NBC Nightly News feature
On November 20th, NBC Nightly News featured Spectrum Health's Emergency Department as part of their "What Works" series. Click the following link to read the story and see the video.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15817906/
Message from the Program Director
Michael D. Brown, M.D., MSc
Our emergency medicine program has grown from 3 residents per year in 1977 to the current 10 per year. The original faculty consisted of one unpaid program director and non-boarded volunteer faculty (program started before emergency medicine was a specialty and before there were EM Boards). We now have 10 core faculty with protected time to devote to the program and 27 clinical faculty, all board certified emergency physicians. Over that same time period, the ED census has more than doubled to over 120,000 patient visits per year. Obviously there have been many progressive changes since 1977, but our primary mission of training residents to become excellent emergency medicine clinicians has remained paramount. The mission is accomplished by combining enthusiastic teaching faculty, a diverse patient population, and a structured educational program. This first class academic environment is complimented by a community setting that makes resident wellness a reality rather than just another residency
program catch phrase. If you would like to learn more about us, please read on. We hope to convince you that our program is worth your inquiry.
More Information on our Program
Established in 1977, the Emergency Medicine Residency Program has had continuous full accreditation. Spectrum Health is a large community hospital with a strong academic emphasis ... the best of both worlds!
At GRMERC we strive to attract intelligent, congenial, hard-working individuals, committed to becoming excellent emergency physicians. In return for that commitment, we provide a well-rounded education in a friendly teaching atmosphere. Residents will not only have the opportunity to see a large and diverse patient population, but will do so in a state-of-the-art facility under the supervision of ABEM certified physicians. Residents will also have ample opportunities to become involved in other academic pursuits such as Research, EMS and Aeromedicine. The program just has received full accreditation for 8 years with the next RRC site visit scheduled for 2013. If you are willing to meet the expectations of our program, you will become an excellent emergency physician. Our graduates have done extremely well on the certification examinations and have been able to obtain employment of their choice.
Facilities/More information on the Department
The Emergency Departments of Spectrum Health (official site) are staffed by emergency medicine physicians, residents 
and experienced nursing staff with specialized training in Emergency, Pediatric and Trauma Nursing.
With 700+ Aero Med (official site) helicopter patient transports per year and 135,000 emergency visits to our Grand Rapids based hospitals each year, we are the largest tertiary care provider in West Michigan.
Spectrum Health - Butterworth Campus (official site) is the only Level I Trauma Center in West Michigan. Forty-five patient care rooms are available, including a "fast track" service for minor illness or injury care. Interpreters and Social work are available 24 hours/day.
In addition to our fully staffed emergency department, specialized care teams and services are available including cardiac catheterization, stroke response teams and state-of-the-art imaging services. Cardiac services were consolidated to the Butterworth Campus when the new Heart Center opened in Fall 2004. Obstetric patients are seen at the Butterworth Campus only.
Helen DeVos Children's Hospital
DeVos Children's Hospital (official site) is attached to the Butterworth Campus and the emergency department serves both hospitals.
Our staff created much more than a beautiful building full of child-sized equipment. This one-of-a-kind medical center is designed to nourish a child's optimism and love of life, especially during an illness or injury, when a child and his or her family are the most important things in the world. This commitment to total healing is the very foundation of the DeVos Children's Hospital, which is based on the fact that children are unique as patients who need more than a scaled-down adult facility to help them get well.
The DeVos Children's Hospital offers inpatient services in General Pediatrics, Neonatal Intensive Care, Pediatric Extended Care, Pediatric Intensive Care, and in nearly 40 specialty areas from allergy to surgery. There are also outpatient clinics and services that will care for and follow children and families with disorders that range from genetic and developmental delays to ear, nose and throat conditions.
It's a range of services that rivals any in the country for scope and quality. More importantly it is this way because we know children love stories with happy endings, and the DeVos Children's Hospital at Butterworth specializes in them.
