Media Releases

Portage Health is hosting its fifth annual Health and Safety Fair on Saturday, June 1 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its main location in Hancock. The annual event is free to the public with health screenings, giveaways, tours of the facility, healthy snacks and much, much more.

“We hope you and your family will take time out of your busy schedule to join us this year, and take advantage of these free screenings and activities,” said Jim Bogan, president/CEO of Portage Health.

This year’s free screenings include total cholesterol, blood glucose, bone density, hearing, heart rate, pulse oximetry, pediatric breathing problems, body mass index, waist circumference and vision.

Back by popular demand is the car seat clinic, where parents work with experts to ensure their car seat is as safe as possible for their children. One hundred lucky kids will also leave with a free professionally fit bike helmet.

New for 2013 are health presentations by medical staff, including pediatrician Dr. Anas Jaber, and physical therapists Mark Kargela and Mallory Rojewski.

There is no preregistration for the event, and the entire community is invited. Visit portagehealth.org/fair, or call (906) 483-1153 for more information.

Preregistration is now open for the Camp 911 Emergency Preparedness Camp on Aug. 6-7 at Mercy EMS Facility on Airport Road. The camp is free to students who are completing or entering sixth grade in a Houghton or Keweenaw County school.

Aspirus Keweenaw, Portage Health and Mercy EMS put on the two-day camp. Preregistration is due by July 1. Space is limited and the camp traditionally fills with a waiting list, so interested participants are asked to preregister as soon as possible.

“This camp is put on by an incredible group of volunteers from our community and has evolved into an invaluable, multifaceted learning experience for our area youth,” ,” said event organizer Ann Clancy-Klemme, RN, EMT-P. “The lessons learned at this camp will benefit the campers, and their community, today and throughout their lifetime.”

The camp focuses on hands-on fun that will help the kids learn what to do if they’re the first one on the scene of an emergency. It also focuses on how to avoid high-risk behaviors so that campers don’t become the person needing the help.

Campers will receive free beverages, snacks, lunch, a bystander care kid, a Camp 911 t-shirt and a certificate of completion on the final day. For more information on the camp, and to preregister online, visit portagehealth.org/camp911.

Portage Health today announced that it has been named one of a select group of hospitals identified as providing outstanding performance in the delivery of a positive experience for patients during their hospital stay, as measured by Healthgrades, the leading online resource that helps consumers search, evaluate, compare and connect with physician and hospitals.

To be eligible for the Healthgrades 2013 Outstanding Patient Experience Award, Portage Health must have met the clinical quality threshold for this award and have data for a minimum number of HCAHPS surveys:

• Clinical Quality Threshold – Portage Health ranked among the top 80 percent of hospitals for clinical quality as ranked by average z-score across the conditions and procedures that Healthgrades evaluates using Medicare data.
• Minimum Number of HCAHPS Surveys – Portage Health had data for at least 100 Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) surveys to reliably assess performance.  

“Portage Health has always been, and always will be 100 percent focused on providing the highest quality healthcare experience we can for residents of Michigan’s Western Upper Peninsula,” said Jim Bogan, president/CEO of Portage Health. “Healthgrades recognition is just the latest in a long line of quality recognitions our hospital has received. It’s a true testament to our dedicated and caring staff.”

“As hospitals continue to struggle with the delivery of high-quality, safe care in the face of mounting financial and regulatory pressures, the hospitals who have achieved Healthgrades 2013 Outstanding Patient Experience Award stand above the rest in terms of providing the most positive experience for patients during their hospital stay,” said Evan Marks, EVP Informatics and Strategy for Healthgrades. “This exceptional performance reflects a commitment to providing quality care.”

Being recognized for quality has been a trend for Portage Health in the past year, including scoring well above region, state and national competitors in the most recent HCAHPS survey results, being recognized by The Joint Commission as one of the Top Performers on Key Quality Measures, earning an “A” Grade from The Leapfrog Group and having its trauma center being one of only two in the state verified as a Level III Trauma Center.

Visit healthgrades.com for more information about Healthgrades, to download a full copy of the report or to get information about hospital and physician quality.

About Portage Health 

Portage Health’s mission is to improve the health of the community by providing high quality, safe and compassionate healthcare. Portage Health owns and operates a 36-bed acute-care hospital and a 60-bed skilled nursing unit and related health care services in Hancock-Houghton, Michigan, along with nine other locations throughout the Copper Country, each offering a variety of services provided by a full spectrum of healthcare professionals. More information about Portage Health can be found at portagehealth.org.

About Healthgrades 

Healthgrades, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, is the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. More than 225 million consumers use the Healthgrades websites to search, evaluate, compare and connect with physicians and hospitals that best meet their treatment needs. Consumers are empowered through use of the Healthgrades proprietary information about clinical outcomes, satisfaction, safety, and health conditions to make more informed healthcare decisions and take action. For more information please visit healthgrades.com and bettermedicine.com.

Bringing the workout outside seems to be the theme for the Portage Health Fitness Center, which has released its 2013 Summer Group Exercise Schedule.

“When we introduced the Adventure Bootcamp to the community in the summer of 2011 the feedback was incredible, people absolutely loved it,” said Angela Luskin, community health coordinator at Portage Health. “In 2012 we expanded it to fit many more people. This year, we’re expanding it again, and adding two additional outdoor classes as well.”

This year another bootcamp has been added for the 40-and-over population. The new session is called Boomer Bootcamp, and will be held Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6 to 7 a.m.

“This group will be focused on cardio and weight workouts that will challenge and increase balance, endurance and strength,” Luskin said. “It’s really important for the 40-and-over population to live an active lifestyle, and this class will help them develop a good foundation.”

The usual Adventure Bootcamp runs Monday through Thursday, during two morning sessions, 6:30 to 7:15 and 7:30 to 8:15. These outdoor group sessions travel throughout the Houghton-Hancock area with mostly outdoor workouts. Bootcamp is $200 for the summer, and runs from June 10 to August 8.

Also going outdoors this summer are zumba and yoga classes. These will be at the East Houghton Waterfront Park, which shares a parking lot with Super 8 on the Portage Lake Shipping Canal.

“What better place to exercise than right on the shore of the canal,” Luskin said.

Zumba is from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday. Yoga classes will be 9 to 10 a.m. on Wednesday, and 6:45 to 7:45 p.m. on Monday.

Other classes for the summer session include indoor cycling, cycle fusion, core cycle, TRX/kettlebell fusion, core crunch, strength and tone, and Pilates plus. The summer session begins on June 3. Classes are $6 per session, or $72 for a 16-class punch card. Discounted prices are available for Fitness Center members and Portage Health employees. A full schedule is available at portagehealth.org/fitnessclasses.

Registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator turned author Carol Grafford will be participating in a book signing from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, May 10, at Portage Health’s main location in Hancock.

Grafford spent more than a decade at Portage Health, and now works as an independent diabetes consultant. Her work with diabetes is what eared her a spot in the book, “My Sweet Life: Successful Women with Diabetes” by Beverly S. Adler. Grafford is one of 23 contributing authors to the book, which will be available for purchase at Portage Health that day.

The Portage Hospital Auxiliary is hosting the book signing. The auxiliary is also hosting a bake sale, which will begin at 9 a.m. in the lobby.

Thursday night the Portage Health Hospice staff recognized its Hospice Volunteer of the Year, awarded two volunteers with the President’s Volunteer Service Award, and recognized 32 hospice volunteers during their annual appreciation dinner.

“We’re extremely grateful for everything our volunteers do,” said Marianne Berghefer, Portage Health Hospice Volunteer and Bereavement Coordinator. “Tonight is all about thanking these volunteers and recognizing the work they do for our hospice patients and their families.”

Portage Health Hospice volunteer Delores Kotajarvi was named the Portage Health Hospice Volunteer of the Year because of her dedication to her patients. She also received the Bronze Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for volunteering more than 300 hours.

“Delores connects so well with our patients,” Berghefer said, “Her service has been invaluable to Portage Health Hospice. She is an inspiration to her fellow hospice volunteers.”

Kristen Gabby was also recognized Thursday with the Bronze President’s Volunteer Service Award for her 250 hours of volunteer work. In total, Portage Health Hospice volunteers have given more than 1,000 hours of service during the past year.

“Each and every one of them does amazing things,” Berghefer said. “We want to thank them and all of the volunteers in our community that make the Copper Country such a wonderful place to call home.”

Learn more about Portage Health Hospice at portagehealth.org/hospice.

ATV season is right around the corner. To make sure you start your season off right, the Keweenaw ATV Club, Portage Health Trauma Center and Calumet Township Fire Department are joining forces to host an ATV Safety Clinic on Saturday, May 4, at 9 a.m. at Calumet Colosseum.

“We know riders are anxious to get out on these trails,” said Mike McMahon, president of the Keweenaw ATV Club, the largest club of its type in Michigan. “We just want to give everyone a reminder of what they should and shouldn’t do as the first one on the scene at an accident.”

The clinic will include presentations by experts from the Portage Health Trauma Center and Mercy EMS.

“We want to give people the knowledge to do the right thing no matter where they are,” said Vicki Peterson, unit manager of the Portage Health Trauma Center. “This will be a great event to help riders prepare themselves for another year out on the Keweenaw’s beautiful trail system.”

The event is free and open to the public. The first 150 people will receive a free first aid kit for their ATV. No RSVP is required, but riders are welcome to RVSP to the Facebook event for the latest updates on the event.