Grand Valley State University faculty, students, staff, and their family members have more health care options to choose from this fall thanks to two primary care centers funded by a four-year W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant.
As part of a consortium of four Michigan universities, Grand Valley's Kirkhof School of Nursing and its three partners were awarded $4.4 million in 1998 to educate nurse practitioners and to fund nine nurse-managed primary care centers around the state.
Grand Valley is using part of its portion of the grant, which totals $654,934, to run the two primary care centers. One center is located on the Allendale campus, and the other inside the Herkimer Hotel in downtown Grand Rapids.
I have heard a lot of positive feedback on having the health centers as part of the university, says Monica Lyons, a nurse practitioner at the Allendale location. Our clientele will now range from older patients, to college students, to children.
Both nurse-managed care centers provide primary health care for pediatric, geriatric and adult patients.
The centers offer annual physicals, diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic diseases, laboratory analyses, medication prescriptions, and referrals for hospitalization, diagnostic tests, physical therapy and occupational therapy, among others.
In addition, preventive medical services are available, including immunization, contraceptive services, physical examinations and health care counseling.
We will now be able to serve the whole GVSU community, explains Pat Schafer, director of the University Health Center.
The University Health Center on the Allendale campus, in 163 Fieldouse, is open and staffed by two nurse practitioners Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Herkimer Health Center, located at 323 S. Division, is open 20 hours per week. It is staffed by a nurse practitioner and registered nurse who see an average of 200 patients per month, mainly people from the surrounding neighborhood.
The DeVos Center will bring more people to the Herkimer Health Center, says Lyons. It is closer to home and work for many.
This is a family practice, explains Lyons. Clients will get high-level quality care and follow up.
