I took a moment walking in to Lansing Community College’s campus today to appreciate how lucky we are to have it right in the middle of downtown Lansing. It is easy to take for granted, but LCC is a such a tremendous community asset. And not a bad place for a Rotary meeting either.
I got to Rotary early today. Which gave me plenty of time to learn that there is apparently a new rule requiring the Editarian to wear a yellow safety vest. I am not sure what happened at a previous meeting to create this policy, but I was told Lolo was involved. Is this payback for me writing a terrible mad lib when I was assigned Editarian at the last Rotary Social? She was not there to interrogate – this will be addressed at a later date.
Rafal Kopacewicz, our newest producer at Rathbun Insurance, came with me today. He is now a part of our corporate membership - Please connect with him on LinkedIn and help me make it look like bringing him to Rotary was part of a very well developed onboarding plan.
President Susan Angel called our meeting to order at exactly 12:30, with the precision of someone who had been waiting all week to use the gavel. We stood and recited the Four-Way Test in unison. Which did very little to dispel Rafal’s concerns that he had joined a cult.
Our reflection for the day was given by Sunny Nadolsky. She shared three things that have guided her journey as a serial entrepreneur:
- Do not judge a book by its cover. Sunny has been judged many times for being the only woman or the only Asian person in the room.
- We are living in a very diverse and high conflict time. We cannot change everything happening around us, but we can build bridges using the things we do have.
- The things that make her happiest are not what she has, but what she has helped build for others and what she has been able to give. She is here to help people who are in need.
Amy Partin brought the microphone around for the introduction of guests. John Cauley introduced Joy Wiseman, who works in development at Sparrow. President Susan introduced Karen Gallagher, who owns the Wellness Institute of Michigan. Brianna Schneider introduced Sam Inglot, the Director of Development at Woldumar Nature Center. Alicia Fabiano-Lane was visiting from the Petoskey Rotary Club.
We also heard that “former President” Rebecca Bahar-Cook is doing a wonderful job recovering from hip surgery. She joined us by Zoom. What a dedicated Rotarian that Rebecca is.
Our special music for the day was Mike Skory, who was introduced by Lisa Smith. Lisa noted that when we do not have special music scheduled, she is the person who falls within our price range. Mike was friends with my dad for many years – Paul loved hearing him play. Lisa then demanded that four Rotarians come forward and join her for special music. She may have used the word “invited,” but the four people selected did not appear to have much of a choice. Susan Angel, Raeanne Mardigian, Diane Sanborn and Chris Holman were called forward. Rebecca noted from Zoom that she would have joined them if she had been there in person. It was a very generous offer from a safe distance.We were then treated to a rendition of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.” It became very clear that the performance itself was also the rehearsal. Before the second song, Lisa reminded us that Lansing rhymes with dancing. She then sang a song by Rickie Lee Jones that included audience snapping throughout. Fortunately, snapping is one of the few forms of musical participation that does not require anyone to stay on key.
There is an upcoming volunteer opportunity at the Greater Lansing Food Bank. More information will be shared with members interested in participating.
John Cauley introduced our speaker, Dr. Michael Nanzer, Executive Director of Behavioral Health at University of Michigan Health-Sparrow. Dr. Nanzer is a Michigan-born healthcare executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience across hospital systems, behavioral health, post-acute care and medical groups. He has launched statewide behavioral health programs, improved patient access and satisfaction, and strengthened provider teams and referral networks.
About a year ago, Sparrow partnered with Sheppard Pratt, an established behavioral health system based in Baltimore, Maryland. Sheppard Pratt also recently
opened a behavioral health hospital in Boston.
opened a behavioral health hospital in Boston.Sparrow’s current behavioral health facility is located at the St. Lawrence Campus. It has 54 inpatient beds, including an adult unit, a geriatric unit and an intensive-care unit. There is also a partial hospitalization program with a capacity of 10 patients. They provide outpatient services and primarily serve the Lansing area.
The new facility will have 64 inpatient beds. This will include 24 adult beds, 24 geriatric beds and 16 new adolescent beds. The partial hospitalization program will grow to a capacity of more than 30 patients. There will also be a new intensive outpatient program. The facility will be able to provide electroconvulsive therapy, ketamine infusions and transcranial magnetic stimulation.
Dr. Nanzer shared a rendering of the outdoor courtyard and spoke about how important it is for the physical space to feel welcoming and support the success and recovery of patients.
The new facility will follow a collaborative-care model, serve all payors and be located close to the Sparrow campus. There will also be an increased partnership with Community Mental Health.
One of the biggest challenges in behavioral health is access. People need to be able to find the right person and the right level of care at the right time. The fact that the facility will be directly across the street from the emergency room will help the teams collaborate and get patients to the appropriate place sooner.
There is also a major shortage of beds for adolescents who need inpatient mental health treatment. Dr. Nanzer noted that many for profit hospitals do not want to make the financial investment required to provide that care. The addition of 16 adolescent beds will help address a significant need in our region. The facility is expected to open in 2028.
Adults generally stay between six and 12 days. Geriatric patients tend to stay a little longer. Adolescent patients stay an average of about four days longer than adults.
Next week, we will be meeting outside at Rotary Park on Friday at our normal time. I could not think of a good joke about the Editarian wearing a safety vest outside at Rotary Park. Had I thought of one, it would have appeared here. Susan then rang the bell. She really likes ringing the bell. It makes me smile every time seeing how much joy it brings her. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve.
Email for Ben Rathbun: ben@rathbunagency.com