Health and Wellness

A Coldwater High School student has been diagnosed with tuberculosis. Officials with the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency said they were notified about the diagnosis, prompting a mandatory investigation. The agency confirmed with school officials that the student is receiving treatment. District and agency officials are working together to identify any possible students and staff from last school year’s second …

After working without a contract since March, nurses at Three Rivers Beacon Health have ratified a new contract. Following several weeks of negotiations and an informational picket last month, the three-year contract takes effect immediately. According to union officials, the new agreement includes raises, improvement to health insurance and a limit on nurses forced to work overtime. About 75 nurses …

Sturgis Public Schools is eliminating community access to a student-based clinic in one of its elementary schools. According to WWMT, the decision was made less than a week after the clinic opened Jan. 6 at Eastwood Elementary. Dozens of parents voiced their concerns about those up to 21 years old in the greater community being able to come inside the …

A free, online parenting resource, “Birth and Beyond,” will be available starting next month. Taught by certified childbirth educators, the class is open to all birthing partners and their partners. Areas covered include labor and delivery, postpartum planning and newborn care. Sessions will be from 6 to 8:30 p.m. every Monday in February. Organizers said the classes are most appropriate …

About 200 people have been laid off at Pfizer’s facility in Portage, the company confirmed. The laid-off employees were notified last week, according to MLive. A lower demand than what the company expected for its COVID-19 products was stated as the culprit. The product Comirnaty is Pfizer’s vaccine to prevent COVID-19 in people 12 years and older. Paxlovid, meanwhile, is …

Sturgis municipal officials have completed the sale of Sturgis Hospital. Completion of the transaction allowed Sturgis Hospital Inc. to finalize terms of its acquisition by Asker Corp., including a management agreement and financial support of the hospital. That agreement will be in place until the acquisition is approved by the Michigan Attorney General’s office. The agreement included a $3 million …

Pride Care Ambulance is no longer serving Cass County. Brian Queen, director of Cass County Medical Control Authority, said Pride Care has permanently discontinued emergency and non-emergency ambulance service operations. The measure went into effect last Friday morning. For now, Queen said 911 services will be covered by a group of local EMS agencies working together to avoid a disruption …

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency (BHSJ CHA) is lifting the No Contact Health Advisory for the St. Joseph River from the Broadway Street Bridge to Withers Road Bridge. Residents can again utilize the St. Joseph River for recreational activities. Officials of the Three Rivers Wastewater Treatment Plant had notified the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency (CHA), that approximately 20,000 …

Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department’s Environmental Health Division has reported the first positive detection of West Nile Virus in Kalamazoo County and the second in Michigan this year. The positive detection came from a mosquito pool, or group of female mosquitoes of the same species, within Kleinstuck Nature Preserve. The results demonstrate why mosquito surveillance is so important …

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency is lifting the No Contact Health Advisory. Residents can again utilize the St. Joseph River for recreational activities. Officials of the Three Rivers Wastewater Treatment Plant had notified the health department that approximately 500,000 gallons of untreated waste water was discharged into the St. Joseph River between Friday, July 7th at 9:30 p.m. until …