News

McLaren Northern Michigan, the regional health care provider for 22 northern Michigan counties, is bringing its Children’s Health Fair back for a 31st year. Parents and children of all ages are welcome to Petoskey Middle School on Sat., April 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the free, fun, and healthy-focused event. “This has been a longstanding tradition for many northern Michigan families, and one we are very happy to organize,” said Gar Atchison, McLaren Northern Michigan President and CEO. “It is a pilla...

In recognition of March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and to further raise awareness — and promote the importance of — early detection, the Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Northern Michigan is providing free at-home screening kits throughout the month. Through March 31, members of the Petoskey community can register for the free kit by calling (231) 487-3390 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Registration is required. “Catching and identifying potentially cancerous tumors before the disease progresse...

McLaren Northern Michigan, the Petoskey-based health care provider serving 22 counties, has been listed among the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals in the country, according clinical and quality analysis by Premier, a leading health care organization aimed at improving how care is delivered. The hospital, which recently expanded its cardiovascular services by adding more providers — creating more access to its advanced level of care — has routinely ranked among the nation’s best, having been named to this...

When should you go to the ER for the flu? With the 2024-2025 flu season being described as the “most intense” in 15 years, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have estimated there have been at least 24 million cases across the country. This has resulted in more than 310,000 hospitalizations and, tragically, 13,000 deaths. The widespread nature of this flu has caused many to seek care in their nearest emergency department, increasing the potential to overwhelm physicians and caregivers. In ...

At what point should a doctor evaluate headaches? Everyone gets headaches. They can range, perhaps starting as a dull pain before escalating to the squeezing, dizzying feeling, and start from a number of causes: a lack of/poor quality sleep, certain foods, alcohol consumption, stress, eye straining, dehydration/lack of food, among others. In many cases, a drugstore pain reliever or headache medicine will resolve the symptoms relatively quick. There does reach a point, though, that consistent headaches —...

McLaren Northern Michigan, part of statewide McLaren Health Care, has announced its plans to expand the community’s access to timely care with the opening of an urgent care center in Petoskey. Located within McLaren Northern Michigan MedCenter – South (1890 US-131 in Petoskey), the urgent care expansion is scheduled to open in March. “We are very excited to share our plans to launch an urgent care and increase our community’s access to timely care,” said Gar Atchison, McLaren Northern Michigan President...

It’s Not Too Late to Get Vaccinated Across the winter months, emergency departments across Michigan have been treating patients arriving after experiencing the classic symptoms of upper respiratory infections—the seemingly ever-present cough, congestion, runny noses, though with the occasional fever. While these symptoms can be mild and be a sign of common cold, they can also be symptomatic of the season’s more serious conditions: influenza, COVID-19, and RSV (though any condition can only be confirmed ...

The McLaren Stroke Network, Grand Blanc-based McLaren Health Care’s integrated structure in which to provide comprehensive stroke care, has expanded to provide critical access Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital (SMH) with an enhanced level of potentially lifesaving care. Through an agreement between the health care providers, patients arriving at Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Room suspected of having a stroke will be initially evaluated by a McLaren Stroke Network interventional neurologist in or...

Officials of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren announced today that the seventh playing of the official PGA TOUR Champions event, which concluded August 25, 2024, at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, raised a total of $1,005,260.21 for charitable organizations in southeastern Michigan and beyond, surpassing the $1 million mark for the fifth time in the tournament’s brief history. Since its inception in 2018, The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren has donated nearly $8.4 million to support ch...

Winter conditions can make the occurrence of a stroke more probable. More than 800,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke every year, with the majority of them caused by a rouge blood clot disrupting blood flow in the brain. The American Heart Association, during a nationwide conference in front of an audience of physicians specializing in the treatment of strokes, presented the results of a study that concluded strokes are more common during the winter months. For some, colder weather can be a...