MERCY HEALTH MUSKEGON

Trinity Health Michigan announced Wednesday that eight hospitals and hundreds of care sites are rebranding.

MUSKEGON, MI - A 57-year-old Muskegon man is in custody on murder charges for the stabbing death of another Muskegon resident, police said. Shortly after 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 2, Muskegon Police Department officers arrived at the lobby of the Hartford Terrance apartment complex and found a 54-year-old Muskegon man with an apparent stab wound, according to a news release from the department. Officers quickly identified a suspect and arrested a 57-year-old Muskegon man without incident, police said. The man is lodged at the Muskegon County Jail on open murder charges. The department is conducting an ongoing investigation and will release more information when it is available, police said.

MUSKEGON, MI – Employees at Mercy Health Muskegon have voted to begin picketing as contract negotiations drag on. The vote was nearly unanimous across all three bargaining units, according to a statement from the union. The hospital and union have been at the bargaining table for nearly three years, according to an earlier statement from SEIU Healthcare Michigan. We have seven additional bargaining dates scheduled and we remain hopeful more progress will be made this week and next.”SEIU represents about 1,800 employees at Mercy Health Muskegon, including more than 800 nurses. A 15-member medical team from the U.S. Air Force spent January helping Mercy Health provide care to COVID patients and in the hospital’s emergency department.

MUSKEGON, MI – A waiting room tent that was set up outside Muskegon’s hospital emergency room to free up space for patient care will be taken down after several weeks of use. On Tuesday, Mercy Health informed MLive it was at 89% capacity with 70 COVID-positive patients, nine of them on ventilators. Related: Breakthrough COVID-19 deaths stress need for masks, other protections, Muskegon health official saysA team of 15 U.S. Air Force members arrived at Mercy Health Muskegon in late December to support hospital staff strained by a surge in COVID patients. Mercy Health continues to ask patients without emergency medical needs to call a primary care physician or visit an urgent care facility instead of going to the hospital’s emergency room. Officials also emphasized that those seeking COVID testing should not do so at the emergency room.

A hospital in western Michigan is using a heated tent as extra emergency space due to a surge in COVID-19 cases.

MUSKEGON, MI – Mercy Health Muskegon has set up an outdoor tent to handle high patient volumes. Related: Patients staying at hospitals longer during latest COVID-19 swellWith 317 total patients, Mercy Health Muskegon is 96% full. Eight COVID-19 patients, all of whom are unvaccinated, are on ventilators. On Thursday, Jan. 6, Beaumont Health announced it reached a “breaking point” when COVID-19 patients climbed 40% in a week. Mercy Health also asks patients without emergency medical needs to call a primary care physician or visit an urgent care facility instead of going to the hospital’s emergency room.

MUSKEGON, MI – A medical team from the U.S. Air Force arrived in Muskegon last week to provide support for healthcare workers strained by a fourth surge of COVID-19. Members of the federal crew are working in the Mercy Health Muskegon’s emergency department and providing the monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19 patients. The 15-person team dispatched to Muskegon includes physicians, five nurses, seven medics and one administration support staff member. “Mercy Health Muskegon is truly grateful for the clinical support being provided by the skilled team of Air Force men and women deployed on our behalf,” Dr. Justin Grill, chief medical officer of Mercy Health Muskegon, said in a statement. Mercy Health Muskegon is one of four Michigan hospitals to receive emergency federal support at Gov.

MUSKEGON, MI – The federal government is sending a medical team to Mercy Health Muskegon to support doctors and nurses who are treating COVID-19 and other patients, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday, Dec. 22. Gretchen Whitmer’s request, this is the fourth Michigan hospital to receive federal support during a fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 17-person medical team, including registered nurses, a doctor and other healthcare workers, will arrive at Mercy Health Muskegon on Dec. 30 and treat patients for 30 days. Related: Demand for monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID-19 is high, supply is low — and omicron is comingGary Allore, president of Mercy Health Muskegon, says COVID-19 has put frontline staff in “extreme conditions” as hospitals are overburdened and dealing with staffing shortages. Most of the COVID-19 patients at Michigan hospitals are unvaccinated.

MUSKEGON, MI – Mercy Health Muskegon reports 96% staff have complied with a COVID-19 vaccine requirement as of Friday, Oct. 22. This includes those approved for religious or medical exemptions.

MUSKEGON, MI – Mercy Health Muskegon officials are urging residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine to ease the strained hospital. Dr. Justin Grill, chief medical officer for Mercy Health Muskegon, said COVID-19 admissions in October were higher than the first surge of the pandemic. Here’s why it’s happening in MuskegonMercy Health Muskegon reports 39 COVID-19 patients as of Oct. 18, and Grill said roughly 60-70% of those are unvaccinated. Mercy Health Muskegon also urged pregnant women to get the vaccine saying it does not increase the chance of spontaneous abortion, miscarriage or fertility issues. COVID-19 vaccines are available at Mercy Health, Spectrum Health, Hackley Community Care, Muskegon Family Care and local pharmacies.

MUSKEGON, MI – Patients seeking emergency care at Mercy Health Muskegon are facing longer than usual wait times. Other hospitals in the United States and Michigan, including Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, have also reported increases in wait times. Related: Mercy Health’s Hackley Urgent Care space transitions to Hackley Community CareAdding to the stressed emergency department, Mercy Health Muskegon is facing a staffing shortage. Allore also addressed concerns shared by some in the community about the shuttered Hackley Hospital leading to longer wait times. Related: See demolition begin of main Hackley Hospital towersAdditionally, Allore said patient volume is not the issue.

MUSKEGON, MI – As COVID-19 test positivity rates climb in Muskegon County, a Mercy Health doctor worries what that could mean for hospitalizations. The county’s test positivity rate averaged 7.4% between July 22-29, during which the statewide average was 5% according to State of Michigan statistics. The state has suggested everyone in Muskegon County -- whether vaccinated or not -- consider masking while indoors due to the county’s test positivity and new case rates. Jarrin attributed the rising number of cases to the more contagious Delta variant of the virus, which was first officially detected in Muskegon County on July 28. But she said she’s not as alarmed by the higher test positivity rate because she believes it’s due to fewer people overall being tested.

OTTAWA COUNTY, MI - A 57-year-old Fennville woman died from her injuries Saturday evening after a rear-end crash left her in critical condition Friday. Deputies with the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office responded to a two-car crash about 6 a.m. Friday, April 9, located around US-31 near Hayes Street in Grand Haven Township. The first vehicle driven by a 19-year-old Covert man hit the vehicle driven by the Fennville woman while it was stopped at a red light, according to a news release from the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office. First responders treated the driver and one passenger in the first vehicle, a 40-year-old South Haven man, at the scene for non-life threatening injuries. The incident is still under investigation by the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Services Unit.

The number of inpatients with COVID at Mercy Health Muskegon has grown by nearly 150% over the past 10 days, according to hospital reports. “We’re seeing a very significant elevation in hospitalizations, and that eventually will translate to deaths,” Dr. Jerry Evans, chief of staff at Mercy Health Muskegon, told MLive. The county recorded an additional three deaths due to COVID-19 between April 2-5, said Kathy Moore, director of Public Health – Muskegon County. Muskegon County also was one of the first to have a positive Brazil variant, known as P.1. Organizers say it’s still a maybeCharges filed against 5 people in death of Muskegon County Jail inmate

UPDATE: Police said one of the drivers, 51-year-old Melanie Dunham of Spring Lake, died at Mercy Health Muskegon hospital. SPRING LAKE, MI -- A head-on crash on M-104 east of Spring Lake seriously injured both drivers and left one in critical condition. Ottawa County sheriff’s deputies said the crash happened when a 76-year-old man going west on M-104 tried to pass a vehicle in front of him about 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 7. The man’s Ford Edge crashed head on into a Honda CRV going east and driven by a 51-year-old Spring Lake woman. Sheriff’s deputies closed M-104, also known as Cleveland Street, to investigate the crash.

It was, according to one nurse, “chaos.”Fast forward to Tuesday, Feb. 23, when Mercy Health Muskegon reported there was not a single patient hospitalized for COVID. “That spike sobered people up,” said Gary Allore, president of Mercy Health Muskegon. West Michigan had mostly been spared the first “spike” in COVID-19 cases that hit Michigan last April. When the colder weather arrived and people moved indoors, the cases started climbing. But new cases in Muskegon County were starting to drop, and Mercy was able to close the Hackley unit after four weeks.

They motivated each other, discharging from Mercy Health Muskegon two days apart. COVID-19 patients are often separated from other people for extended periods, and Dr. Heather LaClair, a hospitalist at Mercy Health, says that is a challenge for people fighting the virus. When Jones and Shaffer were admitted to the hospital, Mercy Health Muskegon was overwhelmed with a fall surge in patients with COVID-19. Mercy Health discharged the men from the hospital this week with Jones leaving first on Monday, Jan. 11. The long-term effects of COVID-19 on their health are still unknown, but Jones said their similar experiences will be a guide.

Shaffer developed COVID-19 symptoms in mid-November, and after three days of struggling to breathe he was admitted to the hospital on Nov. 16. Knowing the seriousness of being intubated, Shaffer asked a doctor if he was going to keep him alive. Shaffer said it was “humbling” to be surrounded with support from friends and family. Dr. Heather LaClair, a hospitalist on Shaffer’s care team at Mercy Health, said he suffered a severe case of COVID-19. LaClair said healthcare workers put their “heart and soul” into seeing patients like Shaffer leave the hospital.

MUSKEGON, MI – A COVID-19 survivor says he’s “just happy to be alive” after being hospitalized for nearly two months. Admitted to Mercy Health Muskegon in mid-November, Rick Jones, 51, was intubated twice before recovering from COVID-19. The Norton Shores man credits the team of healthcare workers for being able to walk out of the hospital on Monday, Jan. 11. Jones was discharged from Mercy Health as doctors, nurses and rehabilitation staff lined a hallway and the front entryway to applaud his recovery. By the end of December, Jones’ health had improved.

MUSKEGON, MI – Nearly two months after being admitted to Mercy Health Muskegon with COVID-19, Rick Jones walked out of the hospital on Monday. After struggling to breathe for several days, Jones went to the hospital thinking he just needed oxygen. After about two weeks in the hospital, Jones was removed from the ventilator only to be re-intubated a couple of days later. Patients who come off a ventilator, Rosel said, face a 20% chance of needing to be intubated again. Muskegon County was hit particularly hard and experienced a positivity rate over 20%, overwhelming Mercy Health with COVID-19 patients.

MUSKEGON, MI – The Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce delivered more than 1,500 stockings to healthcare workers at Mercy Health Muskegon on Monday. The Chamber launched a fundraising campaign in early December to collect community donations for frontline workers caring for COVID-19 patients over the holidays. Mercy Health Muskegon President Gary Allore said the “overwhelming support from the community” is appreciated by the hospital staff. The stockings were filled with Lakeshore Community Cash and gift cards to local businesses. Larsen said the donations will “circle back” into the community, and they come at the perfect time for small businesses.

MUSKEGON, MI – Health care workers and paramedics in Muskegon have begun receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Mercy Health Muskegon received 1,950 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Monday, Dec. 14, and will begin administering it to frontline health care workers at a rate of 40 per hour, said Dr. Justin Grill, chief medical officer for Mercy Health Muskegon. Those include health care workers who work in Mercy’s intensive care unit, its COVID floors and its emergency room as well as emergency medical technician paramedics and firefighters, he said. Related: A second COVID-19 vaccine could soon be approved by the FDAThe county is expected to receive vaccine shipments every Monday, Grill said. Health care workers are being invited to sign up for time slots to receive their vaccinations, and doing so “very rapidly,” Grill said.

Mercy Health Muskegon received 1,950 doses of the Pfizer vaccine earlier this week, said Muskegon County Public Health Director Kathy Moore. During November, an average of more than three people died of COVID-19 a day in Muskegon County. That compares with a high of 152 inpatients recorded in November, said Dr. Justin Grill, chief medical officer for Mercy Health Muskegon. Ottawa County reported a total of 17,129 cases and 217 deaths as of Wednesday, up 1,124 cases and 23 deaths from Dec. 9. Oceana County reported on Wednesday 1,457 total cases and 32 deaths.

MUSKEGON, MI – Frontline healthcare workers and staff from Mercy Health Muskegon are demanding an increase in staffing and PPE. They say improvements are needed to make it safer for them as they care for COVID-19 patients. Related: ‘Devastating’ COVID-19 deaths, ICU patient rates still high in Muskegon but overall cases dropFred Wyese, an RN at Mercy Health in Muskegon, said the hospital was inundated with COVID-19 cases in the fall. The Mercy Health Mercy Campus on East Sherman Boulevard remains at 97% capacity as of Dec. 14. “We monitor our supplies daily to ensure we’re meeting the safety needs of our frontline staff,” Mercy Health said in the statement.

There were 8,181 active cases of COVID-19 in Muskegon County on Wednesday, Dec. 9. An additional 22 people died between Dec. 3-9, bringing the total number of deaths to 203, according to state figures. That’s an improvement from the November peak of 152 patients, said Dr. Justin Grill, chief medical officer for Mercy Health Muskegon. He expects the COVID-19 vaccine to arrive in Muskegon County by mid-December. State figures show that the seven-day average of new cases in Muskegon County decreased by 37 percent between Nov. 22-28 and Nov. 29-Dec. 5.

The youngest three were in their 40s, health county health statistics show. November has proven especially deadly, with 73 deaths reported, and the month isn’t even over. The cumulative total COVID-19 cases in Muskegon County as of Tuesday stood at 6,497, up 1,163 over the previous week. Ottawa County reported 12,467 cases as of Tuesday and 129 deaths, an increase of 1,767 cases and 18 deaths since Nov. 18. Oceana County reported 1,064 cases and 16 deaths as of Tuesday, up 102 cases and six deaths since Nov. 18.

MUSKEGON, MI – With cases surging at one of the fastest rates in the state, Mercy Health Muskegon is poised to open a special COVID-19 patient unit at its vacant Hackley hospital. “We are fortunate to have the Hackley Campus available to activate as an alternative COVID care site. Public Health – Muskegon County reported 17 additional deaths in the last four days, totaling 124. The new unit at Hackley will be staffed by nurses and physicians already on Mercy Health Muskegon’s medical staff. The COVID unit at Hackley likely will grow to three 20-bed floors if cases continue rising at the current rate, she said.

COVID patients occupy about half of the hospital’s beds, Maguire told MLive. Related: Muskegon in ‘desperate straits’ as COVID-19 deaths, health care worker cases soarMercy Health Muskegon entered “disaster mode” last week signifying it’s overcapacity and prompting the reassigning of staff from other units to care for “the steadily rising” number of COVID patients, Maguire said. Mercy recently closed Hackley hospital and combined all its inpatient and emergency care at its newly remodeled and expanded Mercy hospital. COVID patients coming to Mercy are “pretty sick,” she said. The pastoral care department’s crisis team is counseling staff, and will move onto the floors to do so since care staff are too busy to leave their units, she said.

MUSKEGON, MI – New coronavirus cases in Muskegon County are skyrocketing, surging through nursing homes once again, impacting the jail and raising concerns about hospital capacity. “The numbers are just exploding,” said Kathy Moore, director of the Muskegon County health department. There had been some criticism of the lack of social distancing and mask use at an Oct. 17 campaign rally President Trump held at the Muskegon County Airport. One nursing home reported 40 new cases in the last 10 days involving 26 residents and 14 staff, Moore said. The Muskegon County Jail, which has been able to keep the infection at bay, had nine infected inmates as of Thursday, none of them with symptoms, said Muskegon County Sheriff Michael Poulin.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Grand Valley State University is working with two Michigan health care systems to graduate more students who will work as nurse practitioners in rural or underserved areas. The effort is boosted by a four-year, $2.8 million federal Advanced Nursing Education Workforce Grant for the school's Kirkhof College of Nursing. The effort involves McLaren Health Care and Mercy Health Muskegon. The grant will support 15 qualified students. Copyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.