ASCENSION

A Michigan health care provider has agreed to pay $2.8 million to the federal government to settle allegations that a doctor performed unnecessary hysterectomies and other services.

DETROIT – Michigan State Police opened an investigation into a shooting on I-94 Christmas night. According to authorities, a 47-year-old man drove himself to Ascension St. John Hospital on Moross Road, where he is being treated for a gunshot wound. Police said the man told staff in the emergency department of the hospital that he had been shot while on the eastbound lanes of I-94. His vehicle was towed to a Michigan State Police post for processing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Michigan State Police at 734-287-5000.

Among the first Michiganders to receive Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine were 10 health care workers at Ascension Providence Hospital on Wednesday morning. Patel was one of the 10 frontline workers who received the COVID vaccine Wednesday morning. Though the hospital received nearly 2,000 doses Wednesday morning, Ascension officials say only 10 employees were vaccinated because they are taking their time with the vaccine rollout to ensure everything goes smoothly. “There’s just enough nuances to this that we want to ensure that we’re being very thoughtful and going through all of our processes,” said Ascension Michigan Vice President of Operations Excellence, Tammy Merkel. Michigan officials believe that enough doses will be available by the spring of 2021 for all eligible individuals to receive the vaccine.

PORTAGE, Mich. – With the shipments of the Pfizer vaccine out of Portage on the way, Michigan’s essential workers -- especially those in the food industry -- are hoping they will be next in line after medical workers to be vaccinated. For months, workers in grocery stores and the food industry have been subjected to some of the worst outbreaks during the pandemic. essential workers are urging they should be next -- as stores continue to fill with holiday shoppers. Michigan’s covid outbreak tracker shows the food industry and retail shops account for nearly 40 current outbreaks statewide. They are still part of the first wave with hundreds of thousands of other workers in essential industries all looking to get vaccinated.

Michigan healthcare officials will start distributing the vaccine to frontline workers. Ascension Hospital in Warren and five hospitals in the Henry Ford Health System will be able to store the vaccines in super cold freezers once they arrive. Henry Ford Health System CCO Dr. Adnan Munkarah said the they will be storing the vaccines at its hospitals in Detroit, Wyandotte, Macomb, West Bloomfield and Jackson. They have about 11,000 frontline workers who need vaccines, so a lottery system was set up and the first 1,000 workers know who they are. Frontline workers are asking for all the help they can get to keep that number down.

PORTAGE, Mich. – The shipments of the Pfizer vaccine out of Portage set in motion the largest vaccination effort in American history. Nearly 3 million doses of the vaccine will be delivered to all 50 states. In Metro Detroit, that includes Ascension Hospital in Warren and Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, which is expecting just under 1,000 initial doses. Beaumont Health is estimating they’ll get about 1,000 doses in the first batch before moving up to about 14,000 Pfizer vaccines as production kicks into high-gear. They have about 11,000 frontline workers who need vaccines, so a lottery system was set up and the first 1,000 workers know who they are.

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – Fire crews were dispatched Thursday morning to Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital on reports of a fire. According to authorities, the call came in at about 8:45 a.m. and when fire crews arrived, they found smoke coming from the second floor of the building. Authorities said the hospital’s sprinkler system held the fire back until fire crews were able to extinguish the fire. Rochester Hills Fire Department had help from fire crews from Waterford, Bloomfield Township, Troy, Oakland Township and Auburn Hills. The fire investigation will be handled by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

All rights reserved)WARREN, Mich. – Ascension Michigan has issued temporary visitation restrictions to help prevent the spread of coronavirus as cases surge throughout the state. One visitor is allowed for outpatient surgery and must stay in the waiting room. The above restrictions do not apply at Ascension Michigan physician practice sites. A number of other medical centers have also recently ramped up visitation restrictions as COVID-19 cases climb throughout Michigan. The total number of coronavirus cases in Michigan has risen to 277,806, including 8,190 deaths, as of Wednesday.

All rights reserved)DETROIT – Ascension Michigan is partnering with the Detroit Health Department to offer free immunization and flu shots to children this weekend. Officials say vaccinations among children in Detroit have declined from 82% to 47% since March, according to a report from the Wayne County Health Department. To combat this decline, the health system will host a Back to School Community Immunization Fair on September 12 at Martin Luther King Jr. High School. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., children 6 months old and older can receive free immunization and flu shots. Officials say individuals are welcome whether they are insured or not.