Local News

Port Huron, MI — St. Clair County Community College now has an Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The purpose of the Office is to “advance the college’s efforts in providing educational access and support for all”, according to a press release.

The college will launch a national speaker series for the benefit of the community. Social Justice speaker Jen Frey will begin the series on October 9th, and a book discussion will commence this fall. Another initiative of the college is to make Juneteenth an officially recognized holiday on June 19th every year.

According to SC4 Board of Trustees chair Dr. Nicholas DeGrazia, “The new Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will be instrumental as we continue toward our goals of growth, sustainability, and creating a stronger community that reflects the world we live in.” He also indicated that the entire board of trustees supports the creation of the Office.

The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will be led by Jessica Brown, who has been with SC4 since 2014. Brown was the Director of the TRIO Student Support Services and is involved with the Global Diversity Advisory Council.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Port Huron, MI – Lake Huron Medical Center (LHMC) is pleased to announce its June 2020
Employee of the Month, Holly Hendershot, and its June 2020 Volunteer of the Month, Margaret
Langolf. LHMC is honored to have a strong team of staff and volunteers working hard to deliver high-quality care to the Blue Water Area.

Holly is Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department and has been with LHMC since 2018.
She was nominated by a peer who commented, “On a hot day in May a patient’s brother and
children were waiting outside in their vehicle because visitors were asked not to enter the
building, per the Governor’s Executive Order. Holly took it upon herself to take them popsicles to cool them off while they waited to hear from the doctors. This nice gesture is one example of how Holly goes above and beyond in trying to make families as comfortable as possible during a stressful situation.”

Margaret volunteers in various roles throughout the hospital and was nominated by an employee who stated: “This time of year is one of the busiest for Margaret, as she oversees the Lake Huron Foundation Volunteer Organization (LHFVO) Scholarship Program. This year, she was presented with a whole new slew of challenges – and she met them head-on! Margaret led a
remote review process with the LHFVO Scholarship Committee to select award recipients, guaranteeing students would be notified of whether or not they would be receiving an award in a timely manner. During some very unique and unprecedented circumstances, Margaret met the challenge with commitment, dedication and passion. She took the lead while remaining flexible and accommodating, keeping the end-goal of ensuring students would have the financial support they desperately need to continue their education in the healthcare field at the top of her mind.”

Lake Huron Medical Center is proud of each of its employees and volunteers; and extends a
special thank you and congratulations to all our team members, especially Holly and Margaret, as we celebrate their accomplishments.

To learn more about the programs and services offered at Lake Huron Medical Center, visit
www.mylakehuron.com.

Port Huron, Mich.— Healthgrades, the leading source that connects consumers, physicians and health systems, awarded McLaren Port Huron with a 2020 Patient Safety Excellence Award. Released annually, Healthgrades’ Patient Safety Excellence Award recognizes hospitals that have the lowest occurrences of 14 preventable patient safety events.

Inclusion on the list places McLaren Port Huron among the top 10 percent of acute care hospitals nationwide in patient safety.

“At McLaren Port Huron, excellence is about the constant pursuit of best practices. We participate in voluntary safety and quality initiatives to enhance patient outcomes,” said Jennifer Montgomery, president and CEO of McLaren Port Huron. “I am honored to have earned this award and would like to thank all of our physicians and staff who are committed to continuously providing high quality care in the safest environment possible.”

Data collected is tracked and measured to determine hospitals’ effectiveness in preventing injuries, infections and other serious conditions. Healthgrades considers 14 patient safety indicators and other measurements to create the list of recipients.

Specifically, McLaren Port Huron was recognized for:

• Keeping patients safe from preventable complications
• Delivering better-than-expected clinical outcomes
• Placing patient care and safety first throughout hospitalization

McLaren Port Huron is one of five McLaren Health Care providers to earn the recognition, with McLaren Macomb, McLaren Oakland, McLaren Lapeer Region and McLaren Greater Lansing also included on the list.

To learn more about how McLaren Port Huron is providing safe care during COVID-19, visit mclaren.org/safecare.

Port Huron, MI – Sophie Phillips, RN, has been named McLaren Port Huron’s Employee of the Month for May. Phillips has been employed with McLaren Port Huron for five years and currently works in the Cardiac Stepdown Unit.

Phillips was nominated by her peers because she demonstrates the hospital values every day. She is described as someone who has a positive attitude, contagious smile and always goes above and beyond for patients and their families.  Her peers added that she cares about her co-workers and always assists them without being asked.

This employee recognition is given to individuals who consistently live the values, mission and performance standards of McLaren Port Huron. Honorees are nominated by a co-worker, physician, volunteer, and/or customer.

To learn more about McLaren Port Huron, visit www.mclaren.org/porthuron.