 
 
Photos by R.C. Wheater Sr.
Kids Day
 The
annual Newaygo
County Kids Day event,
held on Saturday,
June 20 at Brooks Park
in Newaygo, offered
plenty of fun for
youngsters and their
families, plus an
opportunity to spend
some time with
Batman and other
crimefighters and
public safety
professionals.
Fremont school superintendent
announces "redirection"
By
R.C.Wheater Sr.
Dr.
John Kingsnorth called it a “redirection” when he talked about leaving his job
as Superintendent of Fremont Public Schools.
Kingsnorth
plans to leave his position on Dec. 31. The school board has already started the process
of looking for a new superintendent to take over on Jan. 1.
“I’m
not retiring,” Kingsnorth said on Thursday. “I’m going to redirect.”
He
said that he has agreed to teach some graduate school education classes at Cornerstone
University on a part-time basis, and he added that he also plans to consider some other
opportunities during the next few months. “There are other opportunities out there,”
he said.
Kingsnorth,
who will turn 57 in September, plans to end his tenure here with the completion of design
work for the new Fremont High School project that voters approved in May.
“I
wanted to see the design process completed before I go,” Kingsnorth said. “It’s
a good time for me to go and for someone else to take it from there.”
“The
community really stepped up and gave the students of Fremont an awesome gift for the
future,” Kingsnorth said of the new high school project.
A
“design charette” was scheduled for Tuesday evening, June 30. The meeting is
intended to give the community an opportunity to be involved in the design process.
Kingsnorth and board members have visited six high schools in recent days, seeking ideas
for the FHS project. They have visited Whitmore Lake, Dexter, Battle Creek Lakeview,
Sparta, Gull Lake and Otsego high schools.
At
its recent meeting, the school board contracted with the Michigan Association of School
Boards Superintendent Search Services to handle the search for a new superintendent.
Kingsnorth said that Gene Young, who handled the search process that brought Kingsnorth to
Fremont, will again handle the search process.
Kingsnorth
said that the superintendent position will be posted on July 31, with candidate interviews
scheduled for the week of Aug. 24 and a final hiring decision expected by the end of
September.
After
35 years in education, including 26 as a superintendent and the last seven as the chief
administrator in Fremont, Kingsnorth said that he has some great memories and feelings
about Fremont.
“It
seems like I just got here,” he observed. “I’ve loved it here. There are
some great people here and I think we have one of the best school systems in the region.”
Gerber Memorial and Spectrum Health
agree to explore possible affiliation
Last
week, Gerber Memorial Health Services (GMHS) and Spectrum Health officials announced that
they had signed a non-binding Letter of Intent to explore a potential affiliation.
Hospital
officials said that the process to evaluate the relationship will begin immediately and
continue over the next year.
“This
change would formalize an established relationship that has existed between our
organizations since 1987,” said Spectrum Health President and CEO Richard C. Breon.
“The combination of resources and services that would result from a closer
affiliation would help both organizations meet our mutual goal of improving the health of
the communities we serve.”
Gerber
Memorial Health Services initiated the process.
“Our
number one goal in exploring this relationship,” said GMHS Board of Directors
Chairman Don Henry, “is to determine how we provide the highest quality and necessary
services to our patients. We want to be a strong and viable organization that provides
local delivery of competent, compassionate and community health care into the future.”
“Our
plan for quality and growth includes identifying the right relationships,” said GMHS
President and CEO Randall J. Stasik. “The board and the executive team will to do
what is best for our patients, community, associates and physicians.”
Gerber
Memorial Health Services is a member of the Spectrum Health Regional Hospital Network and
Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Partners in Children’s Health. Stasik said that
these existing relationships have resulted in significant savings and operational support
for GMHS through group purchasing, shared services, and access to patient safety and
quality initiatives.
Gerber
Memorial, a 77-bed not-for-profit hospital, received the 2007 Governor’s Award for
Excellence in improving the quality of care and patient safety in the hospital setting;
HealthGrades recognition for Outstanding Patient Satisfaction; and HealthGrades Five-Star
Awards for Total Hip Replacement and Pulmonary Care. Services include a 24-hour Emergency
Department, Women’s Health Center, Physician Offices, Cancer Treatment Center, modern
Surgical Suites and accompanying ICU Unit, Birth Center, Tamarac - The Center for Health
and Well-Being, and Continu-Care Home Health Services.
Spectrum
Health is a not-for-profit health system in west Michigan that offers a full continuum of
care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, a collection of seven hospitals and more
than 140 service sites; the Spectrum Health Medical Group, a multispecialty team of nearly
100 providers; and Priority Health, a health plan with nearly 500,000 members. Spectrum
Health’s 14,000 employees, 1,500 medical staff members and 2,000 volunteers are
committed to delivering the highest quality care to those in medical need. The
organization provided $111.1 million in community benefit during its 2008 fiscal year. As
a system, Spectrum Health has earned more than 100 awards during the past 10 years.
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