At Exalta Health, partners have been critical to our work since we began in 1996.
So this fall, on any given day, our building on South Division has been host to our usual cadre of volunteers and also to folks from such educational institutions as Grand Valley, Ferris State, Grand Rapids Community College, Calvin and more. We also partner with a number of local hospitals, including Spectrum, St. Mary’s, Metro Health and more.
And while we gain a lot from these partners, they will tell you that they benefit too.
Laura Kass is a Physician Assistant from Metro Health and is spending one day a week at Exalta Health this fall.
She says: “I have been seeing a range of patients here, from urgent care to routine well-care visits. I have always felt called to care for people who might not otherwise receive quality health care, and fortunately for me, there are a lot of opportunities to do that as a PA.”
Laura has been a PA for almost 11 years, and her first job out of school was at a FQHC (Federally Qualified Rural Health Center) in Ionia, Michigan. She also has assisted at a not-for-profit migrant health clinic, providing care for the seasonal agriculture workers in mid-Michigan.
“I am proficient in Spanish,” she says, “but not 100% bilingual, so the language piece with some of the patients at Exalta Health is a new challenge. The staff at Exalta Health has been incredible with helping me. Also, as a person of faith. I am still learning how to best incorporate this in my role as a care provider, but I have seen how important it is to the patients here. I have already seen a change in myself both personally and professionally from working with the rest of the care team who value the Christ-centered approach to their work.”
