Neurosciences Career with Munson Healthcare Join a State-of-the-Art Neurosciences Practice Munson Medical Center is recognized as a regional stroke center for northern Michigan. This program has been certified as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission since 2012 and received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus Award and the Target Stroke Honor Roll Elite-Plus awards. Munson Healthcare is the only stroke program in northern Michigan to have Biplane Imaging and one of just a few in the nation to have two units onsite. As

Care Schedule and Screenings Diabetes is a chronic (long-term) condition, but you can still lead a healthy and active lifestyle with the right steps – like making regular visits to your healthcare provider and creating daily routines. Below is the recommended care schedule, including screenings, appointments, and lifestyle modifications, help keep you healthy and getting the care you need. Download a Printable Care Schedule Three important screenings to prioritize: A1C Retinal Eye Exam Foot Exam Diabetes is a challenging condition, but you can keep your symptoms in check by sticking to a

In Loving Memory of Lynn Drew In 2016, my mom spent about four weeks in the care of the Munson Healthcare Hospice House and the experience we had was sincerely the best we could have ever asked for. The caring and knowledgeable staff took time to get to know myself, my husband, my mom and even our pets! Throughout our time there the staff made us feel welcome and made sure that we, the family, were consistently updated on her condition and what to expect as the weeks, days, and hours passed. I sincerely don’t know how we would have made it through this process without the Hospice House. During

145 Days in Munson Medical Center’s NICU: Rayden’s Story Six months into her pregnancy, Melinda Eastman suddenly got ill — so ill that she went to Cadillac Hospital Urgent Care. “It kind of came on like a strike of lightning,” said Eastman, whose pregnancy up until that point had been uneventful. “It was pretty scary.” Eastman was then sent to the hospital’s emergency department for evaluation. Fairly quickly, doctors determined she needed to be taken by ambulance to Munson Medical Center for additional care. After arriving, Eastman learned she had HELLP Syndrome, a series of symptoms

‘A healthy, handsome, happy baby boy’ Like many first-time mothers, Breeana Perkins was overwhelmed when she held her newborn son at Munson Medical Center. “I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t talk. I was so happy.” Unlike most mothers, Breeana’s moment of joy was delayed as her son laid on the chest of the young woman who had just given birth to him. With the birth mother’s blessing, Breeana was in the room to assist with and witness her son’s birth. The emotion-charged moments following the birth could have been painful, awkward, and uncomfortable as the baby’s birth mother cuddled him before

Gaylord Businessmen and Brothers Honor Father with Gift to Otsego Memorial Hospital Each morning, around 9 o’clock, Steve and Kevin Johnson joined their dad, Dale, for a cup of coffee and conversation at Diana’s Delights in their northern Michigan hometown of Gaylord. After starting the day at the office, the trio took a coffee break at this downtown fixture. Over breakfast, the sons heard their father share “the same stories over and over again,” as the brothers recalled with a smile – stories of growing up part of a farming family on the outskirts of Gaylord, of dropping out of school in the

Munson Healthcare Helps Bear Lake Couple and Their Twin Babies Thrive To describe the past 18 months as busy and emotional for Kristy and John Fortine would be an understatement. “It’s been a big year,” said John, 37, as he cradled in his arms his 10-weekold son Bode. Kristy, 28, seated next to her husband, held Bode’s twin brother Lucas. For the Bear Lake, Mich. couple, this particularly momentous time began with their 2016 wedding, followed by a Hawaiian honeymoon. Then they discovered they were expecting, and when Kristy was 12 weeks along in her pregnancy, they received the unexpected and

Near to the Heart Each passing second immediately following a stroke is critical. Perhaps no one understands this more than Traverse City native Kevin Schmuckal, who suddenly suffered a middle cerebral artery (MCA) stroke just days shy of his 43rd birthday. “I was working out at the gym, and I was lucky enough to be in the same class as my wife; she was a couple of treadmills down from me and noticed physical changes to my face,” Schmuckal said. “I didn’t understand what was happening at the time. It was a very confusing situation – I actually tried to continue to run on the treadmill.”

Northern Michigan Comes Together to Navigate Pandemic A much-needed moment of joy took place at Munson Medical Center in mid-April following weeks of dire predictions, intense preparations, and relentless uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. The first COVID-19 patient placed on a ventilator at the Traverse City hospital made a full recovery and was sent home on April 14. Masked nurses and staff gathered in a hallway to dance, sing, and celebrate as their patient prepared to leave the hospital. It was a welcome break from the anxiety of caring for people stricken with a virus that

Information for Patients: The 21st Century Cures Act In April 2021, the 21st Century Cures Act went into effect, which gives you more control over your own health information by ensuring patient access to electronic health information (EHI) in an electronic format. Patients have the right to request digital copies of anything in their Designated Record Set, which is a wide-ranging collection of documents, test results, and even clinicians’ notes. The Cures Act also prevents Information Blocking, which is any practice that interferes with a patient’s access to or use of EHI. What is the