Research & Technology


New Study May Lead to Fewer Hysterectomies in Women with Uterine Fibroid Tumors

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Jan. 15, 2020–Uterine fibroid tumors are the leading cause of hysterectomies in the U.S., yet little is known about what causes them. A new study, however, has taken researchers one step closer to understanding how these tumors develop and grow. Researchers at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Van Andel […]



Study Describes a New Complication in Systemic Juvenile Arthritis

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Jan. 2, 2020 – A Spectrum Health rheumatologist took part in a multi-center study that is the first to describe a deadly set of complications of systemic juvenile arthritis (SJA). In the United States, up to 300,000 children have some form of arthritis or pediatric rheumatic disease. The most common type is […]



New technique lays foundation for regenerative cardiac therapies

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Nov. 6, 2019 — Scientists have devised a technique to sort out which heart cells can replicate and which cannot, a critical step toward treatments that may one day help the heart heal itself after injury. The method, published in the journal Circulation Research, removes a significant roadblock to developing ways to regrow […]



MSU and Spectrum Health Researchers Team Up to Find New Treatments for “Orphan Diseases”

Grand Rapids, Mich., October 16, 2019 – The National Institutes of Health has awarded a Michigan State University researcher a $2.1 million, five-year grant to search vast databases of existing drugs. Many of the drugs are already approved for treating other disorders, but some could be adapted to treat what often are called “orphan diseases” […]



Spectrum Health Earns 2019 CHIME HealthCare’s Most Wired Recognition

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 8, 2019 – Spectrum Health is proud to be recognized as a 2019 College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) Most Wired health care organization at a certified level nine. The Most Wired program conducts an annual survey to assess how effectively health care organizations apply core and advanced technologies into […]



OST and Spectrum Health Announce CareCircle to Keep Patients Connected to Loved Ones

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., April 11, 2019 – OST and Spectrum Health announce the launch of CareCircle, a software platform that helps patients communicate with loved ones as they make their way through their health care journey. OST, a Grand Rapids-based technology firm, developed the secure CareCircle website (www.carecircle.com) for patients to safely provide updates on […]



Spectrum Health Ventures Invests in Gauss Artificial Intelligence Triton Technology to Better Identify Postpartum Bleeding

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 19, 2018 – Spectrum Health Ventures is joining nine other investors as part of a $20 million Series C investment in Gauss Surgical’s Triton artificial intelligence technology. Triton estimates patient blood loss in real time by using computer vision and machine learning algorithms to analyze images of surgical sponges and canisters. Triton […]



MSU-Spectrum Health Researchers Identify New Genetic Disorder

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Sept. 21, 2018 – Researchers from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and physicians from Spectrum Health have identified for the first time in a human patient a genetic disorder only previously described in animal models. The disorder is caused by mutations in a gene known as ornithine decarboxylase 1 (ODC1) and […]



Hunt for a Cure Foundation Provides Lead Gift of $500,000 for Cystic Fibrosis Research at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., June 13, 2018 – Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is pleased to announce the creation of a research partnership between Spectrum Health, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and Hunt for a Cure Foundation that will help find a cure for cystic fibrosis patients. Today, the Hunt for a Cure […]



Spectrum Health joins NIH in launching the All of Us Research Program to advance precision medicine

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., May 1, 2018– On May 6, the National Institutes of Health will open national enrollment for the All of Us Research Program—a momentous effort to advance individualized prevention, treatment and care for people of all backgrounds—in collaboration with Spectrum Health and other partners. People ages 18 and older, regardless of health status, […]



Spectrum Health Study Finds Delay in Initial Dementia Diagnosis

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., March 15, 2018 – A study conducted by a multidisciplinary Spectrum Health neurology team has found that dementia patients are not undergoing evaluation at the onset of the dementia process, a delay that prevents early, beneficial treatment. The study also suggests that home-based, patient-centered care may improve early screening and detection of dementia. […]



Spectrum Health Introduces MedNow App

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Dec. 14, 2017 – MedNow, Spectrum Health’s telemedicine service, has launched its MedNow app for consumers, making Spectrum Health the first health system in the country to build a standalone consumer-facing telemedicine app for users inside and outside of the Spectrum Health System. Since MedNow began in 2014, nearly 20,000 people have […]



Spectrum Health receives National Institutes of Health funding for research into personalized health care

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced that Spectrum Health, as part of a consortium of integrated health care systems, will receive funding to help the NIH implement a landmark research effort aimed at advancing personalized health care. The NIH’s Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) Cohort Program is a longitudinal research […]