Spectrum Health Hosts First Web Chats

Visitors to the Spectrum Health Web site now have the opportunity to have their health questions answered through live Web chats with medical specialists.

Two chats are scheduled for February at www.spectrum-health.org/onlinechat.

A heart-to-heart online chat with cardiologist Richard McNamara, MD, takes place Thursday, February 25 at noon. Participants will learn what it means to be heart healthy. Chatters can get answers to question about risk factors, blood pressure, cholesterol, exercise and diet.

Dr. McNamara is chief of cardiology at the Fred and Lena Meijer Heart Center. He earned his medical degree at the University of Iowa and completed his residency and fellowship at Strong Memorial Hospital of the University of Rochester. He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, critical care and interventional cardiology. He specializes in providing a full range of diagnostic, preventive and cardiac treatment services. Within his field of specialty, Dr. McNamara has a special interest in interventional cardiology – especially the treatment of heart attacks.

Christine A. Heisler, MD, will address the symptoms, causes and treatments for female bladder control issues on Friday, February 26 at noon. Dr. Heisler is a specialist in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery (FPMRS) with the Spectrum Health Medical Group. Dr. Heisler, who comes to Grand Rapids after training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, is the only fellowship-trained FPMRS surgeon in West Michigan.

Spectrum Health launched its new Web site in October 2009. In addition to Web chats, new features on the site include a multimedia symptom checker, a “Should I call a doctor?” self-assessment tool, an “A to Z” health information directory, health specialist blogs and links to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system in West Michigan that offers a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, a collection of seven hospitals and more than 140 service sites; the Spectrum Health Medical Group, mmpc® and West Michigan Heart-physician groups totaling more than 400 providers; and Priority Health, a health plan with nearly 580,000 members. Spectrum Health’s 16,000 employees, 1,500 medical staff members and 2,200 volunteers are committed to delivering the highest quality care. The organization provided $111.1 million in community benefit during its 2008 fiscal year. As a system, Spectrum Health has earned more than 100 awards since it was formed in 1997.