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Lake Huron Medical Center Achieves Healthgrades 2020 Patient Safety Excellence Award

Lake Huron Medical Center achieved the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award for 2021 which places them among the top 5% of all short-term acute care hospitals reporting patient safety data to Healthgrades.

The award recognizes hospitals that have the lowest occurrences of 14 preventable patient safety events, including injuries, infections, and other serious conditions.

Lake Huron Medical Center was also recognized as a five-star facility by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and has received straight A’s from Leapfrog since 2018.

Dr. Shridhar Reddy, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Lake Huron Medical Center said, “Lake Huron Medical Center credits these achievements to a commitment to clinical excellence by our staff and physicians. It’s their commitment, each and every day, to our patients that makes all the difference.”

 

 

Updated Face Mask Order Goes Into Effect Saturday

Governor Whitmer just announced in a press release that Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is updating the Gatherings and Mask Order to align with the CDC’s latest guidance on face coverings. The new order hasn’t been posted in full yet, but is expected to lift the majority of face mask orders for vaccinated individuals.

The press release states, “Michiganders who are outdoors will no longer need to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status. While indoors, fully vaccinated Michiganders will no longer need to wear a mask, but residents who are not vaccinated, or have not completed their vaccinations, must continue to wear a mask or face covering to protect themselves and others. After July 1, the broad indoor mask mandate will expire.”

There was no mention in the press release of MIOSHA rules which require employers and certain businesses to adhere to face masking and other safety measures to protect employees from the virus, which may lead to some confusion as to how and where this will be enforced. There is also no clarification in the release about how to tell who is truly fully vaccinated.

The order goes into effect on Saturday, May 15, 2021.

 

 

Five St. Clair Students Receive Scholarships

The St. Clair Women’s League holds an annual spring flower sale to raise money to give back to the community. This year, they have awarded scholarships to five St. Clair High School Students: Praewa Montross, Angela Ladd, Alyvia Osborne, Hannah Grippe and Claire Wiegand.

Praewa Montross will attend Michigan State University and major in English and Biology.  She was involved in many activities including varsity swim, National Honor Society, the Thai American Association of Michigan Youth Group, and more.  Praewa helped to run the very successful Thai Food Festival and has participated in community service from a young age.

Angela Ladd will attend Lawrence Technological University and will major in Robotic Engineering.  She has been involved in Dance, SkillsUSA, Robotics, National Honor Society, and more.  She played a large role in the Kids on the Move tech project, and has volunteered her time for Relay for Life and the McCrest Homeless Event.

Alyvia Osborne will attend University of Michigan and will major in Computer Science.  She has been involved in Student Council, Varsity Golf, National Honor Society, Robotics, and more.  She has accumulated dozens of hours of community service during high school, including for PKSA’s Force Against Hunger.

Hannah Grippe will attend Michigan State and will major in Business and Spanish.  She has been involved in the National Honor Society as the President, and also Student Advisory Council.  She has done community service through the NHS and also volunteered to coach gymnastics for free during the pandemic last summer.

Claire Wiegand will attend Michigan State and will major in Psychology.  She has been involved in Student Council and the National Honor Society, Tennis, and more.  She has done community service through the NHS and has also participated in food drives with her church.

 

Mid City Nutrition Breaks Ground on New Building

Port Huron, MI — Four years ago the board of directors for Mid City Nutrition realized more than ever that they didn’t have the room to do their work. With a steady increase of clients to feed, and a desire to expand their work, they decided it was time to raise money for a new building.

Board member Bethany Belanger shared that from the moment they made that decision, the community has rallied to their cause.

The new building will be on the corner of Griswold and 9th Streets in Port Huron, and the groundbreaking ceremony was on Wednesday, May 12, 2021. The nonprofit shared a beautiful outdoor celebration with a large crowd of supporters from the Blue Water Chamber of Commerce, the City of Port Huron, fellow nonprofit organizations, and the community.

The future building will be one story with easy access for the handicapped and include a large dining room, commercial kitchen, storage areas, bathroom facilities, and a teaching kitchen for cooking classes. Belanger foresees the teaching kitchen doubling as a source of income for Mid City Nutrition as it could be available for rent to small businesses or caterers who could use it for prep.

The building project will be supervised by Gary Beem, owner of  Beem Construction, and will benefit from in-kind donations from Blue Water Glass, Port Huron Paint, and others along with a partnership with Habitat for Humanity. The teaching kitchen has been supported by the Stebbins Family Fund of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and will be named the Stebbins Family Nutrition Center.

When asked how she feels about the support Mid City has received for their building project, Bethany Belanger said, “So many people have supported this project. We are absolutely blessed. It’s a need in this community. It’s a necessity. Maybe someday it won’t be, but it’s just gotten greater.”

Mid City Nutrition is  holding their annual fundraiser the week of May 17 – 21st. The online event will air on Blue Water Healthy Living on Monday, May 17th at 6 PM and replayed throughout the week. The event includes entertainment, celebrity chefs, and an auction for 8 incredible dining, wine & spirits, and entertainment packages.  Visit Mid City Nutrition’s Facebook Event page <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

Daly Asks for Public Comment on COVID Rules for Workplaces

31 District Senator Kevin Daley is asking the public to provide feedback on what he is calling “Governor Whitmer’s Endless Emergency”. Daly is responding to a proposal by MIOSHA that they be allowed to examine the continued need for their COVID-19 workplace safety rules even after MDHHS and the Governor’s orders have ended.

MIOSHA, or the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, sets and enforces workplace safety rules. Their goal is to protect the safety and health of Michigan workers.

As a result of the COVID pandemic, many rules were put into place that made it mandatory for employers to create policies and procedures about in-person work, physical distancing, and PPE.

MIOSHA rules included creating workplace policies that prohibited in-person work for any employee that could reasonably work from home, daily self-screening protocols like health questionnaires, and requiring face coverings for employees and those entering the workplace.

The new proposed rule gives MIOSHA the control to examine the continued need for these rules within 21 days of the expiration or rescission of any remaining COVID-19 emergency orders. At that time, they could choose to make some of the COVID rules permanent.

Daly said, “Business owners should be able decide for themselves what’s best for them, their employees and their customers. This is not something that should be decided by unelected bureaucrats in Lansing. Business owners should have a say in how their business is run and I’d like to begin these discussions and get feedback from the folks of the 31st District.”

The 31st Senate District includes Bay, Lapeer, and Tuscola counties., and Senator Daly asks his constituents to submit their comments here: https://www.misenategop.com/WhitmerEmergency/

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

New Groups Can Register for Vaccine in Lambton

Sarnia, Ontario — Lambton County essential frontline workers who cannot work from home are now eligible to book their COVID-19 vaccine appointment, along with individuals who are 40 years old now or will be in 2021.

In addition to those groups, high-risk health care workers, dialysis patients, and all first Nations, Inuit and Metis individuals can book their second dose of the vaccine earlier than the extended four-month interval. This insures that those groups who are at higher risk for serious illness with COVID-19 reach a greater level of immunity to the virus sooner.

Lambton Public Health noted that clinics are booking quickly, so if residents try to register and find that clinics are fully booked, they should check back often as additional clinics will be added as vaccine supply is confirmed.

As of the beginning of May, approximately 800,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine were expected to arrive in Ontario each week. Doses of vaccine administered per week should increase to 940,000 by the end of the month. There are currently 73 active cases of COVID-19 in Lambton County.

Vaccine appointments for Lambton County residents can be registered for at GetTheVaccine.ca 

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand