Children's Health

Pediatric Subspecialty Health Care Now Offered in Southwest Michigan

Southwest Michigan has a new pediatric subspecialty center thanks to collaboration between Lakeland Care and Spectrum Health Medical Group pediatric specialists at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. Pediatric subspecialists will provide health care services at Health Park Medical Suites at 3950 Hollywood Road, Suite 240 in St. Joseph.

“Children need to receive care close to home whenever possible,” said Timothy Griffin, MD, pediatric department chief, Spectrum Health Medical Group. “We’re pleased to be working with Lakeland Care to provide children the opportunity for follow-up care in a setting close to home.”

Children needing specialty care should receive a referral from their primary care provider. Specialties include:
• Pediatric cardiology
• Pediatric endocrinology
• Pediatric hematology/oncology
• Pediatric nephrology
• Pediatric neurology
• Pediatric orthopedics
• Specialty maternal-fetal care

“Lakeland Care has a very dedicated team of local pediatricians and pediatric hospitalists,” said Lowell Hamel, MD, vice president, medical affairs and chief medical officer, Lakeland HealthCare. “Given our community’s population, we do not have the same full-time pediatric subspecialists as a larger metropolitan area. Banding together our two networks is a natural fit as we improve local access to specialized pediatric care.”

Media are invited to attend an open house at the facility on December 15 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event is not open to the public.

The Spectrum Health Medical Group currently employs more than 575 physicians and advance practice providers, including nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

Lakeland Care is a Physician Hospital Organization (PHO) and southwest Michigan’s preferred provider network, offering employer services, worksite wellness programs, and multiple insurance options. Lakeland Care is committed to building relationships between employers, healthcare providers and payors in order to bring superior value and the highest quality healthcare to the community they serve. To learn more visit http://www.lakelandcare.com/.

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system in West Michigan offering a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, which is comprised of nine hospitals including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, a state of the art children’s hospital that opened in January 2011, and 190 service sites; the Spectrum Health Medical Group and West Michigan Heart, physician groups totaling more than 600 providers; and Priority Health, a health plan with 625,000 members. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer with more than 18,000 employees. The organization provided $176.5 million in community benefit during its 2011 fiscal year. In 2011 and 2010, Spectrum Health was named a Top 10 Health System by Thomson Reuters.