Refugees and Global Health to be Discussed in Community Webcast

April 21, 2016

Spectrum Health and the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan are partnering to offer a live webcast on the global health crisis facing refugees. The May 2 Global Health and Refugees Summit, which takes place in Atlanta, will be simulcast 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Secchia Center in downtown Grand Rapids.

Hosted by the WAC of Atlanta, CARE USA and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the summit will feature experts discussing how to meet the health needs of populations in receiving countries, how to coordinate response efforts and how to strengthen the capacity to help. The simulcast is free and open to the public. Lunch and a moderated discussion will take place 12-12:45 p.m. Participants may register here. Registration is required by April 28.

“The displacement of almost 60 million people worldwide presents immense health care challenges. The event will give health care providers and the general public the opportunity to better understand the problem and how West Michigan can respond,” said Erica Kubik, PhD, Director of Programming at the WAC of Western Michigan.

“According to the World Health Organization, ‘health’ is defined as physical, mental and social well-being, not just the absence of disease or infirmity. This summit will help us better understand what that means to refugees and how Spectrum Health can best serve them,” said Carole Montgomery, MD, Spectrum Health Clinical Vice President, Health Management. “Spectrum Health’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse communities we serve.”

Speakers include experts from the CSIS, US Department of State, US Department of Health and Human Services, Emory University and Johns Hopkins University. More information about the event is available here.

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 12 hospitals, including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital; 178 ambulatory and service sites; more than 3,400 physicians and advanced practice providers, including about 1,400 members of the Spectrum Health Medical Group; and Priority Health, a health plan with about 721,000 members. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer, with 24,300 employees. The organization provided $283 million in community benefit during its 2015 fiscal year. Spectrum Health is the only health system in Michigan to be named one of the nation’s 15 Top Health Systems® by Truven Health Analytics for 2015. This is the fourth time the organization has received this recognition.

The World Affairs Council of Western Michigan, in existence since 1949, is dedicated to educating people in western Michigan about other countries and cultures of the world, as well as providing a forum for discussion of critical foreign policy issues. It is a non-partisan, non-advocacy educational 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. With 60 member companies and almost 2500 members, it’s considered one of the best Councils in the national network of 97 World Affairs Councils.