Mecosta County Medical Center has been working toward merging with Spectrum Health for quite some time now. Currently they are waiting for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid to sign off on their physician contracts, but have been moved to the top of the list of 200 other hospitals. In addition, the hospital needs to reorganize as a non-for-profit and public hybrid cooperation, which technically changes nothing but allows them to expedite the merger process.

A 20-month old Montcalm County boy is in serious condition at the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. Michigan State Police say Konnor Baker was found unresponsive in a pond at the 9100 block of Tessie Court in Bushnell Township Saturday after a family member lost the boy for a short time. A neighbor performed CPR on the year and a half old child until emergency responders arrived. When EMS arrived they took over resuscitation efforts and continued those efforts until his heart restarted and began breathing on his own. The boy is listed in serious condition, no foul play is suspected.

A elderly Lakeview couple was taken to the hospital after a one vehicle accident yesterday in Mecosta County. Sheriff Deputies say the accident happened on 50th Ave and 2 Mile Rd. Upon investigation Deputies found that 72-year old Paul Ford, of Lakeview was driving southbound on 50th Ave and ran off the roadway and struck a tree. Ford told Deputies he was not sure what happened to cause the crash. The passenger, 72-year old Joan Ford was also injured in the crash. Both were transported to Lakeview Hospital for non-life threatening.

Four people were taken to the hospital after an accident on 5 mile road near 95th avenue Tuesday. Mecosta county Sheriff Deputies say they found an SUV driven by a lakeview woman was rear ended when trying to make a left turn into a private drive. The second vehicle a passenger car was occupied by 5 teens from the stanwood/morley area. The driver and her infant child were transported to Kelsey Hospital in Lakeview and two male occupants in the second vehicle were transported to Mecosta County Medical Center. All subjects were treated and released.

Two people were injured and taken to the hospital after two vehicle accident on US-131 near Jefferson Rd. in Aetna Township. Mecosta County Sheriff Deputies say 21-year old Brad Russ of Stanwood rear ended a slower vehicle driven by 35-year old Myrtle Durham of Pontiac causing both vehicles to overturn. Durham and her passenger 17-year old Africa Lucas received non-life threatening injuries from the accident and were transported to the Mecosta County Medical Center.

Two people were taken to the hospital over the weekend after a two vehicle accident in Isabella County. Sheriff Deputies say the accident happened on M-20 east of Coldwater. They say 21-year old Gabriel Shubel of Grand Rapids lost control of his Chevrolet Tracker, and crossed the center line into the path of a Ford Escort driven by 30-year old Paul Viggiano of Remus. Shubel was transported to McLaren Central Michigan Hospital and Viggiano was flown to Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids for treatment. Police say speed was a factor in the accident.

Two people were sent to the hospital after a accident in Big Rapids Thursday. Police say the accident happened on the corner of Michigan Ave and Linden Street. They say a 20-year old woman driving on Linden Street ran a stop sign and hit a car driven by a 26-year old man heading north on Michigan Avenue. The 20-year old female driver of the first car and a 23-year old passenger in the second car were transported to Mecosta County Medical Center by EMS for non-life threatening injuries.

A couple of accidents in Mecosta County sent two people to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries over the weekend. The first on Saturday, involved a 14 year old girl from Remus who lost control of her snowmobile, flipped over the handle bars and her leg was trapped under the snowmobile. She was transported to the Mecosta County Medical Center by a family friend, where she was being treated for her non-life threatening injuries. The second involved a driver who lost control of its vehicle running off the roadway and hitting a tree in Aetna Township.

Grand Rapids-based Spectrum Health is acquiring the only hospital in NewaygoCounty. Spokesman Bruce Rossman says Spectrum will officially acquire 61-bed Gerber Memorial Health Services in Fremonton May 1. Terms of the deal aren't being released. Spectrum facilities include a medical center in downtown Grand Rapids, four community hospitals and a children's hospital.

Spectrum Health Hospitals have been recognized among the top 100 health care facilities in the nation. The study by Thomas Reuters examines changing performance levels in U.S. hospitals and objectively identifies hospitals based on their overall organizational performance. Spectrum spokesman Bruce Rossman says this distinction shows people are taking notice of what they do. The study examined 2,926 short-term, acute care and non-federal hospitals.