Guest Article: "A Privilege To Serve”

Jordan Sall, DO

For one doctor, serving this community is part of Gerber Memorial’s commitment to provide a wide range of care close to home

By Jordan Sall, DO, Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial

Serving as a healthcare provider in Newaygo County is a rewarding experience for me and my colleagues at Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial. When GR Magazine released its list of Top Doctors in West Michigan, I took a moment to pause from my daily duties to reflect on this honor. I took time to think about the privilege and blessing of being able to provide care to the families of this wonderful community. To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised to have made the list. Yet at the same time, I realized that whatever qualities I may bring to my job and my interactions with my patients are also the qualities I seek in my colleagues. Everyone from our front registration staff to the team in our kitchen to environmental services to nurses and lab techs comes in every day with only one thing in mind: Providing healthcare that is personalized, simple and exceptional for the folks who live and work here.

Newaygo County is a special place. Full of rivers, lakes and trails, Newaygo County is an oasis where neighbors help each other, and the spirit of collaboration remains strong. They’re family members and childhood friends of the 690-plus people who work at Gerber Memorial. It is not an exaggeration to say that we really treat our patients like family, something Gerber Memorial has done since 1918.

When I became Chief of Medicine and later Chief of Staff at Gerber Memorial, I was immediately excited to find myself in a setting where I could do and learn more as a doctor. At Gerber Memorial, I had the opportunity to practice a wider, broader scope of medicine. While my colleagues in larger communities (where I practiced previously) are focused on specialized medicine, doctors at places like Gerber Memorial have the privilege of doing the opposite: developing more knowledge in more areas of medicine and being more involved in the whole patient.

Having worked in Grand Rapids, I’m also amazed every day at how Gerber Memorial strives constantly to deliver more services to attend to the needs of our patients. All with the goal of delivering care close to home. Gerber Memorial providers can now refer patients to a wide range of Spectrum Health specialists who are right here in Newaygo County, from urology to cardiology and gastroenterology.
 
Cancer patients in Newaygo County and surrounding communities no longer have to drive to Grand Rapids for treatment because Gerber Memorial has a Cancer Center right here in Fremont.

Like many rural communities, Newaygo County faces challenges when it comes to hiring doctors to work here – and rural communities need doctors, nurses, registered dietitians and therapists, among others, now more than ever. Newaygo County, as in many rural counties in Michigan, is working hard to rein in high rates of diabetes and tobacco use. Mental and behavioral illnesses are a growing challenge. I believe we are up to the challenge and those healthcare professionals who are here truly want to serve at Gerber Memorial.

​We are brainstorming and implementing solutions that we believe meet the needs of families in Newaygo County. Services like Momentum – unique to Gerber Memorial – pairs a patient’s primary care provider with relevant experts such as certified fitness specialists, dietitians and therapists to create a personalized medical fitness and health program to meet that patient’s specific needs. Momentum seeks to address what each patient needs, while potentially addressing clinical challenges such as readmission rates. Gerber Memorial has a registered nurse who is also a dedicated diabetes educator who can guide patients on a journey toward whole health and wellness.

These are just some of the amazing things I see my colleagues do every day and offer to our patients and our community. Though Gerber Memorial may be “small” in size, we are doing big things to provide care close to home. And for each of us, it is a privilege to serve our patients.  
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Editor's Note: Jordan Sall, DO, is a hospitalist at Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial. The June edition of GR Magazine listed Dr. Sall as a Top Doc in West Michigan based on recommendations of other physicians.

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