Jenn Jenich-Laplander
LAURIUM – Aspirus Health has hired Matt Krause, MBA, as chief administrative officer for Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital and Clinics. Beginning Apr. 12, Krause will be responsible for daily operations of the hospital and clinics as well as provide direct oversight and direction for these locations.
Krause brings more than 23 years of health care experience to his new role at Aspirus. He began his career working with patients as a radiographer and CT technologist. His skills and knowledge quickly earned him leadership roles, first within radiology and then in overall hospital operations. He comes to Aspirus from OSF St. Francis Hospital and Medical Group in Escanaba where he served as regional director of operations.
iminor@dailypress.net
ESCANABA Like the rest of the world, the coronavirus pandemic dominated the local news in 2020. As 2020 draws to a close, here’s a look at some of the major local news stories of the year.
January
1 Escanaba residents Georgios Sitaras and Jami Hentz welcomed OSF St. Francis Hospital and Medical Group’s first baby of the new year at 7:32 a.m. Nicoletta Elizabeth Sitaras weighed 7 pounds, 1.9 ounces and was 19 inches long. She was the couple’s first baby together.
10 Delta County Sheriff’s Department now has two K-9 units after Deputy Chad Newton and K-9 Officer Sage completed training. Newton and Sage, a female Dutch shepherd, are a certified K-9 unit after weeks of being trained by K-9 Master Trainer Marty Munger of Superior K-9 Training, based in Marquette.
iminor@dailypress.net
ESCANABA As vaccinations against the virus responsible for COVID-19 continue across the nation, the state has issued some additional information about distribution in Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.
Across Michigan, 278,275 vaccine doses have been shipped to local health departments, hospitals and tribal health centers as of Monday. Of those doses, 192,075 were for the Pfizer vaccine and 86,200 were for the vaccine produced by Morderna.
Both vaccines have shown high levels off effectiveness agains the vaccine, but the Pfizer vaccine which was given emergency approval by the FDA weeks before the Moderna vaccine was requires specialized refrigeration equipment to store at ultra-cold temperatures. Vaccine providers that are not equipped to store the Pfizer vaccine will only be eligible to receive the Moderna vaccine.
iminor@dailypress.net
ESCANABA Following the recent approval of a vaccine to protect against COVID-19, health officials across the nation are gearing up for what is slated to be the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history. The Upper Peninsula is no exception.
Immunizations for healthcare workers are already underway in Michigan. Frontline healthcare workers at Spectrum Health Butterworth in Grand Rapids and Michigan Medical in Ann Arbor were the first in the state to get the vaccine when immunizations kicked off Monday, and Public Health Delta & Menominee Counties said the Pfizer vaccine arrived in Delta County Thursday.
According to Jenni Miller, immunization and communicable disease coordinator for PHDM, the state has requested health departments not disclose which healthcare facilities are registered with the state as COVID Vaccination Program Enrolled Providers due to safety and security concerns. However, the state has announced there are three enrolled providers in De