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MidMichigan Medical Center – Alpena hosted U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow earlier this week as she continued a series of health care “check-in” visits across the state. She also met with staff at Thunder Bay Community Health Service in Hillman. After a brief tour at the Medical Center in Alpena, Senator Stabenow was a guest at the Medical Center’s Daily Safety Briefing. She witnessed the importance of this meeting that occurs at the same time across our health system with one of the most important topics in health care – patient safety. The 15-minute daily safety briefings help to identify, address and resolve safety issues of concern in a timely manner.
MidMichigan Medical Center – Alpena has been recognized nationally by the Accreditation Committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) for the excellence of the services being provided in their laboratory. Accreditation was awarded based on the results of a recent on-site inspection by the CAP.The Medical Center lab joins over 8,000 CAP-accredited facilities worldwide. “The inspectors require the highest standards of care for all lab patients,” said Chuck Sherwin, president, MidMichigan Medical Center – Alpena. “They also reviewed our quality control of procedures for the previous two years, and the staff qualifications, equipment, safety record and management of today. Receiving this recognition speaks to the excellent work of management and staff who do all they can do to ensure the health and safety of our patients and community.” The CAP is the world’s largest organization of board-certified pathologists and leading provider of laboratory accreditation and proficiency testing programs.
MidMichigan Health is offering community programs that will provide information on the maturing processes of adolescent males and females. Both seminars will be held in the Towsley Auditorium, located in the lower level of Towsley Building, on the campus of MidMichigan Medical Center – Midland. During the event, participants will learn key facts about the maturing process by MidMichigan health care providers who will discuss the physical, emotional and social maturation of the adolescent male and female. The seminars will also include medically accurate, developmentally appropriate information sharing, questions and answers.The Maturing Process for Boys will be held from 9 to 11 a.m., on Saturday, Feb. 29, and is designed for boys ages 10 – 13 along with their fathers or adult male support person.The Maturing Process for Girls will be held on Saturday, March 7, from 9 to 11 a.m. The program is designed for girls ages 9 – 13 and their mothers or other adult female support person.
Area residents have access to state-of-the-art technology and improved patient care services at MidMichigan Medical Center – Alpena thanks in large part to the ongoing fundraising of the Medical Center’s volunteers. The annual Koeze Nut Sale has been one of the group’s most popular and long-standing events, appealing to donors and shoppers throughout the holiday season. The sale features a variety of candy and nuts and is held in the Medical Center’s main lobby near the gift shop. Included in the sale is a raffle for party trays and the impressive “Opulent Basket” filled with Koeze’s most popular items.This year’s sale garnered over $9,400 which will be used to help fund future volunteer pledges towards improved facilities, equipment, and technology for the medical center.Those interested in becoming a volunteer may contact Timm at (989) 356-7546. In addition to fundraising support and gift shop positions, volunteer opportunities are available in the Medical Center’s Cancer Center, surgical waiting room, front lobby and more.
The American Society for Radiology Oncology (ASTRO) recently awarded four-year accreditation to MidMichigan Medical Center – Midland and MidMichigan Gratiot Cancer Center for adopting procedures to encourage safety and quality of care in compliance with the standards of the Accreditation Program for Excellence (APEx®). “We are very pleased to have received APEx accreditation from ASTRO, the largest radiation oncology society in the world.” said MidMichigan Radiation Oncology Medical Director Mark Fireman, M.D. APEx is an independent radiation oncology practice accreditation program developed by the American Society for Radiology Oncology. The program is based on a comprehensive set of 16 evidence-based standards of radiation oncology practice, organized around five pillars of patient care. These include safety, patient-centered care, the radiation oncology team, quality management and the process of care.
The Michael Polaski Memorial Foundation held another successful event to help with patient care at the Alpena Cancer Center. On Giving Tuesday, a donation was made to MidMichigan Health Foundation with the proceeds from second annual Mike Polaski 5K Color Run/Walk. Mike Polaski passed away in December 2016 from pancreatic cancer. Daughter Amy Martin remembers clearly the challenges her family faced during his battle. Her goal is to help other patients and families going through the same thing. Ann Diamond, director of fund development, gave Martin a brief tour in and around the expanded infusion area. Martin remembered the smaller space from her experiences with her father. “On one hand, it’s sad to know the need is greater but fantastic to see how the Cancer Center has changed to better accomodate those in treatment like my dad.” An impressive $2,150 was raised to be used to help with patient comfort projects, travel and prescription assistance for those who are underinsured.
MidMichigan Medical Center- Midland recently implanted their first patient with the CardioMEMS™ HF System as part of the landmark GUIDE-HF clinical trial. The Medical Center is one of 140 centers currently participating in this study. The trial itself will evaluate improved survival and quality of life of patients who have been implanted with the Abbott CardioMEMS™ HF System.“To me, the idea of using technology to be proactive in the management of heart failure, identifying early physiologic changes within the heart, and ultimately keeping people feeling well and out of the hospital is the future of medicine,” said Cardiologist and Director of MidMichigan’s Heart Failure Program Jeffrey Martindale, D.O., F.A.C.C., who performed the procedure. “Our involvement in the GUIDE-HF study is fostering opportunities for patients within our communities to have access to this kind of leading-edge innovation in heart failure care.”
Honoring its mission to provide excellent health services to its patients, MidMichigan Health’s Board of Directors are recognized for their commitment to the health system and the counties in which it serves. The 15-member volunteer board meets six times a year addressing topics such as community health status, financial performance and clinical quality, as well as the patient experience and employee and provider satisfaction. “The MidMichigan Health Board of Directors are a balanced group of engaged community and professional leaders working together to support and preserve our mission and vision of the health system,” said Diane Postler-Slattery, Ph.D., FACHE, president and CEO, MidMichigan Health. “These governing leaders provide strategic direction for the organization, a role that requires a substantial investment of time and expertise. We acknowledge and thank them for all they contribute for the betterment of our patients.”
MidMichigan Health has earned two honors by the 2019 College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) HealthCare’s Most Wired awards. MidMichigan received the Most Wired Certified Level 7 Special Recognition, as well as the Most Wired Certified Level 8 Quality Award.For the Most Wired program, an annual survey is conducted to assess how effectively health care organizations apply core and advanced technologies into their clinical and business programs. Organizations receiving honors in Levels 7 and 8 have deployed technologies and strategies to help them analyze their data and are starting to achieve meaningful clinical and efficiency outcomes. Some of these organizations are experimenting with more advanced technologies, like telehealth, that expand access to care.
Final demolition of the former Sugnet Building, also known as the original Midland Hospital, is now underway, kicking off phase two of a three-year construction project on the campus of MidMichigan Medical Center – Midland. This phase consists of MidMichigan’s new Heart and Vascular Center which is slated to open in fall 2020. The 170,700-square-foot Center will consolidate all of Midland’s heart and vascular physician offices and specialty clinics. It will also house cardiac rehabilitation services and provide streamlined access to cardiovascular testing, as well as interventional and surgical heart and vascular services.