Many will recall the on-site press conference back in the spring of the year when Whirlpool Corporation stepped up to donate major shipments of critical medical supplies including tens of thousands of medical masks, gloves, thermometers, and hospital gowns to the frontline team serving at Spectrum Health Lakeland in St. Joe. It was part of the ongoing support running over the past several decades from the Benton Harbor-based appliance giant for the hospital system, especially in light of the pandemic.
Now comes word that the major manufacturer has also recently donated $1 million to fund the Whirlpool Surgery Center, located within the new Spectrum Health Lakeland Medical Center Pavilion.
The surgery center features 12 state-of-the-art operating rooms including four general surgery rooms, two da Vinci robotic surgery rooms, two orthopedic rooms, two neurosurgery rooms, one cardiac room and one trauma surgery room. Operating rooms in the new space increased from 450-600 square feet to 650-1,000 square feet and feature laminar air flow ventilation systems which are proven to decrease the risk of surgical site infections. The space also includes four heart catheter labs for electrophysiology and interventional radiology procedures.
Dr. Loren B. Hamel, MD, President of Spectrum Health Lakeland, says, “Our ability to safely respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and offer quality, top decile surgical care is thanks in large part to the generosity of our friends at Whirlpool Corporation,” and adds, “We are incredibly grateful for their continued partnership over the years as we work together to enhance health and save lives here in Southwest Michigan.”
Marc Bitzer, Chairman and CEO of Whirlpool Corporation, says, “We are proud of the long-standing relationship between Spectrum Health Lakeland and Whirlpool Corporation and are pleased to offer our assistance for the new Pavilion and procurement of critical medical supplies during COVID-19.” Bitzer adds, “More importantly, the shared commitment to the community by both of our organizations and our employees makes Southwest Michigan a special place to live.”
To date, more than 500 community members, Lakeland team members, and area organizations have donated nearly $6.9 million in support of the Pavilion. Phase 1 of the project opened to the public in March with Phase 2 which includes 80,000 square feet of renovated space currently underway. For continued updates on the project, including architectural animations, you can visit online at: http://spectrumhealthlakeland.org/pavilion
