Communication in Grand Rapids Hospitals

During a hospital stay in Grand Rapids, Michigan—whether at Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health), Trinity Health Grand Rapids, University of Michigan Health-West (Metro Health), or Mercy Health—you will meet many different staff members involved in your care. Clear communication with your healthcare team is essential for your safety, comfort, and recovery.

You may find communication difficult because of:

  • Your health condition or pain
  • Side effects of medications
  • A hearing, vision, speech, or cognitive disability
  • Stress or anxiety about your diagnosis
  • English not being your first language
  • Unfamiliar medical terms and hospital processes

In Grand Rapids, hospitals and local resources such as the Kent County Health Department and Grand Rapids Public Health offer support to help you understand your care and express your needs.

Who You Will Meet in a Grand Rapids Hospital

Many people contribute to your care while you are in the hospital. At every step, you may meet:

  • Doctors (physicians, surgeons, specialists)
  • Nurses
  • Allied health professionals (physical therapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, speech pathologists, pharmacists, respiratory therapists)
  • Social workers
  • Pastoral care and spiritual care staff
  • Interpreters
  • Administrative and support staff (registration, transport, food services, housekeeping, maintenance)

Each of these professionals plays a specific role in supporting your recovery.

Hospital Nurses: Your Main Point of Contact

Nurses Manage Most of Your Ongoing Care

In Grand Rapids hospitals, nurses usually manage your day-to-day care. They:

  • Assess your condition and monitor your vital signs
  • Give medications and treatments
  • Coordinate with your doctors and other specialists
  • Help manage pain and symptoms
  • Support your daily needs such as mobility and hygiene

Talk to Your Nurse About Immediate Needs

If you have a question or concern, start by speaking with your nurse. They can:

  • Answer many questions about your treatment and tests
  • Explain instructions in simpler language
  • Direct you to the right person (doctor, social worker, dietitian, patient liaison, pastoral care, etc.) for specific issues

Your Right to Understand Your Care

You have the right to:

  • Ask questions at any time
  • Have information repeated or explained in another way
  • Ask for things to be written down or drawn
  • Request extra time to make decisions when possible
  • Ask who is examining you and why
  • Be involved in decisions about your treatment and discharge

Do Not Hesitate to Ask for Explanations

If you do not understand:

  • A test or procedure
  • A diagnosis
  • A medication and its side effects
  • Your recovery plan

Ask your nurse or doctor to:

  • Use simpler language
  • Explain step-by-step what will happen
  • Repeat key points
  • Provide written instructions or diagrams

Using Interpreters in Grand Rapids Hospitals

Your Right to an Interpreter

If English is not your preferred language, or you use American Sign Language (ASL), you have the right to a professional, accredited interpreter at no cost to you. This is especially important when:

  • Taking your medical history
  • Discussing diagnoses or treatment options
  • Reviewing test results
  • Signing consent forms
  • Planning for surgery or procedures
  • Discussing discharge plans and home care

Hospitals in Grand Rapids and across Michigan offer free and confidential interpreter services, often available 24/7.

How to Request an Interpreter

You can ask for an interpreter:

  • During a pre-admission appointment
  • At registration or check‑in
  • Through your nurse, doctor, or ward clerk/administration staff

Let staff know if you:

  • Speak a specific dialect
  • Prefer a male or female interpreter
  • Need ASL or another specific communication method

Many Grand Rapids hospitals also have translated brochures and written materials in multiple languages. Ask if information is available in your preferred language.

Patient Liaison Officers and Patient Relations

Most Grand Rapids hospitals have a patient liaison officer, patient advocate, or patient relations department. Their role is to:

  • Help you and your family with non-medical concerns
  • Explain hospital policies and processes
  • Assist with questions about billing or insurance
  • Help resolve communication problems with staff
  • Guide you through the hospital’s complaints process if needed

If you are unsure who to talk to, ask your nurse, unit secretary, or front desk staff how to contact Patient Relations or a patient advocate.

Social Workers in Grand Rapids Hospitals

How Social Workers Can Help

Hospital social workers in Grand Rapids can assist with many issues, including:

  • Emotional support and counseling
  • Advocacy if you feel your needs are not understood
  • Discharge planning and arranging home care or rehab
  • Referrals to out-of-hospital services in Kent County
  • Support for family conflict or family violence
  • Crisis intervention
  • Bereavement and grief counseling
  • Help with financial stress, housing, or transportation resources

Ask your nurse or doctor for a referral to a hospital social worker if you:

  • Feel overwhelmed
  • Are worried about managing at home after discharge
  • Need help finding community resources in Grand Rapids or West Michigan

Pastoral Care and Spiritual Support

Pastoral Carers Support Your Wellbeing

All major Grand Rapids hospitals provide pastoral care and spiritual care services for patients and families of all faiths, beliefs, and spiritual backgrounds. Pastoral carers:

  • Listen to your concerns, fears, and hopes
  • Provide emotional and spiritual support
  • Can pray with you or arrange visits from clergy of your tradition
  • Support you during serious illness, end-of-life decisions, or grief

You do not need a referral to see a pastoral carer. To contact them:

  • Ask your nurse
  • Ask ward or unit administration staff
  • Request a visit through the hospital switchboard or chaplaincy office

Support from Family and Friends

Having a trusted support person can make communication easier, especially when you are tired, in pain, or anxious.

A family member or friend can:

  • Sit in on conversations with doctors and nurses
  • Take notes during consultations
  • Help you remember questions you want to ask
  • Help you speak up if you feel your concerns are not being heard
  • Remind you of instructions about medications, wound care, or follow-up visits

Ask staff if there are specific visiting rules or quiet hours, which may vary by hospital and season (for example, during flu season or winter surges in respiratory illnesses in Michigan).

Communicating in a Busy Hospital Environment

Grand Rapids hospitals can be very busy—especially during cold and flu season, winter months, and times of high respiratory illnesses such as RSV and COVID-19. Staff may not always have long periods to spend with each patient, so it helps to:

Make the Most of Your Time with Staff

  • Start with your most important concern. Talk about your top worry first.
  • Use brief, clear descriptions. Staff will ask follow-up questions if needed.
  • Speak up during the conversation if you do not understand something.
    Do not wait until the end when the person may need to see the next patient.
  • Accept that some answers may be delayed. Staff may need to:
    • Check your chart
    • Talk with another team member
    • Review test results If they say they will get back to you, it is reasonable to expect follow-up.

If you feel you are being ignored or your questions are not being addressed, calmly say so and ask to speak with your nurse, charge nurse, or a patient liaison officer.

Checking and Repeating Information

In a hospital, different staff members may ask you similar questions. This is normal and is often a safety measure.

Be Prepared to Repeat Key Details

You may be asked multiple times about:

  • Your name and date of birth
  • Allergies (especially to medications or foods)
  • Current medications and doses
  • Past surgeries or medical conditions
  • Emergency contact information

Repeating this information helps prevent errors and keeps your care team informed.

Correct Any Mistakes in Your Information

If you notice that anything in your hospital record is wrong—such as your:

  • Name or address
  • Allergy list
  • Medication list
  • Emergency contact
  • Medical history

Tell your nurse, doctor, or registration staff as soon as possible so it can be corrected in your chart.

Making Your Preferences Clear

You have the right to tell staff how you prefer to be cared for, within what is medically safe and possible.

Examples of preferences to discuss:

  • Language needs (ask for an interpreter)
  • Dietary needs (allergies, religious or cultural requirements)
  • Preferred name and pronouns
  • Male or female staff for personal care or certain exams, when possible
  • Religious or spiritual practices that are important to you
  • End-of-life care wishes, such as:
    • Resuscitation status (DNR or full code)
    • Use of life support
    • Who should make decisions if you cannot

Ask your doctor or nurse how to document these preferences in your medical record or advance directives. In Michigan, you may wish to complete a patient advocate designation or other advance care planning forms.

Communicating About Meals and Nutrition

Nutrition in Grand Rapids Hospitals

Hospitals in Grand Rapids provide nutritionally balanced meals designed to support healing. Menu plans usually:

  • Change regularly to offer variety
  • Are adjusted for your medical condition (for example, heart-healthy, diabetic, or low-sodium diets)

If your hospital stay is likely to be long, ask to speak with a dietitian or your nurse about creating a nutrition plan to support your recovery—especially important during Michigan’s colder months when appetite, activity levels, and vitamin D exposure may change.

Special Diets and Cultural/Religious Needs

Most local hospitals can provide:

  • Gluten-free meals
  • Diabetes-friendly options
  • Vegetarian or vegan meals
  • Kosher or halal meals
  • Texture-modified diets (pureed, soft, etc.)

If you have specific needs:

  • Tell your nurse or patient services/food services assistant
  • Ask how to order special meals
  • Mention any food allergies clearly and repeatedly

Some hospitals allow you to order meals for visitors (for a fee). Ask your nurse or patient services assistant if this is available.

Overcoming Communication Barriers

If you are having trouble communicating or feel misunderstood:

  • Ask the person to explain in a different way (simpler words, slower, step-by-step).
  • Ask them to write things down or provide printed information.
  • Request an interpreter if language is a barrier.
  • Ask a family member or friend to help you ask questions.
  • Request to speak with a patient liaison officer, patient advocate, or social worker.

If You Are Unhappy with Communication in the Hospital

If you are not satisfied with how communication is going:

  1. Talk first to the person involved.
    Calmly explain what you did not understand or what concerned you.

  2. Ask to speak to a patient liaison officer or patient advocate.
    Most Grand Rapids hospitals have someone in this role to help resolve problems.

  3. Ask a family member or friend to support you.
    They can help explain your concerns or attend meetings with staff.

  4. Use the hospital’s complaints process.
    All hospitals have a formal system for feedback and complaints.

    • Ask Patient Relations, a social worker, or ward administration staff how to file a complaint.
    • You can also seek guidance from local resources such as the Kent County Health Department if you have broader concerns about healthcare quality.

Local Context: Seasonal and Michigan-Specific Considerations

In Grand Rapids and across West Michigan:

  • Winters are cold and snowy, leading to more falls, fractures, and respiratory illnesses.
  • Flu, RSV, and COVID-19 can surge in colder months, making hospitals busier.
  • Weather-related issues (icy roads, storms) can affect visit times and discharge planning.

Because of this, it is especially important to:

  • Confirm follow-up appointment details and transportation plans
  • Ask about home care services if returning home in winter conditions
  • Make sure instructions are clear, written down, and easy to follow at home

Who to Ask for Help in a Grand Rapids Hospital

If you need help communicating or understanding your care, you can speak with:

  • Your doctor
  • Your nurse (first contact for most treatment questions)
  • Ward or unit administration staff
  • Patient liaison officer / patient advocate / Patient Relations
  • Social worker
  • Pastoral care or spiritual care staff
  • Interpreter services

Key Points

  • Hospital nurses manage most of your ongoing care and are your first contact for questions about treatment.
  • You have the right to understand your diagnosis, tests, and treatment—ask for explanations in clear, simple language.
  • Professional interpreters are available at no cost in Grand Rapids hospitals to help you communicate in your preferred language or ASL.
  • Social workers and pastoral care staff can support you emotionally, spiritually, and practically during your stay.
  • If you are unhappy with communication, speak up—start with staff directly involved, then contact a patient liaison officer or Patient Relations for further help.

Clear, respectful communication with your healthcare team in Grand Rapids helps improve your quality of care, safety, and recovery.