Corewell Health Big Rapids and Reed City Hospitals

Because of philanthropic support, cancer patients had access to financial assistance for transportation, lodging, meals, prescriptions, and other financial needs, offering relief during challenging times. This year, your support helped a patient who was experiencing housing insecurity. She had previously canceled several of her treatment appointments with the fear that she would soon be homeless. Philanthropy helped prevent her eviction and enabled her to resume her critical treatments with consistency.

Philanthropy helped build healthier communities by supporting outreach, education, and wellness programs that increase access and improve public health. This includes the community car seat program, which served 70 families in Mecosta, Osceola, and Lake Counties in 2025. Through this initiative, certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians provide free education on proper car seat use, along with a new car seat for those in need, ensuring every member of the family can travel safely.  

In 2025, nearly $50,000 in philanthropic dollars were utilized to purchase new medical equipment for the Big Rapids Birthing Center. This includes a portable hearing screen device. The previous device was immobile and often in need of repair, leading to delayed or deferred care for newborns. Not only does the new device represent a state-of-the-art equipment upgrade, but it offers the ability to perform a newborn hearing screen test right in mom’s room, further promoting bonding time between mom and baby. 

The Community Sharps Program was launched in 2020 to address the need for safe sharps disposal. Through partnerships with four provider offices — Big Rapids Care Center, Canadian Lakes, Evart, and Reed City Family Practice — the program continues to grow. In 2025, 461 sharps containers were distributed through the program, and nearly 1,000 pounds of needles were properly disposed of, helping to keep the community safe.  

“My husband and I are both diabetic. I appreciate being able to dispose of our sharps containers at the doctor’s office at the Corewell Health Reed City Campus. I try to use the community drop offs, but they sometimes don’t happen (canceled). Otherwise, the sharps build up at my home or have to go into the garbage. The convenience of the medical office and keeping these safely disposed of is important to me.” - Laurie, Reed City Family Practice Patient