Professional Highlights from the Great Lakes Bay Region

STEM Center Holds Virtual Groundbreaking

The new Hemlock Area STEM Center held a virtual groundbreaking May 7 for what will become the future home for robotics and other programs related to the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics for the Merrill, Swan Valley, St. Charles, Freeland and Hemlock school districts. The announcement came as public health measures ruled out an actual groundbreaking.

The new, 60-foot-by-80-foot facility is scheduled to open in the fall and is funded through a commitment of more than $100,000 from Hemlock Semiconductor Operations as well as other donors. The center will provide opportunities for kindergarten through high school students to have a new, high-tech location for STEM learning, FIRST Robotics teams and extracurricular programs.

“Starting construction on the new Hemlock Area STEM Center moves us closer to having the space, materials and programs that will fuel continued learning for area students in and beyond school,” said Don Killingbeck, superintendent at the center. “This is a partnership that will allow students to find their passions, heighten their skills and develop the talents they’ll need for careers with employers such as HSC.”

Hemlock Semiconductor also is matching up to $25,000 in additional funds to encourage other businesses and residents to support the full outfitting of the center’s tools and safety features.

Firm Recognized by BTI Consulting Group

Warner Norcross+Judd LLP has been recognized by BTI Consulting Group as a “Midsize Heavyweight.” The selective award is based solely on client input and recognizes 37 midsized firms across the nation that take on projects “above their weight.”

According to BTI, the selected firms are “uber-responsive, dig deep, hard and fast to find the answers. Always quick to embrace new approaches to billing and problems, these firms make sure clients always know who is accountable for their work and the relationship.”

Warner is one of only two Michigan law firms on the list and has a location in Midland.

Hidden Harvest Collaborates with SC Johnson

Hidden Harvest was awarded a $10,000 grant from SC Johnson to ensure that excess perishable food was available to those in need during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With SC Johnson’s support, Hidden Harvest rapidly responded to assist in rescuing the food supply and sharing it with partner programs to meet the food needs of the most vulnerable. Along with the grant, Hidden Harvest also received Ziploc bags from SC Johnson to be used to safely package and distribute meals.

“The issue of food waste is exacerbated with the closure of most businesses, and wholesome food that could help feed families in need is in danger of being sent to landfills,” said Samantha McKenzie, president and CEO of Hidden Harvest. “Especially during this time of pandemic, food rescue is more critical than ever. Many of the organizations we work with have adjusted to serve to-go meals. These organizations will use the Ziploc bags to serve to-go meals and food boxes to area families and individuals in need. We are grateful for the SC Johnson donations that empower our partnering programs that are adapting to the situation in order to remain open and serve people safely.”

Covenant Recognized with Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade

Covenant HealthCare was again awarded an “A” in the spring Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing Covenant HealthCare’s achievements providing safer health care. This is the fourth consecutive “A” Covenant has received recognizing its efforts in protecting patients from harm and meeting the highest safety standards in the United States.

“The region counts on Covenant to be a resource for the community, providing high-quality care,” said Dr. Michael Sullivan, Covenant vice president of performance improvement and chief medical officer. “Now more than ever, we appreciate the validation that we are doing the right things to live up to patients’ expectations. We want people to know that during these trying times, the hospital continues to provide safe care for medical needs. Every single person on the Covenant HealthCare team makes a difference, and we thank them for their commitment to delivering safe care.”

Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year.

Michigan-based PG Group Expands to Mount Pleasant

PG Group announced the opening of Old 27 North in Mount Pleasant, its newest medical cannabis provisioning center.

“As a dominant retailer of medical and adult-use cannabis products in Lansing, we are thrilled to bring our premium cannabis retail experience northward, making our high-quality products available to the Mount Pleasant community,” PG Group owner and CEO Sam Usman Jr. said.

The new provisioning center is at 2157 S. Mission St. in the former Cherry Berry storefront in the Mission Mall strip. It is PG Group’s fourth provisioning center and will create as many as 20 new jobs in the central Michigan area.

Meijer Donates to McLaren Bay Medical Foundation

Joseph Smith, store director at the Hampton Township Meijer, and Andy Picard, store director at the Bay City Meijer, presented a check May 7 for $10,000 to the McLaren Bay Medical Foundation in support of its emergency response fund.

“Meijer is focused on enriching lives in the communities we serve, and the Bay City and Hampton Township Meijer stores are pleased to support the McLaren Bay Medical Foundation’s efforts to provide resources to support their essential frontline medical workers,” Smith said. “We share a commitment to our team members, customers and communities in the fight against COVID-19.”

“We are so grateful for the generous donation from our community Meijer stores,” said McLaren Bay Medical Foundation Director Lynn Weaver. “So far, our community has given more than $50,000 to the emergency response fund and fundraising efforts are still underway.”