News Releases

In recognition of National Stroke Awareness Month, Spectrum Health is offering free stroke screening and education sessions throughout the month of May. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death...

Connie VanLoon, certified medical staff coordinator at Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital, is the new president of the Michigan Association Medical Staff Services (MAMSS). Her two-year term...

Spectrum Health Aero Med returned to providing medical air transport service today at 4:15 p.m. The decision to return to the air was made after collaborative discussions between Aero Med and the...

Spectrum Health Kelsey Hospital in Lakeview, Michigan was recently named one of the iVantage HEALTHSTRONG Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in the United States. Kelsey Hospital was one of...

Spectrum Health plans to hold skin cancer screenings free of charge at four locations throughout West Michigan in honor of Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month. Medical...

The Spectrum Health lung transplant program reached another milestone recently when it received Medicare certification. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has given its approval...

Penny Henderson, legislative committee chairperson from the Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital volunteer services board, recently met with state lawmakers during the annual Healthcare Advocacy Day...

Allegan General Hospital became the 32nd hospital to join Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital’s Partners in Children’s Health today. The affiliation broadens a larger effort of Michigan...

Only System in Michigan to Receive This Honor Spectrum Health was named one of the nation’s 15 Top Health Systems® today by Truven Health Analytics. The study is part of Truven’s 100 Top...

Part of Office of Good Government Lunch and Learn Series Spectrum Health experts will share performance improvement techniques with State of Michigan employees at an event sponsored by the Office...

Drew H. Dostal, RN, BSN, MBA, FACHE, vice president of operations at Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital, recently became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the...

Many organizations rely on volunteers and their service is recognized this week (April 6-12) during National Volunteer Week. Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital is one area organization with a...

Seth W. Wolk, MD, MHSA has been named the new president of the Spectrum Health Medical Group (SHMG). Dr. Wolk has been serving as interim president of SHMG since January 2014. Spectrum Health...

Shelly Johnson, RN, MPH, MBA, is the first Vice President of Community and Integrated Services at Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial (SHGM). In the last few months, SHGM leadership have been working...

While striving to offer excellence in health care at Spectrum Health, leadership, physicians and staff realized that one pair of very important eyes was missing for a clear view of what that...

Provides additional Medical Mile biomedical research space Spectrum Health has opened a new 9,000 square foot research facility in Grand Rapids. The Spectrum Health Basic and Translational...

Spectrum Health Medical Group’s Sports Medicine providers will be doing their best to help keep the new Grand Rapids Cyclones semi-professional basketball team healthy on and off the court....

Spectrum Health has been named one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals™, as measured by Healthgrades, the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. This...

Fear not: spring will come. Unfortunately, it’s not coming any time soon in West Michigan, at least in terms of warm temperatures and the disappearance of snow and ice. After a winter season...

Treatment provides an additional option to surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy for patients of glioblastoma multiforme Spectrum Health announces a new treatment option for patients with...

Kelly Larr, RN, BSN, has been promoted to director of surgical services at Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital. She was previously clinical coordinator for the department and had a lead role in the...

Online registration is open for the annual Spectrum Health Irish Jig 5K road race, which will be held on Saturday, March 15, in East Grand Rapids. Now in its 31st year, the Irish Jig has grown to...

Partnership Brings Renowned Physician-Scientist to Grand Rapids Van Andel Research Institute and Spectrum Health announced today that they have collaborated to bring world-renowned cardiovascular...

The new helicopter landing site at Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital opened Wednesday, January 22. The dedication featured a presentation of a $50,000 check by hospital volunteers. The donation...

MIIE awards project $187,000 to advance promising biomedical ideas An innovative technology sharing program created by Spectrum Health Innovations, Grand Valley State University and GR Current has...

Michigan is in the midst of a very cold winter with temperatures expected to drop even lower in the days to come. Spectrum Health experts warn that now is the time for parents to take extra...

“Emma” and “Liam” remain No. 1 for most popular names for girls and boys for the second year in a row, according to Spectrum Health’s Top 10 Baby Names lists for 2013. This year saw...

Elections were held at the annual meeting of the Spectrum Health System Board of Directors in September. The following two individuals were newly elected for a three-year term: Melonie S. Ice, MD,...

Christina M. Freese-Decker, FACHE, senior vice president and chief strategy officer for Spectrum Health System, has been appointed to the Council of Regents, the legislative body of the American...

Spectrum Health will be the first health system in West Michigan and among the first in the nation to offer treatment with a newly FDA-approved device that uses electric stimulation of the brain...

Christina M. Freese-Decker assumed the role of senior vice president and chief strategy officer for Spectrum Health System, effective December 8. Freese-Decker served as president of Spectrum...

Spectrum Health Announces Top 10 Household Dangers for Children Spectrum Health’s Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is thinking ahead to keep kids safe in the New Year. Jennifer Hoekstra, Injury...

Recognized with Honor for Safety and Quality The Leapfrog Group named Spectrum Health Kelsey Hospital in Lakeview, Michigan to its annual list of Top Hospitals. The announcement came at...

Wendy Sherman, MD, joins team as region’s only board-certified, fellowship-trained neuro-oncologist Spectrum Health announces West Michigan’s first center providing comprehensive,...

Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital has been named a 2013 Guardian of Excellence Award winner by Press Ganey Associates, Inc. The award recognizes top-performing facilities that consistently...

Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial (SHGM) was named Top Performer on Key Quality Measures® by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America. SHGM was...

National Research Corporation (NRC) has again recognized Spectrum Health for its overall quality and image. It is the 18th consecutive year that Spectrum Health has won the 2013 Consumer Choice...

Effective January 1, 2014, Michael P. Freed will assume the role of Executive Vice President, Spectrum Health System, and President & CEO, Priority Health. Freed has been serving as both Executive...

Part of Spectrum Health Breast Cancer Awareness Event How many people – and pink umbrellas – does it take to form a “ribbon of hope,” demonstrating support for breast cancer research and...

Spectrum Health Hosts Susan Ford Bales, Medical Experts at Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum UPDATE October 10, 2013 Due to the ongoing government shutdown, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum...

Grand Valley State University is developing a unique educational opportunity that will help Spectrum Health better prepare its leaders as it plans for a future built around community, value,...

Surgery for Older Patients Previously Thought Too Risky A recently published study by researchers from Spectrum Health and Henry Ford Hospital suggests that surgery may be an effective treatment...

Public Open House and Tours September 19 Northern Michigan residents now have greater access to cancer care closer to home with the opening of a comprehensive regional cancer center. On September...

First Michigan Combined Transplant in 14 Years Spectrum Health surgeons performed the first combined heart and lung transplant in West Michigan on Friday, August 23, at the Spectrum Health Fred...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone older than six months be vaccinated for the influenza, or flu, this year. Spectrum Health is making a special effort...

Will Join System as Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital The Spectrum Health System Board of Directors and the Memorial Medical Center (MMC) Board of Directors have each approved resolutions that...

Spectrum Health is heightening its efforts to ensure quality and safety for all of its patients. “Patients are at the heart of all that we do,” said James M. Tucci, MD, MMM, chief clinical...

Spectrum Health is taking another important step to improve access to primary care for its patients. The Spectrum Health Medical Group Community Medicine Clinic (CMC) will open on Monday, August...

Staff members and volunteers at Spectrum Health Continuing Care (SHCC) are gearing up for this year’s annual car show. The community is invited to join SHCC residents, patients and their...

May Lead Way to Predicting and Preventing Heart Attacks We may be closer to predicting who is at risk for a heart attack, according to a recently published Spectrum Health study. Researchers with...

Report Also Nationally Ranks Three Programs Among Nation’s Best Spectrum Health has been ranked third in Michigan by U.S. News & World Report in its Best Hospitals 2013-14 rankings. It was among...

Lori Schuh, MD, FAAN, has been named Spectrum Health’s new vice president of academic affairs. “We are very pleased to have Dr. Schuh here to provide leadership in medical education at...

Free Heart Screenings Target Spanish-Speaking Community Heart disease is a concern for many adults. It is the second leading cause of death for the Hispanic/Latino population. Fortunately, heart...

Brian Lane, MD, PhD, Spectrum Health Medical Group, has been selected to succeed Timothy O’Rourke, MD, as the new Betz Family Endowed Chair in Cancer Research at Spectrum Health. The position...

The Fourth of July weekend begins tomorrow and medical staff at the Spectrum Health Regional Burn Center caution people to be safe with holiday fireworks. Consumer-grade fireworks that fly and...

Spectrum Health Notes Growth, Milestones Spectrum Health’s Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion will celebrate its five-year anniversary on Sunday, June 30. “This has been a great five years,” said...

Spectrum Health’s Core Health Program has been selected to receive the 2013 American Hospital Association (AHA) NOVA Award®. The award honors AHA member hospitals and health care systems for...

Spectrum Health is one of four U.S. hospital systems awarded the Healthcare Financial Management Association’s (HFMA) 2013 MAP Award for High Performance in Revenue Cycle. “We are very proud...

Six physicians were honored for their significant contributions to Spectrum Health at the 16th Annual Distinguished Physician Society Dinner and Awards Ceremony last week. The annual Distinguished...

Spectrum Health’s Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital has been ranked in five specialties in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2013 -14 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings. This is the second...

Joseph Vettukattil, MD, Expands Expertise of Pediatric Cardiac Program Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital continues the expansion of its pediatric cardiac program with the appointment of...

Paul Twydell, DO, has joined the Spectrum Health Medical Group as a neurologist specializing in neuromuscular medicine. His expertise includes electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies,...

The Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital chest pain center has received full reaccreditation from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC). The chest pain center at Butterworth Hospital...

In honor of National Cancer Survivors Day®, Spectrum Health is inviting all survivors, including those recently diagnosed and in treatment, friends and family, to a celebration at Spectrum Health...

Top Award Honors Best of Health Care Sector Efforts Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital has been awarded the Practice Greenhealth Environmental Leadership Award. It is the most prestigious...

Sandra A. Rempel, PhD, has been named Spectrum Health’s new vice president of research. She assumes her new role today. “We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Rempel,” said Matt Van Vranken,...

May is National Stroke Awareness Month. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability. Depending on where in the brain it...

Memorial Medical Center (MMC) today signed a letter of intent to join Spectrum Health. While non-binding, the letter of intent establishes that MMC will work exclusively with Spectrum Health to...

Rockford High School students have won the top prize in the 2013 Value Health Partners Stroke Prevention Student Video Competition. The students submitted their video to Spectrum Health, a member...

Available at Three Locations in West Michigan As the summer season finally approaches, Spectrum Health is reminding people that sun exposure comes with some risk. Skin cancer is the most common...

Recognized for Initiating Environmental Stewardship Program Spectrum Health Kelsey Hospital has received the “Partner Recognition” Award from Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading...

“Formally Acknowledged for Pollution Prevention Program” Spectrum Health United Hospital was awarded the 2013 “Partner for Change” Award by Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading...

The Spectrum Health System Board of Directors, Mecosta County Medical Center (MCMC) Board of Trustees and Mecosta County Board of Commissioners have approved resolutions allowing MCMC to join...

Spectrum Health is playing an important role in the international hunt for effective treatments for advanced renal cell (kidney) cancer. Argos Therapeutics recently enrolled its first patients in the

Spectrum Health will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking event on Wednesday, April 17, at 4 p.m. on the site of the future Beltline Integrated Care Center (BICC) on the southeast corner of East...

Priority Health is laying the groundwork to become the first health plan in Michigan to publish specific, regionalized health care costs and quality information by procedure, facility and...

Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital has been named one of “100 Great Hospitals in America” by Becker’s Hospital Review. Butterworth Hospital was one of six Michigan hospitals to earn the...

Spectrum Health Reed City Hospital’s Foundation teamed up with Big Rapids Radio Network’s Y-102FM for a special two day, on-air fundraising event. Station personalities interviewed nearly 35...

Patient and Visitor Info Posted on Website Construction efforts for The Rapid’s SilverLine Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project has begun and may affect some patients’ travel times to Spectrum...

Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital First in Country to Complete Clinical Trial A Spectrum Health clinical trial has found that fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) has resulted in the improvement...

The majority of adults experience some type of spine or joint pain in their lives. Spectrum Health is hosting its annual orthopedic seminar series to address specific spine and joint pain, and to...

Spectrum Health Kelsey Hospital in Lakeview, Michigan was recently named one of the HealthStrong™ Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in the United States. “We are proud of the efforts of...

West Michigan adults who need a blood or marrow transplant (BMT) to help them in their fight against cancer can now receive treatment nearer to home. The new Spectrum Health Adult BMT Program...

Cardiologists at Spectrum Health’s Fred and Lena Meijer Heart Center were the first in West Michigan to perform a minimally invasive procedure to tie off a left atrial appendage (LAA), which can...

ames M. Tucci, MD, MMM, has been named chief clinical systems integration and improvement officer, Spectrum Health System. Dr. Tucci will assume this newly created position for the organization on...

Spectrum Health Expert Explains Nutritional Benefits You may have noticed chia seeds popping up at your local grocery store. Yes, these are the same seeds that grow on the pottery in the perennial...

Area teens are planning a special event to celebrate National Kick Butts Day, a national anti-tobacco advocacy day, on Wednesday, March 20. Teens Against Tobacco Use (TATU) students from four area...

New technology recently introduced at Spectrum Health provides high-resolution guidance during surgical procedures, helping surgeons to safely and accurately remove tumors from high-risk...

To help overcome language and health care access barriers, Programa Puente, a Spectrum Health Healthier Communities program, is offering free heart screenings to raise awareness and provide...

Heart and vascular care are the focus of the Spectrum Health Medical Group’s Doctor Dialogue series on Thursday, March 14 at 7 p.m. at the Calvin College Prince Conference Center, 1800, East...

American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Adds Commendation Spectrum Health’s cancer program has been granted three-year accreditation with commendation by the Commission on Cancer (CoC)...

Spectrum Health Offers Suggestions for Healthy and Appealing Meals It’s a common question and a common thought each day: What’s for dinner? For patients undergoing cancer treatment and their...

Phase One to Enlarge Maple Street Employee Parking Lot Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial President, Randy Stasik, announced today the beginning of a three-month construction project for the...

Spectrum Health United Hospital was named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® by Truven Health Analytics formerly the healthcare business of Thomson Reuters. Truven Health Analytics is a...

As the regional referral center for orthopedic trauma, Spectrum Health has developed a Geriatric Fracture Program to provide specialized care for older adult hip fracture patients. Terrence...

Expert Tips to Help Children Get Important Daytime Sleep Parents love them. Kids – not so much, especially as they get older. Naps, however, are important to a young child’s health and...

Spectrum Health’s Core Health Program has been named a 2012 Program of Excellence as part of the Hospital Charitable Service Awards, sponsored by Jackson Healthcare, which honors projects...

59-Year-Old Man Received New Lung February 4 Spectrum Health surgeons performed the first lung transplant in West Michigan on Monday, February 4, at the Spectrum Health Fred and Lena Meijer Heart...

Five Programs Receive International Accreditation Spectrum Health has received international accreditation for the quality and expertise of its rehabilitation programs from CARF International, an...

How to Help Preserve Childhood Experiences One in four children in America grow up in a home where there is alcoholism or drug abuse. For most of these children, there is no option to leave the...