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Metro Health opens new office on East Beltline

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Metro Health Beltline is located at 1310 E. Beltline Ave. (Supplied)

By Jamie Allen
Metro Health – University of Michigan Health

Metro Health – University of Michigan Health’s newest outpatient office is now open, bringing more services, including heart and vascular specialists, to East Grand Rapids, Cascade and surrounding areas.

Metro Health Beltline, at 1310 E. Beltline Ave. SE, just north of Lake Drive, replaces a smaller clinic on Cascade Road. All the providers from that office are relocating to the East Beltline site, and their phone numbers will not change.

The building’s modern design emphasizes a patient-centered concierge atmosphere. Nurse triage spaces provide convenient access for walk-in patients. The office is equipped with technology that allows self-rooming and self-checkout to reduce patient wait time and promote safety.

“As we enter a new world of healthcare delivery, this office is an example of Metro Health’s commitment to finding new and innovative ways to deliver quality care to our patients,” said Dr. Rakesh Pai, Chief Population Health Officer and President of the Medical Group.

At 30,500 square feet, the office is Metro Health’s largest primary care site. It has the capacity to accommodate up to 20 providers and 55 staff, caring for between 400 and 500 patients a day.

The office’s comprehensive services include family practice, sports medicine, internal medicine, behavioral health and diabetes education. Additionally, with adult and pediatric heart and vascular specialists, patients will have the choice of seeing their cardiologist at the main hospital or the East Beltline location. Heart and vascular services offered include chest x-rays, electrocardiograms (EKG / ECG), stress echocardiogram exercise or medication, graded exercise tests (GXT) and continuous portable telemetry monitoring.

With two patient care levels, the building also includes on-site x-ray and laboratory services. The office is open 7am to 5pm weekdays, with walk-in visits accepted. Call 616-252-1500 or visit Metro Health’s website for more information.

“We’re all looking forward to maintaining a relationship with our existing patients in this new location, where they will have convenient access to a wider range of services,” said Dr. Edwin Kornoelje, Metro Health Beltline Site Director. “At the same time, we look forward to adding new patients to the Metro Health family.”

Administration of COVID vaccine has started, Catholic bishops release statement on vaccine

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Video courtesy Kent County Health Department

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

“I feel awesome,” declared Mary Wisinski, the first person at the Kent County Health Department to receive the Pfizer vaccine.

Distribution of the Pfizer vaccine is underway with the Kent County Health Department administering its first vaccine on Friday, Dec. 18, to Wisinski, the the department’s immunization program supervisor.

“This is an incredible day,” she said. “we’ve been working so hard to battle this virus, and some days, it felt like it got the best of us. This isn’t one of those days. This gives us hope — we’re going to beat this.”

Because Wisinski will lead the health department’s team of immunization nurses in administering the vaccine, she was among the first group deemed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to receive the vaccine.

“Stay Positive, Stay Heroic, Stay Healthy” is what the sticker from the Kent County Health Department says. (Photo courtesy Kent County Health Department)

The Kent County Health Department received 1,950 doses on Dec. 17 and will be administering those doses to individuals in the highest risk groups. which also includes Kent County area medical first responders.

Area Hospitals, such as Metro Health — University of Michigan Health, also began administering doses to its frontline healthcare workers. Metro Health began on Friday.

The Pfizer vaccine requires two doses that are administered 21 days apart. Most agencies, such as the Kent County Health Department, will receive its second does within three weeks.

Vaccines receive support

Both the Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration last week, received support from seven Catholic bishops in Michigan included Most Rev. David J. Walkowiak, Bishop of Grand Rapids.

The statement, which can be found at the Diocese of Grand Rapids website, states “It is morally permissible to receive the vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna. Neither of these vaccines have used cell lines originated in tissue taken from aborted babies in their deign, development and production. However, both Pfizer and Moderna vaccine did use such a cell line in the confirmatory testing. This connection to the abortion is very remote, however, it is important to keep in mind that there are varying levels of responsibility. Greater moral responsibility lives with the researchers than with those who receive the vaccine.”

The statement goes on that the Congregation for Doctrine of Faith indicates that it is morally permissible to be vaccinated if there are not alternatives and there are serious health risks as in the current COVID-19 pandemic.

For the full statement, click here.

Tracking the availability of the vaccine

As part of a consortium of West Michigan health departments and other health organizations, the Kent County Health Department announced the site VaccinateWestMI.com. The site is designed to provide information about vaccine availability, local distribution plans, safety and efficacy, and will be updated regularly as new information becomes available.

Metro Health begins employee COVID-19 vaccinations

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Metro Health – University of Michigan Health started distributing the Pfizer vaccine this morning. (Supplied)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

At 6 a.m. today, Metro Health – University of Michigan Health began to vaccinate its employees with the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19.

“This vaccine will provide much-needed protection for our employees , who serve on behalf of our community on the front lines of the pandemic,” said Metro Health – University of Michigan Health President and CEO Dr. Peter Hahn. “This is a breakthrough moment. This is how we start to turn the tide in our long battle with COVID-19.”

One of the first Metro Health staff to be vaccinated, Dr. Gabriel Pedraza, director of critical care at Metro Health, agreed with Hahn.

“I am going to fee a lot more comfortable treating my patients, my COVID patients,” Pedraza. Pedraza said he trusts the Center for Disease Control and knows that the Federal Drug and Food Administration would not have approved something that would put people at risk.

“Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation out there,” Pedraza said. “I have looked at some of the data. I trust the CDC. I trust the FDA. They are not going to release an unsafe vaccine.

 

A Metro Health – University of Michigan staff person shows her vaccine record. (Supplied)

“This is a big moment for our country and for us and I really highly recommend that we all get vaccinated. I did. I do what I preach and I think it is very important that we all do that. I recommend that everyone can, get vaccinated.”

The Pfizer vaccine was the first to be approved by the FDA on Dec. 11. Shipments of the vaccine, which is made in Kalamazoo, started leaving the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Airport on Monday. The vaccine arrived at Wyoming’s Metro Health – University of Michigan Health on Thursday.

“This generation’s greatest minds have been working tirelessly on vaccines from almost the moment the pandemic began,” he said. “Soon we will have to do our part, by being vaccinated as soon as the vaccine is available to each of us.”

Hahn praised the historic scientific effort and rigorous evaluation that made a vaccine available this year. 

Metro Health’s initial shipment was 975 doses, with more anticipated on a regular cadence over the weeks to come. Metro Health’s Human Resources team collected input from its own Infection Prevention experts and clinical leaders, along with guidance from the CDC, to develop tiers of vaccine distribution based on risk of exposure and role in daily operations.

 

“As vaccine supplies grow, we look forward to extending the vaccine’s protection beyond our walls by following the guidance of public health experts,” Hahn said. Hahn and other leaders plan to receive the vaccine as soon as they meet the distribution criteria.

 

“As an ICU physician and healthcare leader, I will urge everyone to do the same,” he said. 

Metro Health awarded Leapfrog hospital safety grade A rating

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Metro Health – University of Michigan Health received an “A” rating from Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Grade. (WKTV)

By Jamie Allen
Metro Health – University of Michigan Health

Metro Health – University of Michigan Health is realizing its vision of taking health care to a better place as proven by the recent award of an “A” rating by the Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Grade.

“We are honored to receive an A rating from the esteemed Leapfrog Group,” said Stacie Bommersbach, Vice President of Quality and Patient Safety, Metro Health – University of Michigan Health. “The dedication and commitment of our staff are what led to this achievement.”

For the last 20 years, the Leapfrog Group has given ratings to hospitals for their efforts to take “giant leaps forward in the quality and safety” of health care for the communities they serve. This nonprofit leader reviews more than 2,600 hospitals nationwide for their commitments to patient safety and reducing errors, infections and injuries.

The Hospital Safety Grade is the only independent ratings program that focuses exclusively on how hospitals work to keep their patients safe. Patients and families more than ever turn to the Hospital Safety Grade to make their healthcare decisions. A study by the Altarum Institute found, when given the choice of selecting a hospital based on safety or cost, consumers will choose the safer hospital 97 percent of the time.

“Keeping our patients safe has been a top priority during this pandemic,” said Bommersbach. “This honor demonstrates the tremendous team effort in place at Metro Health to continually improve the care our patients receive.”

Please visit metrohealth.net/covid-19-updates for the most up-to-date information from the CDC and resources to protect yourself and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

New Kent County ad campaign calls on residents to stay home for the holidays

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, ,

By Anna Johns
WKTV Intern

Thanksgiving day is just around the corner and the Kent County Health Departments’ new campaign urges families to stay home this holiday season.

 

The “I love you so” campaign will run on local TV and radio stations, cable networks, print and digital platforms, including local minority-owned outlets, through the end of the year. The campaign is built on the message “I love you SO I’m staying home,” Though this is a tough message they urge residents to make their health and the health of the families the top priority this holiday season.

Thanksgiving will look a bit different this year, instead of gathering in person, the Kent County Health Department suggests that gatherings take place virtually. As shown in their campaign, families can meet virtually as they share their Thanksgiving meals virtually allowing for a safe holiday.

Though it may be difficult to not see loved ones during the holiday season, it is also important to protect them from the spread of the coronavirus, according to Kent County Health officials and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who spoke during a press conference on Nov. 19. Currently, Kent County is seeing more than 500 new coronavirus cases each day, the Kent County Health Department reported. Over the past eight weeks, there have been ten times as many cases and local positivity rates are at the highest they have ever been since the start of the pandemic. 

“This really is a ‘tough love’ message for our community,” said Kent County Health Department director, Dr. Adam London. “We all want to get together to celebrate with family and friends, but those gatherings are the perfect places for the virus to spread.

“We are asking everyone to make their own health and the health of their loved ones their top priorities this holiday season.”

The “I love you so” campaign is in partnership with Spectrum Health, Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, and Metro Health. As cases continue to rise there has been tremendous stress on hospitals and health care providers.

 

“This is a difficult moment,” said Josh Leffingwell, partner at Well Design Studio, the agency that led the creative development of the campaign. “There is so much emotion tied to telling someone you love that you’re not going to join them for a holiday celebration. We wanted to give people the language to use with their friends and family. It’s a simple message: ‘I love you so much that I’m willing to miss our holiday gathering to help keep us all safe.’”

The $250,000 public education campaign, funded with CARES Act dollars, launches with Thanksgiving-themed ads across all media this week. The new ads will launch before the December holidays and will run through the end of the year.

Metro Health restricts visitors from all locations

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By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

As the number of cases and positivity rates of COVID-19 continue to climb in the community, Metro Health – University of Michigan has made the decision to further restrict visitors from the hospital and outpatient locations. The revisions are intended to help prevent the spread of illness and protect patients, employees and the community.

Effective Thursday, Nov. 19, no visitors are allowed in the hospital or offsite locations. Please see the grid below for guidance and exceptions. Note: DPA means durable power of attorney and ADL means activities of daily living, a term used to describe fundamental skills that are required to independently care for oneself such as eating, bathing and mobility.

For updates on Metro Health – University of Michigan Health, visit metrogr.org.

Separating fact from fiction: the longterm health impacts from COVID-19

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Dr. Conor Mullin

By Metro Health – University of Michigan Health

WKTV is committed to providing factual information about COVID-19. We have partnered with Metro Health – University of Michigan Health to present questions about COVID-19 and to help dispel the misinformation being spread through social media.

Dr. Conor Mullin, a physician at Metro Health Southwest, answers this week’s question.

Question: What long term health impacts are people experiencing who have had COVID-19? 

Mullin: The long term health consequences of this virus are unknown and we will have to wait to see with time. We can infer from other similar viruses that in 6-12 months, there is likely to be a surge in autoimmune disorders such as diabetes, thyroid disease, lupus and multiple sclerosis.

  

There is a specific debilitating disorder affecting younger adults called ADEM which causes permanent and irreversible stroke-like symptoms caused by brain tissue inflammation. In the pediatric world, we have seen in increase in a syndrome that is comparable to Kawasaki disease, where there is potential for damage to the coronary arteries around the heart, that may cause heart attacks or even death.

Personally, I have seen some patients, especially younger folks, who have continued to have lung and breathing issues two months after the initial infection. This is most likely caused by scarring damage to the lungs. Whether these patients recover is yet to be seen. These patients were young and healthy and did not have pre-exiting conditions.

One of my colleagues also had a younger patient die of a heart attack a few weeks after recovering from COVID-19. He also had no prior known cardiovascular disease.

The short answer is that there are some isolated cases of very severe outcomes and time will tell how widespread and severe the long term outcomes will be.

If you have a COVID-19-related question, please email it to WKTV Managing Editor Joanne Bailey-Boorsma at joanne@wktv.org.

Wyoming hosts annual health and wellness expo Saturday

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By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

As the weather is getting warmer, we are all looking at healthier activities. One place to check that out is Wyoming Community Health and Wellness Expo set for Saturday, April 13, at the Wyoming Senior Center, 2380 DeHoop SW.

The event, which will be from 1 – 3 p.m., will feature local health organizations that will be sharing services and local resources with community members.

“Spring is a great time to focus on health and wellness as the weather warms and outdoor activities begin,” said Wyoming’s Director of Community Services Rebecca Rynbrandt. “This community event is a great way to connect the community with local resources focused on health and overall well-being. The Health and Wellness Expo gives everyone an opportunity to sample, explore and try something new.”

The Expo will include activities for all ages such as free blood pressure checks and yoga and Zumba demonstrations.  

If you miss the Wyoming expo, about 10 days later, the City of Kentwood will be hosting its 20th Annual Spotlight on Seniors Health & Fitness Expo, set for April 23, at the Kentwood Recreation Department, 355 48th St. SE. The free event, which is from 8:30 a.m. – noon, offers more than 70 vendors along with free breakfast and lunch. 

How Do You Know When It’s Time to Retire?

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

 

By Vista Springs Assisted Living

 

The Baby Boomer generation officially arrived on the doorstep of retirement age back in 2011, and an estimated 10,000 people are now retiring daily. But while 65 is understood to be the age of retirement, many aging adults are choosing to delay retirement living. Given the unclear nature of retirement age, many people are struggling with the question of when to make the leap. Here are five factors to consider when deciding when to retire:

1. Your Health

Taking a hard, honest look at your health can be difficult, but knowing exactly what is happening with your body and mind should be a priority when considering retirement. If you’re hale and hearty, working for a few more years could mean more savings for a long and enjoyable retirement, but if your health is less than ideal, it may be worth it to retire earlier than later in order to get started on all the experiences you’ve put off until you had the time. In addition, keep in mind the health of your spouse, friends, and family members: you may not want to work through their healthy years, regardless of how much longer you’re able to.

2. Your Finances

While some experts are questioning the four percent rule, and it may not apply to some people’s specific situations, it still offers a basic guideline for how to plan your finances for retirement. The four percent rule states that in your first year of retirement, you should budget 4% of your savings for your annual spend; for every subsequent year, budget 4% with inflation factored in. You should also include any investments into your calculations, and keep a sharp eye on the markets – investment returns can be critical during the first ten years of retirement.

3. Healthcare Costs

$275,000: that’s Fidelity’s estimate for how much a retired couple will spend on healthcare over the course of their retirement. While that number may be shocking, it’s also a very real part of the costs of retirement, and something you need to plan for. Ensuring that you have the insurance and the savings to deal with general health care as well as any health issues that may arise is crucial to choosing a time to retire.

4. Social Security Benefits

Another factor to consider is the possibility of social security benefits. If you were born after 1943, you can expect an eight percent increase in benefits for each year you work after 65; if you choose to retire earlier, benefits are reduced. Increases cease at age 70, so waiting to claim benefits until then would yield maximum benefits. But be strategic: depending on other factors retiring at 70 could be unrealistic or even impossible.

5. Your Family

While the decision of when to retire is highly personal, you should also factor in the important relationships in your life. Be sure to have clear and honest discussions with your spouse or significant other as to what you want your retirement to look like. Retirement living can take the shape of traveling or relaxing, being with family or spending time on personal goals, and if you and your spouse have different visions of retirement, you may want more time for planning.

 

Your health, personal finances, investments, and relationships all factor into when you retire, and the truth is that there’s no longer a single age at which people can expect to retire. Talk with your family, doctors, and financial advisors on what time works best for you.

 

Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.

Sidestep these menu minefields

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Did you know that the extra calories in a typical restaurant meal can mean a gain of two pounds a year for those who eat out just once a week? (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Len Canter, HealthDay

 

People with food allergies aren’t the only ones who need to be aware of menu minefields when eating out. If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important that you don’t fall prey to these temptations.

 

It’s not only supersized meals that can be your diet downfall—restaurant meals, in general, have jumped in size. If you’re not careful, the U.S. Department of Agriculture warns that the extra calories in a typical restaurant meal can mean a gain of two pounds a year for those who eat out just once a week.

 

And, year after year, those pounds can really add up.

 

At breakfast, say no to over-the-top omelets. Eggs are healthy options at any meal, but dishes that smother them in cheese, sausage and other high-saturated fat ingredients can turn a simple 80-calorie egg into a dish with more than 1,000 calories.

 

Steer clear of oversized meat portions. A 3-ounce lean filet is a good once-in-a-while choice, but that tempting 16-ounce slab of prime rib delivers 1,400 calories even before you add in all the trimmings.

 

Pasta-and-protein dishes can more than double the calories of either a simply sauced dish of pasta or a broiled chicken breast, and even more when smothered with cheese or cream sauce.

 

A “personal” pizza sounds like a sensible serving, but it can come with far more calories than one gooey slice, especially if topped with an assortment of cured meats.

 

Chicken wings are one of the worst bangs for your buck because 75 percent of the calories come from fatty skin and breading, and provide little protein.

 

If you crave any of these dishes, make them at home where you can control ingredients and portion sizes.

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Metro Health Receives State Approval to Perform Elective PCI

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metro health building

 

Metro Health has received approval from the state of Michigan to perform Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, or PCI, services in its cardiac catheterization laboratories at Metro Health Hospital.

 

Metro announced today that it has received approval from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to perform this life-saving service, restoring blood flow through heart vessels by using catheters with balloons and stents, without on-site Open Heart Surgery (OHS) services. The decision clears the way for Metro Health to expand services for its patients throughout West Michigan.

 

For more than a decade, Metro Health physicians have been performing the procedure on the most critical patients, those suffering a heart attack when they enter the hospital. Now, Metro Health will be able to offer this service to its patients who enter the hospital with chest pain or other conditions prompting diagnostic procedures which lead to elective, or scheduled non-emergent, PCI.

 

Previously, Metro Health patients requiring elective PCI had to be transferred to facilities that also offered back-up OHS services. A change in state regulations, prompted by quality data showing that PCI programs without OHS services in other states and Europe have quality indicators as high as those programs with OHS services and acceptance of the practice by the American College of Cardiology, made it possible for MDHHS to approve the Certificate of Need, or CON,  request.

 

“Being able to offer elective PCI to our patients without transferring them to other institutions is a win for patient care and something patients have asked for,” said Paul Kovack, a cardiologist at Metro Heart and Vascular. “This decision will help us keep patients in their medical home and provides choice to patients. Additionally, it will cut down on unnecessary duplicate testing, costly ambulance transfers and delays in care, making care more timely and less costly.”

 

The MDHHS decision comes after a long effort to update Michigan PCI regulations to mirror those of other states and countries that have long allowed elective PCI without OHS backup.

 

“The CON process is valuable in holding down costs for Michigan residents, but it can be challenging to update regulations to reflect new medical research,” said Michael Faas, president and CEO of Metro Health. “It is a delicate balancing act to keep up with medical advances and hold down healthcare costs. We are pleased with this patient-driven decision and know that Metro Health patients will benefit from this update and our ability to provide the services they need, when they need them.”

 

PCI, also known as angioplasty, is a non-surgical procedure that uses a thin flexible tube, or catheter, to access blood vessels in the heart which are narrowed or blocked by plaque buildup, or atherosclerosis, and reopen them. The procedure is performed by an interventional cardiologist who gains access to blood vessels in the heart through the femoral artery in the groin or the radial artery in the wrist. A small balloon is then inflated to push away the plaque, thus opening the blood vessel for blood flow, and a stent can be placed to keep the plaque pushed to the walls of the blood vessel, thus maintaining the blood vessel open for blood flow.

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for more than 600,000 deaths each year.

 

The PCI procedure lasts from 30 minutes to several hours and provides patients with a number of benefits:

  • Increased blood flow through the blocked artery
  • Decreased chest pain
  • Increased ability to be physically active

Metro Health hosts free screenings for peripheral artery disease Saturday

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peripheral_arterial_diseaseCold feet. Cramping in the legs. Legs falling asleep. These are all signs of peripheral artery disease or PAD.

 

This Saturday, Oct. 1, Metro Health Hospital will be hosting free screenings for PAD. The screenings are painless, usually involving taking a person’s blood pressure in the arms and ankles, with the screenings taking about 30 minutes. Screenings are available from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Metro Health Hospital, 5900 Byron Center Ave. SW. Space is limited and registration is required. To register call, 616-242-4880 or visit metrohealth.net/pad.

 

“Peripheral artery disease is where there is blockage and plaque buildup in the arteries that supply blood to the legs,” said Dr. Fadi Saab,  who specializes in cardiovascular disease at Metro Health, during a recent interview. Saab said the same can happen in the arteries to the heart or brain with people having PAD being a higher risk for cardiovascular disease.

 

People who have PAD usually have other health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, or high cholesterol, Saab said. Those at-risk include those over 50 with diabetes, those who are obese or those who have a family history of heart disease. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, other circulatory problems and a family history of PAD also put patients at advanced risk. Those who are African-American and Native-American also are at a higher risk.

 

The free PAD screenings can help high-risk patients learn about the disease early enough so they can make lifestyle changes to help their circulatory system. The goal is to detect issues early enough in patients to reduce the risk of amputation.

 

legs_of_womanAnyone experiencing leg cramping or pain with walking or leg pain at rest should get screened. Slow-healing wounds or sores on legs or feet also call for a screening.

 

Results will be provided to the participant to take back to their physician for further review. For more information, visit the Metro Health website.

It’s time to get active with Wyoming’s first Health & Wellness Expo

Community Health, Food, Health, Kids Activities, Our Cities, Senior Living, Upcoming Events, , , , ,

CH & W ExpoWith spring just around the corner, a time when many people take advantage of the warmer weather and head outdoors, the City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department is hosting the first ever Wyoming Community Health & Wellness Expo Saturday, March 5.

 

“Spring is a great time to focus on health and wellness,” said Rebecca Rynbrandt, director of community services for the City of Wyoming. “This event was created to inspire the community to prioritize their well-being, and connect them to local resources.

 

The free event will run from 1 – 3 pm. at the Wyoming Senior Center, 2380 DeHoop Ave. SW. About 20 different businesses, clubs and organizations from the Wyoming area will host tables and hand out samples, coupons, and other goodies. Fitness demonstrations, nutritious snacks, speakers, and health screenings will be some of the activities.

 

The Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department will be offering a sampling of its fitness programs such as yoga, Zumba and line dancing, said Valarie Mester, a recreation programmer for the department.

 

“We offer a number of programs through our offerings at the senior center and through our youth and family programs,” Mester said, adding this is a chance for people to try these programs and see what they are like.

 

Also on hand will be Shape for Life Studios, 1290 36th St. SW. Through its partnership with the recreation department, Shape for Life Studios offers spin classes and personal training. Mester said the studio representatives will be bringing in spin bikes for participants to try. Another recreation department partner is Metro Health, which will be providing health information.

 

Several other city departments will be at the expo such as the city’s water department, which will be covering the topic of clean water, and both the fire and police departments will be on hand to talk about related health and safety issues.

 

“It’s really about getting people more active, thinking about the food that they are eating and making sure they are visiting their physicians for regular check ups and screenings,” Mester said.

 

While a brand new event, Mester said organizers are expecting between 200 to 400 participants this year which is based on the number of current participants in the Parks and Recreation Department’s programs.

 

“The event is free and open to anyone, both residents and non-residents,” Mester said.

 

For more about the Wyoming Community Health and Wellness Expo or other programs offered by the City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department, visit www.wyomingmi.gov or call 616-530-3164.