cnelson@thealpenanews.com
News Photo by Crystal Nelson
MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena President Chuck Sherwin, second from right, and Regional Vice President of Medical Affairs Richard Bates, far right, on Thursday talk during one of the hospital’s vaccination clinics.
ALPENA An Alpena doctor has received national attention for his willingness to drive the COVID-19 vaccine nearly 150 miles from Midland to Alpena, highlighting the struggles of rural health care.
Richard Bates, a former OB-GYN and regional vice president of medical affairs at MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena, has for weeks regularly traveled about 300 miles roundtrip in his pickup truck to bring the COVID-19 vaccine to Alpena from Midland.
Great lengths are taken to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine to rural America
and last updated 2021-01-15 12:45:18-05
This pandemic is a journey, and Bryan Cross is making some of its most important trips.
âWe have a precious cargo, he said about the container that sits in his passenger seat. This vaccine is very temperature sensitive, so once it comes out of the freezer, we have to make sure it maintains a specific temperature and can t be shaken at all, so we have to treat it like a baby here in the front seat and hand-deliver it to each of our pharmacies, Cross explained.
cnelson@thealpenanews.com
News Photo by Crystal Nelson
Carrie Burr, assistant branch manager with Northland Area Federal Credit Union, works in the credit union’s temporary lending office in Alpena.
ALPENA While Northeast Michigan offers a good quality of life for area residents, businesses often struggle to recruit the professionals they need to fill positions in our rural region.
To overcome the gap, employers boost traditional incentives such as pay and benefits and try unconventional methods such as helping hires’ spouses find work and contractors.
Tom Moran, CEO and founder of Moran Ironworks in Onaway, said business in the manufacturing sector is booming, but it’s difficult to find people to fill the 12 to 20 needed positions at his business.
cnelson@thealpenanews.com
News File Photo
Alpena Township emergency medical technicians prepare to transport a patient at MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena, where signs of appreciation line the lab windows in this March 2020 News archive photo.
ALPENA MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena earned top marks in its latest patient safety scorecard.
The hospital earned an A on its fall report card by the Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization.
The semiannual report grades hospitals on 27 metrics, including handwashing, patient falls, and infections in the blood, among others. The hospital scored above average in 19 categories, below average in four categories, and average in two categories.