Metro Health Hospital Metro Care Program Receives Award from MHA

WYOMING, MI, July 01, 2012

Metro Health Hospital's Metro Care program has received the 2012 Ludwig Community Benefit Award from the Michigan Health & Hospital Association, which includes $3,000 to help sustain this successful program.

Metro Health is one of four winners of the 2012 award, which recognizes member organizations that have aided their communities in extraordinary ways. It is presented annually to health care organizations that demonstrate community benefit by improving the health and well being of their communities through health care, economic or social initiatives. The award criteria strongly emphasize outcomes that impact the welfare of the communities the programs serve. A committee of diverse health care leaders and professionals selected the Metro Care program.

"We are honored to be recognized by MHA for our Metro Care program," said Mike Faas, president and CEO of Metro Health. "We launched the program in 2009 as our community struggled with the recession and many of our residents found themselves out of work. As a community hospital committed to promoting health and wellness in West Michigan, we are committed to developing innovative solutions such as Metro Care to better serve the needs of community.

Metro Care is a program designed to provide assistance to patients in economically challenging times. It helps individuals stay well and get the medical care they need, when they need it. The program offers three key components:
• Community benefit discount, which allows those with no insurance to receive a 40 percent discount when visiting Metro Health Hospital
• CarePayment plan, which offers a 25-month, interest-free payment option with low minimum monthly payments for anyone who needs extra time to pay their hospital bills
• Live Healthy lectures and health screenings, which help detect health issues early and promotes good health habits

About Metro Health Hospital
Metro Health Hospital is a 208-bed general acute-care osteopathic teaching hospital that serves more than 250,000 patients in Kent and surrounding counties. Metro Health, which earned status as a Top 100 Hospital for the three consecutive years, offers a broad range of services, including inpatient and outpatient services, emergency, surgery, intensive care, rehabilitation, wellness and community education. Metro's work is supported by the Metro Health Hospital Foundation, which is a charitable organization dedicated to improving the health and well being of the West Michigan community through philanthropy. For more information, visit http://www.metrohealth.net.