Don’t judge a book by its cover.
It’s a saying that many people heard as a child – whether in reference to an actual book, classmates who looked different, or even attending a new school.
This sentiment isn’t just for children in school, though. Today, it could be applied to MyMichigan Medical Center Sault. It’s true that over the past five years the formerly known War Memorial Hospital has undergone a change to its “cover.” The branding outside the hospital looks different. It has a different name.
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Gabrielle HaidererBut inside the hospital’s doors, it carries the same commitment to the community as it always has. Inside those doors, the staff – many of whom are from the Upper Peninsula themselves and have worked at the hospital for decades – continue their dedicated work of keeping care close to home for local residents.
“Our community feels like we're not the same hospital; yet, we have the same board, we have the same nurses, we have the same surgeons that you have always trusted for safe care. We're the same people. I've worked here 20 years,” says Kevin Kalchik, M.H.A., C.P.A., president of MyMichigan Medical Center Sault. “We are continuing to give the great care that we always have, even expanding services. We still serve our community, just as we always have. That is our number one priority: our patients and our community.”
Evidence of that commitment can be seen through the recognitions and accreditations the Medical Center has recently received.
MyMichigan Medical Center Sault recently received the 2024 Governor’s Award of Excellence for attaining required milestones in All-Cause 30-Day Readmissions. Additionally, they received the Health Equity Medal of Achievement in improving All-Cause, 30-Day Readmissions by using strategies to advance health equity.
“The fact that we are that we are proven to show improvement, show safety, show quality, and be recognized at a state level while maintaining so many critical services for our rural community is incredibly important,” says Kalchik.
Those recognitions are by no means making the Medical Center complacent, though. In fact, it is continuing to expand the care it’s able to provide.
“There are a lot of good things happening because we are now part of MyMichigan,” says Kalchik. “We're going to have cardiology support for our hospital in the next six months, which we would have never been able to do on our own.”
Additionally, MyMichigan Medical Center Sault is working to expand the Tele-ICU program so more patients can stay in Sault Ste Marie.
“We will be receiving support from Board-Certified Critical Care Physicians at the other member hospitals,” says Dr. Paula Rechner, Vice President of Medical Affairs and Trauma Program Medical Director at MyMichigan Medical Center Sault.
“Patients have historically had to travel to Traverse City, Petoskey, Marquette, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, even Detroit. We have had to send patients all over the state for them to receive the care they need. By having a Board-Certified Critical Care Physician available via telehealth, we will be able to safely keep more patients close to home when it's appropriate. Many of our nursing staff and providers have developed relationships with our patients over the years; and, for patients to be able to be cared for by people that they know and trust is really important.”
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Gabrielle HaidererDr. Rechner says adding the Tele-ICU program, as well as having many other sub-specialties available via telehealth, is critical for the overall health of the people who live in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
“I have seen patients choose to not receive much-needed care because they don't want to or cannot travel,” she says. “Now we're part of a system where they can log on through their home computer or smartphone to get the care that they need.”
Dr. Rechner recognizes that some people are hesitant about the care received via telehealth and whether it can truly be as effective as in-person medical care; however, she says that often it is the expertise and brainpower of those physicians that is required more than their actual hands.
“That same level of care can be given if you are able to have access to the medical record, look at all of the information, order tests, look at the test results yourself, including radiology images, and talk to the patient virtually,” says Dr. Rechner. “A perfect example of this is our Endocrinologist. She's here part of the month and provides telehealth services when she is not physically here. I've seen her myself in a telehealth format, and she's highly effective. She doesn't need to physically be next to me in order to give me all of her expertise for the issues that I am asking her about.”
In addition to expanding access to different subspecialties, MyMichigan Medical Center Sault is also expanding its connection to the community – from participating in international and multidisciplinary training exercises with Canada, the Coast Guard, and local law enforcement agencies to participating in a simulated plane crash/mass casualty practice drill at the Chippewa County International Airport.
They have added training for community members geared to help prevent slips and falls. This Matter of Balance Training came about after data showed that it’s one of the biggest areas in which trauma could be prevented for community members.
“We have classes available that they can sign up for at the Rehab Center. They can sign up on their own, they don't need a doctor's prescription for it,” Dr. Rechner says.
Though MyMichigan Medical Center Sault is expanding its access to care for the community and finding new ways to show its commitment to the community, Kalchik knows that many community members are concerned about the shortage of Primary Care Providers. However, this is not a localized problem. In fact, just last year, American Medical Association President Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, M.D., MPH, discussed the growing national physician shortage and its impact across the country.
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Gabrielle Haiderer“The physician shortage that we have long feared — and warned was on the horizon— is already here. It’s an urgent crisis … hitting every corner of this country — urban and rural,” stated Dr. Ehrenfeld in his
address.
While it’s true that a couple of Primary Care Providers have left the Sault community or retired, Kalchik says it’s important to look at the big picture.
“We recently hired a Psychiatrist, an OBGYN, a Hospitalist, and a pediatrician. Yes, we lost a Primary Care Provider recently, but we added on three other staff,” he says. “And, if you think about the Primary Care Providers who were here 15 years ago, the community has lost three. We have lost three, but we have added eight in that time.”
Dr. Rechner adds that the affiliation with MyMichigan has been a draw to some of the practitioners who are being hired. Furthermore, while MyMichigan Medical Center Sault may look different, the dedication to the community remains the same.
And, since many of the providers and staff grew up in the community or are longstanding members of the community, they have a personal vested interest in ensuring the War Memorial Hospital everyone knew and loved maintains its commitment to the community now as MyMichigan Medical Center Sault – for the next 100 years and beyond.
“There's a lot of dedication from the staff to the community,” Dr. Rechner says. “That is one of the things that is really one of our great strengths - that so many of our staff in every capacity either are from here or are a longstanding committed partner. We are so grateful to have such a competent and compassionate team!”
Gabrielle "Gabe" Haiderer is passionate about sharing stories that show the positive interactions between individuals and businesses that occur every day in our communities - interactions that inspire hope and motivate community growth. She has used this passion to share stories through a variety of media outlets - from television to radio to traditional newspaper to digital news. When she's not writing, Gabe stays busy running her own videography and social media management business in Northern Michigan, caring for her two furkids (Watson the siamese cat and Holmes the Corgi), spending time with her husband, and tending her garden.