Corewell Health West Annual Fund

In 2024, philanthropy supported the trauma survivorship program, a holistic effort to address patients’ physical conditions and the common mental health challenges trauma patients face. When someone suffers a medical trauma, the real work of recovery begins when they walk out of the hospital doors. This program includes a partnership/membership with the Trauma Survivors Network, an additional medical social worker, a collaboration with behavioral health, and an annual Trauma Survivors’ Celebration. The first-ever Trauma Survivors’ Celebration provided an uplifting environment for patients and family members to reunite with the Corewell Health trauma team members who cared for them in their hour of greatest need. 

The Corewell Health Healthy Lifestyles team continued to expand programming for medical residents and families in West Michigan. Through your support, they were able to provide culinary medicine classes in Greenville for the first time, free-of-charge. They also offered a 9-week virtual cooking class to the regional communities at a low cost, which helped participants learn how to cook and eat healthier food. The team will continue working with local organizations to help decrease barriers of nutrition education, including onsite culinary medicine classes focused on plant-based meals and foods for immune health.

The Culinary Medicine Scholar Program gives medical residents an opportunity to go beyond the typical curriculum and earn certifications in culinary medicine concepts. When they complete the program, they can become Certified Culinary Medicine Specialists through the American College of Culinary Medicine. 

In April 2024, family members of patients who passed away in prior years gathered at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park for the annual Service of Remembrance. Guests were able to experience the cathartic and beautiful exhibit, Butterflies are Blooming, free of charge and took part in a program honoring the lives of their loved ones. The name of each loved one was read aloud, giving family members an opportunity to connect with others who had lost someone close to them. This event is a powerful reminder that our patients and the people who love them are not forgotten.