Chinese delegation tours campus, area

Medical officials and other representatives from the China-Japan Friendship Hospital toured Grand Valley facilities and area hospitals last week, continuing a four-year exchange agreement.

Jane Toot, dean of the College of Health Professions, said the group of eight toured the new Metro Health Hospital in Wyoming in addition to North Ottawa Health System in Grand Haven and St. Mary’s Health Care in Grand Rapids.

During their visit, the Chinese delegation traveled with Toot to Traverse City where they gave a presentation on East-West medicine integration at leadership forum sponsored by the Michigan Health and Hospital Association. John Ritch, executive director of the Wege Institute, was also a co-presenter.

The China-Japan Friendship Hospital, in Beijing, serves more than 20,000 patients annually, including 3,000 outpatients daily. It’s the teaching hospital of Beijing Medical University.

Steve Leeser, Facilities Services operations supervisors, gives a presentation to a delegation from China at the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences / Photo by Bernadine Carey-Tucker