Allegan General Hospital Partners with Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital

Allegan General Hospital became the 32nd hospital to join Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital’s Partners in Children’s Health today. The affiliation broadens a larger effort of Michigan hospitals to enhance the care of children and families throughout the state. Through the Partners in Children’s Health Network, hospitals improve access to pediatric specialty services and continuing professional education.

“We are very excited to be joining the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital’s Partners in Children’s Health Network,” said Gerald Barbini, president and CEO of Allegan General Hospital. “This affiliation is one more step in our ongoing efforts to provide the highest level of quality care for the children in our community.”

As part of the affiliation agreement, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital offers assistance with quality initiatives, clinical outreach and pediatric specific continuing medical education programming for the hospitals pediatricians and other clinical staff. The affiliation also provides an opportunity for periodic community education programs and advocacy for children’s health and safety in Allegan.

“Together, Allegan General Hospital and Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital will work to strengthen medical care for children in Allegan and neighboring communities,” said Bob Connors, MD, president, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. “The agreement more formally links Allegan General Hospital to a regional system of care for children, providing comprehensive pediatric care close to home.”

The affiliation was made formal today at a signing ceremony at Allegan General Hospital.

Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is a 236-bed regional referral center and teaching hospital. It offers advanced pediatric specialty care with more than 200 pediatric physicians who practice in more than 50 pediatric specialties and programs. Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is Michigan’s largest neonatal center. More information is available at www.helendevoschildrens.org.

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Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system, based in West Michigan, offering a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, which is comprised of 11 hospitals including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital; 170 ambulatory and service sites; 1,080 employed physicians and advanced practice providers including members of the Spectrum Health Medical Group; and Priority Health, a 575,000-member health plan. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer with 21,300 employees. The organization provided $250 million in community benefit during its 2013 fiscal year. spectrumhealth.org

Allegan General Hospital is a community hospital that focuses on providing exceptional, compassionate and personalized healthcare to the community it serves. The hospital has been named four years in a row by Modern Healthcare magazine as one of the nation’s Best Places to Work in Healthcare. Allegan General provides a wide range of healthcare services, including surgery, sleep disorder center, emergency, physical rehabilitation and mental health. For more information about the hospital, visit www.allegangeneral.org.