the care provided to patients is aligned with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal to save lives and improve recovery time, Get With The Guidelines® has impacted more than 3 million patients since 2003.

 

“A stroke patient loses 1.9 million neurons each minute stroke treatment is delayed,” Hahn said. “This recognition further demonstrates our commitment to delivering advanced stroke treatments to patients quickly and safely.”

 

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the no. 5 cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, someone dies of a stroke every 4 minutes, and nearly 800,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

Get active by commuting via bike or The Rapid as part of Active Commute week

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Active Commute Week returns June 12 – 15 to the Greater Grand Rapids area as many get ready to ride their bikes or take the bus to participate.

 

The goal of Active Commute Week is to raise awareness about the health, economic and environmental benefits of active travel. The week is a chance for individual participants and teams to earn points for using active transportation, including bicycling, walking, riding The Rapid, carpooling, running, longboarding or inline skating.

 

Participants fill out a form and are notified through The Rapids when their account is ready. Teams and individuals can track their active transportation online during the week for a chance to win prizes.

 

Several organizations have signed up to participate such as Metro Health – University of Michigan Health, which will be hosting one of the Bike to Work Day Pit Stops on Fray, June 16. Metro Health will be hosting at the Fred Meijer M-6 trail near Metro  Way off of Byron Center Avenue. This is an entrance to Metro Health. For a complete list of Bike to Work Day Pit Stops, click here.

 

Also Grand Valley State University has joined as a sponsor and will  host bike ride with President Thomas J. Haas on Monday, June 12. The ride will be from the center of the Allendale Campus to the Sustainable Agriculture Project on Luce Street.

 

Participants will meet at the Bill Seidman statue near Mary Idema Pew Library at 4 p.m. Helmets are required, and the Grand Valley Police Department will provide an escort. Refreshments will be served at the SAP and bicyclists can join a guided ride back to campus at 5:30 p.m.

 

Join the Active Commute Week Committee and the Greater Grand Rapids Bicycle Coalition for The Handlebar Happy Hour Friday, June 16, at Long Road Distillers, 537 Leonard St. NW.  The event takes places from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. The winners of the Active Commute Week Challenge will be announced and prizes awarded. Awards and a raffle will take place at approximately 6:30 p.m. This event is open to everyone.

 

More information and a list of the week’s events are online at www.acwgr.org. Join social media during the week using #acwgr.