Health and Wellness

Three members of the Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Board of St. Joseph County were removed Tuesday by the county commission. Board president Barb Parker, and members Larry Walton and Gaylene Adams were cut from the 12-member panel after a 3-1 vote. Board president John Dobberteen abstained and Robin Baker cast the dissenting vote. There was no discussion …

Health officials in Calhoun County are advising caution after the dangerous giant hogweed plant was spotted in the county. The Calhoun County Public Health Department said Monday that the plant was found in Pennfield Township, and was removed from the site. The Battle Creek Enquirer reports the sap on the plant’s leaves, roots, flower heads, seeds and stem hairs can …

The Three Rivers Health Auxiliary has awarded four, $1,000.00 scholarships to local students pursuing degrees in the medical field. The Auxiliary raises funds for the scholarships through various raffles, sales and events as well as the snack bar and gift shop located at the hospital. The auxiliary has been awarding scholarships for more than 15 years and is excited to …

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has designated five Saint Joseph County practices as patient-centered medical homes for the 2015 program year – meaning they have particular qualities and processes that help improve health care quality and outcomes by maintaining a coordinated, team focus on their patients’ health and wellness. Designated practices include: · Colon Medical Clinic · Bharat M. …

A medical condition is suspected as the reason an Indiana man drove his vehicle off the roadway and into a tree last week in Fabius Township. Sheriff’s deputies said Delmer Wireman, 34, of LaPorte, Ind., was driving west on M-60 near Youngs Prairie Road when he experienced a medical issue that caused him to lose consciousness. His van rolled onto …

Three Rivers Health is pleased to announce that our outpatient occupational therapist, Erin Nowak, MS, OTR, has met her credentialing requirements and is now a Certified Hand Therapist. A Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) is an occupational therapist who has a minimum of five years clinical experience, including 4,000 hours or more in direct practice in hand therapy. In addition, the …

Janell Hart, a Three Rivers resident, has resigned her position as president of the St. Joseph County Health Center Board. Hart announced her resignation in a letter last week to health center officials and fellow board members. It was effective Wednesday. In her letter, Hart stated that during the process of building and rebuilding the board, the focus seemed to …

An investigation has found that dozens of staff members at Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital either abused a patient or witnessed the abuse that led up to the man’s arm being broken as staff struggled to restrain him. The Kalamazoo Gazette reports a summary report on an investigation into the June 2014 incident showed that of the 43 staff members cited, 23 …

The clock is ticking for people who still have not applied for health-care coverage at healthcare.gov. Officials from the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency said they are working tirelessly to ensure that all tri-county residents are enrolled. With two certified navigators and six certified application counselors on staff, someone is always available to assist with questions and provide assistance in …

An Indiana man was taken to the hospital after he was involved in a two-vehicle accident Thursday in Park Township. According to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department, the 51-year-old man was attempting to cross U.S. 131 from Heimbach Road, when his pickup was struck by a southbound semi. The force of the collision tore the bed from the cab …