Patient-Centered Care in Grand Rapids, Michigan Explained

Patient-centered care means being treated with dignity and respect, and being actively involved in every decision about your health. In Grand Rapids, MI, major healthcare systems like Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health), Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health – University of Michigan Health, and Mercy Health are increasingly focused on this approach to care.

Patient-centered care is especially important in West Michigan, where seasonal changes, chronic conditions, and an aging population make clear communication and shared decision-making essential for good health outcomes.

What Is Patient-Centered (Person-Centered) Care?

Patient-centered care—also called person-centered care—is an approach that puts you at the center of your healthcare. Instead of decisions being made only by doctors or hospitals, you are treated as an equal partner in planning, choosing, and managing your care.

In Grand Rapids, patient-centered care may involve:

  • Coordinating your care between your primary care provider and specialists (for example, from a family doctor at a neighborhood clinic to a cardiologist at Corewell Health or Trinity Health Grand Rapids)
  • Sharing information between services over time, such as between a hospital, outpatient clinic, and home health services
  • Involving you in all healthcare decisions, from routine screenings to complex treatment plans

Patient-centered care is not just about how one doctor treats you. It also includes how healthcare organizations, insurers, and government agencies like the Kent County Health Department and Grand Rapids Public Health design systems and policies that make it easier for you to access safe, high-quality care when you need it.

Your Rights in Patient-Centered Care

You have the right to:

  • Access healthcare when you need it
  • Receive safe, high-quality care
  • Be treated with dignity and respect
  • Be involved in decisions about your care
  • Have your privacy and personal information protected

In Grand Rapids, these rights apply whether you are receiving care at a large hospital, a neighborhood clinic, an urgent care center, a mental health provider, or a long-term care facility.

Respecting Your Preferences and Beliefs

Your Care Should Reflect Your Values

For care to be truly patient-centered, your healthcare team must understand your preferences and respect them throughout your treatment. This includes:

  • How much information you want and how it is delivered
  • Who you want involved in your care decisions (family, friends, caregivers)
  • Your cultural, spiritual, and religious beliefs
  • Your preferences around end-of-life care, pain management, and treatment intensity

In a diverse city like Grand Rapids—with many cultural and faith communities—respecting beliefs and traditions is especially important. This may include:

  • Dietary needs (for example, halal, kosher, vegetarian, or medically necessary diets)
  • Preferences about the gender of the healthcare professional treating you
  • Religious or cultural practices around illness, death, and medical procedures

You also have the right to be treated without discrimination based on:

  • Age
  • Gender or gender identity
  • Sexual orientation
  • Disability
  • Employment or insurance status
  • Cultural background, race, or ethnicity
  • Religious or spiritual beliefs

Being Involved in Your Care

A Key Part of Patient-Centered Care

An essential part of patient-centered care is your active involvement in your healthcare. This means you are encouraged and supported to:

  • Take part in all decision-making about tests, treatments, and follow-up
  • Help create your care plan and set realistic health goals
  • Ask questions and request clarification when something is unclear
  • Share your concerns, fears, and priorities

In West Michigan, where chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and seasonal respiratory illnesses are common, being involved in your care can help you manage your health more effectively—especially through long winters and seasonal changes.

How Being Involved Can Improve Your Health

When you are actively involved in your care:

  • You better understand your diagnosis and treatment options
  • You are more likely to follow treatment plans that fit your lifestyle
  • You can help your care team prioritize treatments when many are needed at once
  • You can plan around local factors—such as winter weather, transportation, or work schedules—that may affect your appointments or recovery

Your healthcare professional should:

  • Give you all the information you need to make informed decisions
  • Explain the benefits, risks, possible side effects, and costs of each option
  • Give you time to think, talk with your family or support person, and ask questions
  • Encourage you to speak up if something does not feel right

You always have the right to refuse a treatment you are not comfortable with, except in rare situations where you are unable to give consent and emergency care is needed to protect your life or safety.

If you lose the ability to make decisions, you have the right to appoint someone—such as a patient advocate or medical power of attorney—to make medical decisions for you. In Michigan, this is often done through an Advance Directive or Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare.

Respect, Privacy, and Confidentiality

You have the right to:

  • Be treated with dignity and compassion at all times
  • Have your personal health information kept confidential
  • Have private conversations with your healthcare team
  • Receive care in a setting that protects your privacy

This may include:

  • Separate exam or treatment rooms
  • Curtains or screens during exams and procedures
  • Private spaces for sensitive discussions about mental health, reproductive health, or serious diagnoses

In Grand Rapids, healthcare providers must follow federal laws like HIPAA and Michigan privacy laws to protect your health information.

Good Communication Is the Foundation of Patient-Centered Care

High-quality, patient-centered healthcare depends on clear, two-way communication between you and your healthcare professional.

Your healthcare team should:

  • Speak in plain, everyday language (not just medical terms)
  • Check that you understand what they are saying
  • Encourage you to ask questions and repeat information back if needed
  • Provide written instructions or digital summaries when possible

Language and Interpretation Services

If you prefer a language other than English, you have the right to ask for a professional medical interpreter. Many Grand Rapids hospitals and clinics can arrange:

  • In-person interpreters
  • Phone or video interpretation services
  • Translated written materials for common languages spoken in West Michigan

Your healthcare professional should clearly explain:

  • Your condition or diagnosis
  • Possible treatment options
  • What may happen if you choose no treatment
  • Expected recovery and prognosis
  • Potential side effects or complications
  • Costs and insurance coverage, when possible

You Should Be Able to Ask Questions

You should always feel comfortable asking:

  • What is my diagnosis?
  • What are my treatment options?
  • What are the risks and benefits of each option?
  • What happens if I choose not to have this treatment?
  • How will this treatment affect my daily life, work, or family?
  • How does this plan fit with my other conditions or medications?

Understanding more about your treatment helps you make informed decisions and feel more confident in your care.

A Safe and Supportive Care Environment

Your healthcare professional and organization should provide an environment where you feel physically and emotionally safe. This includes:

  • Clean, well-maintained facilities
  • Respectful and professional behavior from all staff
  • Personal privacy during exams and procedures
  • Safe handling of medications and medical equipment
  • Sensitivity to trauma, mental health, and past experiences

In Grand Rapids, this may also involve planning around:

  • Winter weather and transportation challenges to keep you safe getting to and from appointments
  • Mobility or accessibility needs in older buildings or during ice and snow
  • Safe discharge planning if you live alone or far from your hospital or clinic

How to Tell If You’re Receiving Patient-Centered Care

Ask yourself:

  • Have I been asked about my needs and preferences?
  • Is my healthcare professional working to meet those needs?
  • Have I been encouraged to be involved in planning and making decisions about my care?
  • Have I been offered the option to involve a support person, caregiver, or interpreter?
  • Has the communication been clear and in language I understand?
  • Have I been treated with respect as an individual, without discrimination?

If you answer “no” to several of these, you may not be receiving fully patient-centered care.

What to Do If You���re Unhappy With Your Care in Grand Rapids

You have the right to speak up if you feel your needs and choices are not being respected—either for yourself or for someone you care for.

1. Talk to Your Healthcare Professional First

Often, problems can be resolved quickly by:

  • Calmly explaining your concerns
  • Asking for clarification about what happened
  • Requesting changes that would make you feel more comfortable or respected

Many misunderstandings come from miscommunication and can be corrected once everyone understands the issue.

2. Use the Healthcare Organization’s Feedback or Complaint Process

Most Grand Rapids hospitals and clinics have:

  • A patient advocate, patient representative, or patient relations department
  • A formal complaint or feedback process
  • Online forms on their websites
  • Phone numbers posted in waiting areas or on discharge papers

Healthcare organizations often welcome feedback because it helps them improve their services and identify bigger problems that may affect other patients.

If you do not know how to give feedback:

  • Ask a nurse, front desk staff member, or social worker
  • Check the hospital or clinic website under “Patient Resources,” “Contact Us,” or “Patient Relations”

3. Contact Local or State-Level Resources

If your concern is not resolved by the healthcare provider or organization, you can seek help from external agencies. In Michigan, you may:

  • Contact the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS)
  • Reach out to the Kent County Health Department or Grand Rapids Public Health for guidance on local resources
  • Use state-level complaint channels for specific issues (for example, nursing homes, insurance, or professional licensing)

These services are typically free and confidential and can help you:

  • Understand your rights
  • Decide on next steps
  • Escalate a complaint if needed

(Note: Phone numbers and contact methods can change. For the most current information, check the official websites of the Kent County Health Department, MDHHS, or your healthcare organization.)

What Patient-Centered Care Looks Like in Practice

When Grand Rapids healthcare providers deliver patient-centered care, you can expect:

  • Dignity, respect, and compassion in every interaction
  • Coordinated care, for example, between a community health clinic and a hospital
  • Tailored care plans that fit your goals, lifestyle, and living situation
  • Support to understand your health, including education about your condition and treatment
  • Help to stay independent, manage chronic conditions, and prevent illness (especially important during Michigan winters and flu season)

Key Points to Remember

  • Your healthcare team should respect your preferences throughout your treatment.
  • A key part of patient-centered care is you being actively involved in your healthcare decisions, planning, and goal setting.
  • Understanding your treatment—by asking questions and getting clear explanations—helps you make informed decisions and improves your overall care.

By expecting and seeking patient-centered care in Grand Rapids, Michigan, you can build stronger partnerships with your healthcare providers and play an active role in protecting and improving your health.