No-fault reform
eliminates the care
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Hastings wrestlers go for
another I-8 title Saturday
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From start to finish, art
brings happy collaboration
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VOLUME 168, No. 5 Thursday, February 3, 2022 PRICE $1.
THE
HASTINGS
Devoted to the Interests of Barry County Since 1856
Spectrum takes lead in merger
Taylor Owens
Staff Writer
Two of the largest healthcare systems in
Michigan started the merger process on
Wednesday. Spectrum Health and Beaumont
Health will form a new network, temporarily
known as BHSH, with more than 64,000 staff
and 22 hospitals.
Tina Freese Decker, CEO of the new sys-
tem, said the organizations supplied the Fed-
eral Trade Commission with all the informa-
tion it requested, and the window for the FTC
to challenge the merger has closed.
The process, which started in June, went
forward as expected, Freese Decker said, and
the boards of both Spectrum and Beaumont
voted to reaffirm the merger last week.
Both non-profit organizations were already
two of the largest health systems in Michi-
gan. Spectrum Health reported nearly $8.
billion in annual revenue for 2020 – the high-
est of any health care system in Michigan,
while Beaumont Health has the most employ-
ees of any system in the state, at more than
33,000.
The new network will employee more than
11,500 physicians and advanced care provid-
ers, and more than 15,000 nurses. The system
will span more than 300 outpatient locations
and post-acute facilities, and will include
Priority Health, a provider-sponsored health
plan with more than 1.2 million members
across the State of Michigan.During a video press conference Monday,
Freese Decker said both systems will contin-
ue to work as usual for the time being.
“Right now, how you access care, physi-
cally or online, will remain he same,” Freese
Decker said.
She declined to speak on potential changes
down the road, including possible layoffs
occurring as a result of the consolidation pro-
cess. The system is currently focusing on
recruiting employees in the midst of a labor
shortage, she added.
The organization will have dual headquar-
ters in Grand Rapids and Southfield.
Pennock Hospital in Hastings merged with
Spectrum to become the network’s 12th hos-
pital in 2015.
“Spectrum Health Pennock and all of
Spectrum Health continues to be committed
to delivering care close to home,” Spectrum
Health Pennock Regional Market Leader and
President Angela Ditmar said in a statement
to The Banner when the merger was
announced in June. “We are proud to – and
will continue to – partner with our local com-
munity to improve health, inspire hope and
save lives.”
“The Pennock Foundation will continue to
support health care locally with a commit-
ment that funds raised in local communities
will stay in those communities,” Ditmar
added. “Most importantly, our hospital will
retain local governance oversight and focuson the key areas unique to our local commu-
nities.
“We want our hospitals to have local voic-
es that reflect the communities we serve.”
“As we launch our new health system, we
have a bold goal to transform health and are
thrilled to unite our two great organizations,”
Freese Decker said. “Together, we will lever-
age our complementary strengths to innovate
and make a positive impact for our communi-
ties and their health. We look forward to
working with our physicians, team members,
patients, health plan members and partners
across our state to provide health care and
coverage that is accessible, affordable, equi-
table and exceptional.”
An employee of Spectrum Health for near-
ly 20 years, Freese Decker has been president
and CEO for 3? years.
Beaumont Health CEO John Fox will leave
the organization after the merger is complete.
Beaumont Health board chairperson, and new
BHSH board chairperson, Julie Fream
declined to disclose the terms of Fox’s exit.
“Our focus, as we launch our new health
system, is to continue to provide excellent
health care and coverage in our communi-
ties,” Fream said in a press release Monday.
“We look forward to continuing to partner
with our patients, team members and health
plan members as we build a new organization
designed to improve the health of the com-
munities we serve.”“I am very proud of our Beaumont team
members for their many accomplishments,
and I’m especially proud of the compassion-
ate, extraordinary care they have provided for
our patients throughout this long pandemic,”
Fox said. “I’m confident BHSH System will
become one of the best health care systems in
the nation.”New retail stores coming to Save-A-Lot site
Benjamin Simon
Staff Writer
There’s a pile of rubble on M-43, and peo-
ple want to know why.
It’s the remnant of the Save-A-Lot building
that was torn down last week, clearing the
way for three new businesses to enter Rutland
Charter Township, including a Starbucks.
“It’s good for the residents to have options
of places to go and places to shop,” township
Clerk Robin Hawthorne said.
The businesses will be in two separate
buildings on the former Save-A-Lot proper-
ty at 1670 W. M-43 Highway near Heath
Road/West Green Street. One building will
have 3,200 square feet designed for a restau-
rant, and the other building will offer 4,
square feet designed for a restaurant and a
retail shop.
The Detroit-based developer, Alrig USA,
has yet to reveal plans for the businesses,
with the exception of Starbucks. Both build-
ings will feature a drive-through portion
and were approved by the township plan-
ning commission as a special land use Oct.
22, 2021.
After the demolition of the Save-A-Lot
building last week, people expressed con-
cern on social media about the empty prop-
erty. It led Hawthorne to write a post,
explaining what had happened to the grocery
store, which had been constructed and
opened in 2003.
“People saw the building coming down
and they were like, ‘Oh my God!’” she said.
“I think their main concern was they didn’t
want to have a big vacant lot there. A lot of
people didn’t realize or look to realize what
was happening and so they were afraid that
Save-A-Lot was going to tear that building
down and just leave it a big old vacant lot.
And that’s not the case.”The process of razing the building began
when Save-A-Lot shut its doors in 2019,
stirring controversy in the township.
According to managers at the company,
corporate administrators informed
high-ranking managers at the grocery store
that it was closing months before it actuallydid. But managers claimed corporate offi-
cials had issued a gag order, making them
unable to tell their employees. Those
employees felt blindsided by the news of
the store closing.
Then the building sat empty for a few
years before Alrig USA approached thetownship June 2, 2021, with its application
for a special land-use permit.
Alrig and its Grand Rapids-based engi-
neer, Fleis & Vandenbrink, will now move on
to the construction phase of the project.
They have a building permit that lasts six
months.Campaign gears up for Hastings bond request
Benjamin Simon
Staff Writer
After approving a May 3 election date,
supporters of the Hastings Area School Sys-
tem bond request are ramping up their cam-
paign.
A steering committee will drive this year’s
campaign, consisting of Danielle Storrs,
chairperson; Justin Peck, treasurer; Jeff
Domenico, secretary; Chris Cooley and Fred
Jacobs.
They will develop a strategy to guide the
citizens’ committee, which will then get out
in the community and connect with residents.
“It’s taking that citizens’ committee and
saying, ‘OK, who do you know at your
church that lives in the school district?” Pecksaid in an interview with the Banner. “‘Who
do you know in your basketball league that
lives in the school district? Who do you know
within your circles of life?’ ”
In the lead-up to the May 2022 bond elec-
tion, Superintendent Matt Goebel said the
committees are focused on increasing voter
engagement. They found that just 3,000 out
of 15,000 registered voters cast their ballots
during the August 2020 election. The bond
request failed by 83 votes.
By interacting with more community
members, the members of these committees
hope to encourage additional people to go to
the polls in May.
Along with the citizens’ committee, which
is officially registered as the “Citizens forHASS,” they plan to speak to service clubs,
attend township meetings, connect with the
public through media outlets and social
media, and distribute a brochure regarding
the bond.
“[They’re] really trying to get information
out to people so that they fully understand
and are transparent with what the needs are of
the district,” Goebel said.
While the steering committee involves five
members, the citizens’ committee includes
more than 70 people and has met three times
thus far.
“The citizens’ committee meetings are for
people that are in support of Hastings Area
School System, and in support of the bond
proposal,” Goebel said.To attend a citizens’ committee meeting,
Goebel suggested reaching out to the steering
committee chairperson, Danielle Storrs, at
[email protected].
If accepted, the May 2022 proposed bond
would generate $23.9 million for the school
district, raising the school tax rate from 6.0 to
6.8 mills. It will follow the same scope as the
August 2021 election by prioritizing mainte-
nance needs across the district.
The upgrades would include replacing sin-
gle-pane windows, renovating decades-old
bathrooms, implementing LED lights, install-
ing a keying system and security cameras,
improving air quality, removing asbestos,
purchasing new buses and renovating the
20-year-old high school roof.Tina Freese Decker will be the CEO of
the largest health network in Michigan.
(Photo provided)Workers deal with the demolition of the former Save-A-Lot site on M-43 that took place last week. Three businesses, including
Starbucks, will take its place. (Photo by Rebecca Pierce)Lofty work
proceeds
in Hastings
Thornapple
Manor chief
leaving soon
Benjamin Simon
Staff Writer
Don Haney announced his retirement as
administrator at Thornapple Manor Tues-
day.
Haney, who spent nearly 17 years with
the Hastings-based long-term care commu-
nity, said it is time for someone new to step
into that lead role.
“There’s a point at which you know in
your heart that fresh leadership, fresh per-
spective, fresh energy is needed for an orga-
nization and I feel that that time is now for
Thornapple Manor,” Haney said in an inter-
view with The Banner.
The construction on 128 N.
Michigan Avenue is under way and
some workers are climbing high to
make it happen. The new apartment
building, known as the “Lofts @
128,” will bring 21 market-rate hous-
ing units to downtown Hastings. City
officials said they expect the new
structure to be complete by this sum-
mer.(Photo by Benjamin Simon)Don HaneySee THORNAPPLE, page 2