2 years of Michigan pandemic: Takeaways from Beaumont official’s review of COVID, its impact
Beaumont Health official Dr. Nicholas Gilpin held a news briefing on Thursday to mark the second anniversary of COVID in Michigan, how it has affected health care workers and the industry, and what to expect as we move forward.
Healthcare workers express pandemic experience through song
Healthcare workers continue to deal with the mental and emotional toll of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, even as the two-year date approaches since the first case was documented in Michigan. Last week saw frontline workers within Beaumont Health gather for three therapeutic songwriting sessions. Starting with general, open-ended questions about the frontline workers’ experiences, songwriter Darden Smith led each group […]
grossepointenews.comMan shot several times on I-94 in Metro Detroit was victim of targeted attack, police say
TAYLOR, MI – Westbound I-94 was shut down early Friday morning after a man was shot several times in a targeted attack. Troopers and officers from the Taylor Police Department arrived on scene and found the victim with several gunshot wounds. Taylor EMS transported the victim to Beaumont Hospital in Dearborn where he is in critical condition, police said. Detectives have determined that the shooting was not a random incident, but a targeted attack. Anyone with information is asked to contact the MSP Metro South Post by calling 734-287-5000 or Crime Stoppers at 800-SPEAK-UP.
mlive.com6-year-old boy killed in suspected drunk driving crash, police say
MONROE COUNTY, MI – A 6-year-old boy has dead from injuries he suffered in a suspected drunk driving crash in Monroe County Thursday night, police said. Emergency crews were called at 10:15 p.m. Oct. 14, to Grafton Road and Ash Street in Ash Township near Carleton in Monroe County for a report of a single-vehicle roll-over crash, according to Michigan State Police. The child suffered critical injuries and was taken to Beaumont Hospital in Trenton where he later died, police said. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the Michigan State Police Monroe Post at 734-242-3500. The Carleton Police Department, South Rockwood Police Department, Ash Township Fire Department and Monroe Community Ambulance assisted at the scene.
mlive.comNurses needed: Beaumont offering signing bonus amid staff shortage
Visit any floor in any hospital, and most of them are going to look like controlled chaos, a constant hustle and bustle of staff and patients.And those keeping that chaos under control are the nurses -- but they’re in low supply these days.
Couple killed in crash while leaving state park
MONROE COUNTY, MI – An elderly couple from Canton were killed Wednesday morning in a crash in front on a state park entrance in Frenchtown Township. Larimore Clifford McDougall and Marilyn Ann McDougall both died Wednesday, May 26, from injuries suffered in a crash that occurred in front of the Sterling State Park entrance on N. Dixie Highway, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. The couple, both 85, were making a left turn on to the highway leaving the state park at about 5:23 a.m. when their vehicle was stuck by a pickup going north on the highway, police said. Marilyn McDougall was taken to Beaumont Hospital in Trenton where she later succumbed to her injuries and died, police said. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office at 734-240-7541.
mlive.comCouple arraigned for murder in fatal Monroe County shooting
MONROE COUNTY, MI – A couple arrested last weekend in connection with a fatal shooting have been charged with murder. Green, 21, of Monroe, is charged with one count each of open murder and felony firearms. Couple arrested in connection to Monroe County fatal shootingPolice in the area heard the gunshot and found Tripp lying on the ground in the intersection suffering a gunshot wound, police said. Deputies securing the shooting scene found Green and Young nearby and arrested the pair after determining they were involved in the shooting, police said. A preliminary investigation revealed that Tripp, Green and Young knew each other and that there was an altercation between them that led to the shooting, police said.
mlive.comBeaumont nurse recalls ‘horrors’ of working through COVID-19 pandemic
“It was like a horror, it was like in the movies. It was devastating. You wanted to help but you couldn’t help. It was just out of control and it came from nowhere,” said Nurse Green when reminiscing about the early days of the coronavirus.
Beaumont Hospital-Royal Oak president leads way through COVID pandemic
Nancy Susick was the first in her family to graduate from college. But that’s just a small note in her long, inspirational story that leads to this moment amid the COVID pandemic at Beaumont Hospital-Royal Oak. Watch the full story above. View: Nancy Susick, RN, profile from BeaumontCORONAVIRUS RESOURCES
COVID survivor has emotional reunion with Beaumont Royal Oak ICU nurse
ROYAL OAK, Mich. – There’s no doubt that the COVID pandemic has been an emotional time for so many people. There’s been too much heartbreak, but there’s also been moment that can make your heart burst with happiness and gratitude. Coronavirus survivor Heather Elizabeth-Brown spent 120 days in the hospital with 31 of those days on a ventilator in a medically induced coma at Beaumont Royal Oak. In her COVID-19 fog, she panicked, but she remembers a neurotrauma ICU named Zac Mudge. Brown said she never had the chance to properly thank him before the Zoom call.
COVID-19 vaccine scramble: Patients, doctors frustrated by shortages and line-jumping
Gretchen Whitmer and Dr. Joneigh S. Khaldun reiterated Michigan is not getting enough COVID vaccine doses to meet the demand. They did say that Michigan is in the top 20 in the nation when it comes to actually getting people vaccinated. READ: Some Michiganders cutting in line for COVID vaccine ahead of those in needAn elderly woman, at high risk for COVID, has been unable to get a vaccine appointment. “We have people who can’t wait to get the vaccine, who feel they are special. The Pfizer vaccine has five doses, but Beaumont said they are getting a sixth dose out of the vile.
Dearborn nurse loses father to COVID-19 at same hospital
DEARBORN – Hamid Alkhalili is a nurse at Beaumont Hospital in Dearborn and has seen the devastation from the coronavirus pandemic up close -- but it did little to prepare him for when his father tested positive for the virus and became a patient. PREVIOUS: Dearborn nurse documents father’s battle with COVID-19 at same hospital“Our family as a whole, we feel broken about it,” Alkhalili said. “But this has brought us together.”Alkhalili and his brother, Abdallah, had been pulling for their father, Issa, every step of the way as he fought against COVID-19. Due to COVID precautions, Alkhalili had to witness his father’s illness through a small window on the hospital room door. He went through almost a month in the hospital, and he was a strong one, not us,” Alkhalili said.
Pregnant women urged to discuss vaccine risks, benefits with doctor
DETROIT – One of the groups carefully weighing the risks and benefits of the COVID-19 vaccines is pregnant women. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are not excluded from receiving the vaccine, but health experts are urging those women to speak with their doctors beforehand. She said pregnant and breastfeeding women were not included in the vaccine clinical trials. “My guidance to my patients is that while the vaccine wasn’t studied specifically in pregnant women, women who did become pregnant after receiving the vaccine had outcomes that were similar to those who were not vaccinated,” Whitten said. “I am more anxious about what getting COVID would mean versus what the unknowns of a vaccine would mean,” Houston-Jones said.
Beaumont Hospitals start administering second dose of COVID-19 vaccine to healthcare workers
DETROIT – On Tuesday, some of the first Metro Detroit frontline workers who got Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine were able to receive their second dose. Three weeks ago Dr. Nick Gilpin, Beaumont Health Director of Epidemiology, was the first at Beaumont to get the COVID-19 vaccine. “We want to get all of our healthcare workers and employees vaccinated as quickly as possible. Half of those are the second doses for frontline workers who already received the first dose. READ: Tracking Michigan COVID-19 vaccine dataRead More:Questions about coronavirus?
Dearborn nurse documents father’s battle with COVID-19 at same hospital
DEARBORN – A 63-year-old man has been at the Beaumont Hospital in Dearborn for more than a week battling COVID-19. It has been extremely hard on his family, especially his son who works as a nurse at the same hospital. “First it started off with chills, body fatigue and it just kind of attacked his lungs,” said registered nurse Hamid Alkhalili. “I’m a nurse at the hospital, but unfortunately the hospital at this time has a no-visitor policy. Alkhalili also wanted to shed light on all of the frontline workers at hospitals taking care of others.
New noninvasive heart procedure at Beaumont Health shortens recovery time
ROYAL OAK, Mich. – Imagine heart surgery without anesthesia, breathing tubes and weeks of recovery time. A new noninvasive surgery is being offered at Beaumont Hospital that has the patient awake for the procedure. Mary Olk didn’t have any symptoms when the doctors discovered a new issue with her heart. “It wasn’t scary at all.”Olk is one of only a few dozen Beaumont patients who had heart surgery while she was awake. A group of Beaumont Health Care Heroes received the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday afternoon.
Metro Detroit COVID vaccine rollout plans: Follow updates here
Michigan will receive about 84,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in the first round. Here we have a running list of COVID-19 vaccine distribution plans from Metro Detroit health departments and hospitals:Health departmentsWayne County:The Wayne County Health Department is holding a virtual news conference at 11 a.m. Monday. They expect to move to 14,000 Pfizer vaccine doses a week as production kicks into high gear. Henry Ford hospitals:The Henry Ford Health System said it has only been told to expect delivery sometime between Tuesday and Thursday and, of course, they are waiting for an update. This includes Henry Ford Detroit, Henry Ford Wyandotte, Henry Ford Macomb, Henry Ford West Bloomfield and Henry Ford Jackson.
Morning Briefing Dec. 11, 2020: Michigan plans for vaccine (what’s next), federal COVID aid package status, weekend weather update
What to know today 🌅Michigan plans for COVID-19 vaccine: What to expect nextWith the announcement of the Food and Drug Administration vaccine advisory panel recommending the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine needs granted an emergency use authorization, Michigan is developing a distribution plan once the vaccine is authorized. Initially, five Michigan hospitals would be the first to get the vaccine, according to the Michigan Health and Hospital Association. The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 421,137 as of Thursday, including 10,395 deaths, state officials report. Thursday’s update includes 5,937 new cases and 182 additional deaths, including 132 deaths identified during a review of records -- meaning they did not occur between Wednesday and Thursday. According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 5.8 million have recovered in the U.S., with more than 15.4 million cases reported across the country.
Robert C. Wakely Jr.
Robert C. Wakely Jr., 69, of Grosse Pointe Shores, passed away Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020, at Beaumont Hospital, Grosse Pointe, with pneumonia and complications due to COVID-19. Robert attended St. Paul on the Lake and Austin Catholic Prep-aratory School and graduated from Grosse Pointe High School in 1969. Robert began his career working for Smith, Hinchman and Grylls in Ann Arbor, later joining his father, Robert C. Wakely Sr., of Wakely-Kushner Associates, Inc. Three years later, he established his own company, Robert C. Wakely, A.I.A. Architects in Grosse Pointe Park, where he created several award-winning designs such as the Grosse Pointe Shores municipal building, Neff Park pool and bath house and City of Grosse Pointe municipal complex. Robert is survived by his wife and love of his life, Linda; sons, Ian, Stuart and Logan; sister, Mary Wakely; and brother, David Wakely.
grossepointenews.comHundreds of frontline workers at Metro Detroit hospitals quarantine due to COVID exposure
COVID-19 continues to cause havoc in our areas and is now affecting hundreds of workers throughout the Henry Ford Health System. Henry Ford Health said 576 of about 33,000 employees are out of work because they either have COVID-19 or been exposed to coronavirus. READ: CDC releases new, shortened quarantine options for certain COVID-19 exposureHenry Ford Health System Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Adnan Munkarah said they are in quarantine. “It’s in the double-digit and it continues to be concerning, which means the number of affected people in the community continues to be high,” said Dr. Munkarah. Henry Ford Health System said two of its six hospitals are more than 90% full, those are in Macomb and West Bloomfield.
Ascension, Beaumont admissions rising
Photo by Renee LanduytAscension St. John Hospital, above, and Beaumont Hospital, Grosse Pointe, are ...An active subscription to the Grosse Pointe News is required to view this article. Please call (313) 343-5578 to subscribe. Subscribers who want to reset their password can click here
grossepointenews.comWhat Beaumont Hospital is doing to prepare for potential COVID-19 vaccine distribution
DETROIT – Beaumont Hospital is getting ready to receive, store and distribute both the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines when they become available. The Pfizer vaccine has to be stored at -94 degrees Fahrenheit to be stabilized. Beaumont has supplies and the storage capacity for as many as 300,000 doses of the vaccine. Details on when COVID-19 vaccine could be made public for useWe’re learning more about how quickly the coronavirus vaccine could be rolled out. On Tuesday morning, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services spent about an hour discussing vaccine preparations with physicians and other key people.
Beaumont calls for videos, photos as Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams goes virtual
ROYAL OAK, Mich. – Beaumont Hospital has held Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams every December since 2017 -- this year the event will be different due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. READ: Beaumont Hospital holds ‘Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams’ in DecemberThe hospital said it’s not safe for people to gather outside the Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak this year -- so instead they’re turning the fourth annual Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams event into a virtual experience. Beaumont will compile the videos and photos to create a video that will be shared with pediatric patients via social media. Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams was created by the Beaumont Children’s Pediatric Family Advisory Council at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak. Last year, Local 4′s Devin Scillian sang Christmas carols at Beaumont for Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams.
Beaumont Hospital-Wayne restricts visitation as coronavirus spreads rapidly in Michigan
WAYNE, Mich. – The Beaumont Hospital in Wayne is restricting patient visitation to help prevent the spread of coronavirus as cases and hospitalizations continue to rise throughout Michigan. COVID patients will be allowed visitors if they are nearing the end of life. The Beaumont Hospital in Wayne is the latest of the Beaumont hospitals to issue visitation restrictions as coronavirus spread increases across Michigan. A number of other medical centers have also recently ramped up visitation restrictions as COVID-19 cases climb throughout Michigan. On Wednesday, the state reported 4,273 new COVID-19 cases and 73 new deaths in Michigan since Tuesday.
Sally Bliss Roberts Pierson
Harper Woods resident Sally Bliss Roberts Pierson passed away peacefully Monday, Nov. 2, 2020, at Beaumont Hospital, Grosse Pointe. She was born Feb. 11,1935, to Earl and Eleanor Roberts of Fairfield, Conn.Sally attended Bennington College in Vermont. Thereafter, she married Davison Pierson of Grosse Pointe. Their son, Jeffrey Lynn Pierson, was born Sept. 25, 1954, in New Haven, Conn., and passed away Sept. 6, 2014. She is survived by her sister, Jane Roberts Anderson of Naples, Fla. Sally also was a dear half-sister to Gifford Roberts, Douglas Roberts, Daniel Roberts, Anne Inch, Lisa Fox and Kite Giedraitis.
grossepointenews.comBeaumont Taylor announces visitor limitations
Beaumont Hospital Taylor has announced visitor restrictions amid the rising cases of COVID-19. Photo: Beaumont HospitalsTAYLOR — Beaumont Hospital in Taylor has announced visitor restrictions amid the rising cases of COVID-19. The Taylor facility is joining the Grosse Pointe, Royal Oak, Dearborn, Trenton, Farmington Hills and Troy locations in their decision to limit visitors. “We’ve had a notable rise in COVID-19 cases in Metro Detroit,” Dr. Nick Gilpin, medical director of Infection Prevention and Epidemiology for Beaumont Health, said. One visitor will be permitted unless other otherwise indicated and exceptions only apply if visitors screen negative for symptoms of respiratory infection.
arabamericannews.comDoctor campaigns for PPE donations in spare time
I put some phone calls out to different offices around town to say, Hey, I work at this hospital. Were in need of PPE. Every coworker she reached out to in the foot and ankle division of Henry Ford donated as well. While she is no longer actively seeking donations, anyone who has PPE and would like to see it get to the right place can reach out at nbrouye1@hfhs.org. Its a good feeling to know that were at that point now in all of our health systems and everyone is good, Brouyette said.
grossepointenews.comPortrait: A Monroe nurse proud of her community
Monroe News photojournalist Tom Hawley kicks-off his "American Flag" portrait series with a local nurse. Taylor Cunningham of Monroe, a 2016 nursing program graduate from Monroe County Community College, is a nurse at Beaumont Hospital, Dearborn, in the intensive care unit, caring for COVID-19 patients. The pink 3M respirator mask that Cunningham uses was given to her by a friend. ***This is among the news and features The Monroe News is making available for free as a public service to our readers during the coronavirus outbreak. Please support local journalism with a subscription to The Monroe News.
monroenews.comBeaumont begins studying two common drugs' potential to treat COVID-19
Beaumont HealthResearchers at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak have received approval to launch a clinical trial to determine whether two common drugs naltrexone and ketamine are an effective treatment for COVID-19.The randomized trial will involve adult patients hospitalized at Beaumont in Royal Oak. Researchers are hoping the two drugs, taken together, will lessen the severity of COVID-19 symptoms in patients in the early and late stages of the virus.There is an urgent need to develop new treatments for COVID-19 using easily available and affordable medications, Dr. Matthew Sims, director of infectious disease research at Beaumont and the studys principal investigator, says in a news release. Ideal new treatments for COVID-19 would help halt the progression of the disease in patients with mild cases prior to the need for ventilators, and provide a rescue treatment for patients with severe cases of the virus.Low doses of naltrexone have been used to treat pain and inflammation in multiple sclerosis, Crohns disease, fibromyalgia, and other pain conditions. Ketamine is an anesthetic drug that has shown anti-inflammatory effects.The United States Food and Drug Administrations Investigational New Drug program gave Beaumont the green light to start the clinical trial, which has already begun enrolling patients.We need a two-pronged strategy to combat COVID-19, Dr. Annas Aljassem, the studys co-investigator, says. Low doses of naltrexone, a drug approved for treating alcoholism and opiate addiction, as well as ketamine, a drug approved as an anesthetic, may be able to interrupt the inflammation that causes the worst COVID-19 symptoms."The drugs have the potential to save lives, Sims says.The addition of these two medications, as immunomodulators, to the treatment regimen of patients with COVID-19 has potential to decrease the severity of this disease by reducing the autoimmune, hyperinflammatory stages of the virus which is destructive to normal tissue and, when unchecked, rapidly leads to death, Sims says.
metrotimes.comA true thanks-giving parade: Community members drive through Beaumont, thank frontline workers
CITY OF GROSSE POINTE Led by the City public safety department, Grosse Pointe community members lined up in cars with signs thanking healthcare workers and drove by Beaumont Hospital, Grosse Pointe during the shift change Monday night, April 20. We had a lot of hospital workers out there. The group was founded by women who are all related to frontline workers. Theyve already raised over $200,000.FLAG agreed to join the effort and brought approximately $1,300 worth of food from Karas in St. Clair Shores for the 200 employees on the midnight shift at Beaumont Hospital, Grosse Pointe. It took 10 minutes, but to them, that 10 minutes put a smile on their face the rest of the night while they worked, Adams said.
grossepointenews.comRockwood firefighter suffers heart attack; crews deliver baby
Rockwood Firefighter Dave Becker, a 30-year veteran on the force, suffered a heart attack while responding to an accident on I-75 in Berlin Township Tuesday afternoon. Its been a roller coaster like week for the department, which delivered its first baby last week, he said. The woman was moved to the department ambulance and taken to Beaumont, where she gave birth to a girl in the back of the ambulance. Helping to deliver were Mercure and Firefighter Kristen Baumia while Deputy Chief Mark Wallace drove the ambulance the four miles to the hospital. Thats the first time in our history we had to deliver, Mercure said.
monroenews.comCarleton driver ejected in crash
FRENCHTOWN TOWNSHIP A Carleton man remained hospitalized after he was ejected from his vehicle when it crashed and rolled in a ditch early Sunday morning. During the crash the driver, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle, deputies reported. The driver was transported to Beaumont Hospital, Trenton, where he was listed in stable condition. Deputies said excessive speed and alcohol both appear to be factors in the crash. Monroe Community Ambulance and the Frenchtown Township Fire Department assisted at the scene.
monroenews.comExclusive: Arab American employee files discrimination lawsuit against Beaumont Hospital in Dearborn
It claims that Beaumont Hospital and the other two defendants violated the Whistleblower Protection Act, the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act (National Origin Discrimination) and six other counts. According to court documents obtained by The Arab American News, Salehs national origin was at least one factor in forcing him out of his job. During his employment, Saleh heard DeLaurier make derogatory and discriminatory comments about Arab American employees, patients and visitors. She also intervened when Saleh attempted to investigate reports that a different nurse was leaving the hospital grounds on the clock. Nowhere is this more apparent than in their treatment of their Arab American employees, he said.
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