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Innovation helps patients breathe easier
Imagine waking up not knowing where you are. You’re confused, restrained and feel like you’re choking. There’s something in your throat. It’s a tube. People are around you, but you find it difficult to...
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A moment in the spotlight for little boy with cerebral palsy
Six young models were able to strut their stuff on the fashion runway recently, thanks to a bright idea by their physical therapist. That idea was embraced by the product development expertise of...
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From games to bionic suits, kids lead the charge
Students participate in an Operation innovations game at Spectrum Health. (For Spectrum Health Beat) Any experienced player of the children’s game Operation knows the secret to winning is in extracting...
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‘Simple idea’ may have profound impact on wound care
Angel Dominguez, right, demonstrates a newly designed basin that improves patient care. (For Spectrum Health Beat) Angel Dominguez, a Spectrum Health surgical technician, wondered for many years why...
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A little steel leads to big innovation
Scott Daigger, left, worked with Eric Van Middendorp, center, and Tom Catalano, right, on the design and installation of special protectors to maintain the life of gas ports in patient rooms at...
View Article‘A win for everyone’
With the help of Spectrum Health Innovations, an emergency medicine doctor is on the brink of saving a lot of his colleagues worldwide a heck of a lot of time. Jeremiah Johns, MD, who works in the...
View ArticleComfort counts
A new invention brainstormed by a Spectrum Health radiology manager—and created through the help of Spectrum Health Innovations and Hope College students—could make procedures a lot more comfortable...
View Article‘It’s absolutely exciting’
Sitting should be safe, right? Whether you’re at home, or sitting on the edge of a hospital bed. The lack of safety (and comfort) while sitting on a hospital bed during therapy sessions became a prime...
View ArticleRethinking the female catheter
A new Spectrum Health Innovations product is expected to cut down on catheter-related infections in women and push convenience ratings up. Mary Tibbe, a nurse practice associate for Spectrum Health...
View ArticleHope for the newborn heart
When a baby is born, a parent’s heart overflows with love. But warm and fuzzy emotions quickly turn to terror and panic for parents whose newborns suffer from complex congenital heart disease, also...
View Article‘It looks and feels like a normal bra’
Shortly after breast reconstruction surgery, Jodie Faber went swimming in Traverse City’s East Bay. “I got out of the water and my breasts were really white,” she said. “It kind of scared me.” Faber...
View ArticleBrace yourself
While many medical technologies have changed over the years, the shoulder brace remains a dinosaur in modern times. But that will all change soon, thanks to an idea by James Lebolt, DO, sports medicine...
View ArticleA new twist on the house call
Liz Clements’ parents, Don and Ellen Hassberger, are ages 90 and 89, respectively. They’ve been married 67 years, which means they’ve been through a lot together—including dealing with the consequences...
View ArticleTurning a ‘light bulb’ idea into reality
Sharp eyes and some brainstorming by Spectrum Health staffer Karen Duncan and former staffer Ann Shupe yielded a prototype for an improved skull cap worn during surgical procedures. But that was the...
View Article‘Full of beauty’
Melissa Fessenden relishes the private, cozy experience of a home birth. She delivered her first five children in the comfort of her home, guided by a trusted nurse midwife, tended with loving care by...
View Article‘First line of protection’
Never doubt the power of persistence. A new invention could provide lifesaving armor for frontline health care workers and patients. Emergency department specialist Jes Smith, MD, has developed a...
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