Hospital participating in health research initiative, asking for public’s assistance.

Hospital participating in health research initiative, asking for public’s assistance.

LUDINGTON — Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital will offer an enrollment opportunity December 17 – 20 for the All of Us Research Program—a momentous effort to advance individualized prevention, treatment and care for people of all backgrounds. Spearheaded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the research program is open to people age 18 and older, regardless of health status.

All of Us is the largest and most diverse health research program of its kind ever developed. Interested participants will join more than 50,000 individuals across the United States who have already enrolled in the All of Us Research Program. The overall aim is to enroll one million or more volunteers.

  Precision medicine is an emerging approach to disease treatment and prevention that considers differences in people’s lifestyles, environments and biological makeup, including genes. By partnering with one million people who share information about themselves over many years, All of Us will serve as a national resource for thousands of heath studies. The program is focused on ensuring that tomorrow’s health solutions will be for everyone.

  “What makes this program unique is that the participants are our partners,” said Dave Chesla, director of research operations at Spectrum Health. “Not only can you participate, but there’s a bidirectional flow of information that really differentiates this program. As a participant, I will be able to go online through my participant portal, see my information and also glean new information about myself. It’s very uncommon to have this level of transparency.”

  Participants are asked to share different types of health and lifestyle information, including through online surveys and electronic health records (EHRs), which will continue to be collected over the course of the program. Participants will be asked to visit the clinic to provide blood and urine samples and to have basic physical measurements taken, such as height and weight. Upon completion of the basic requirements, each participant receives a $25 gift card.

  NIH has funded more than 100 organizations throughout the U.S. to be partners in the program, including Spectrum Health, which is raising public awareness about the program, helping to enroll participants throughout West Michigan, and gathering and curating participant data for use in research. Spectrum Health is part of the Trans-American Consortium, which is led by Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, and includes Baylor, Scott & White Research Institute in Texas, Essentia Health headquartered in Minnesota, and University of Massachusetts Medical School. 

How to Join

Visit our website: www.spectrumhealth.org/allofus

Call 1-833-564-6255

Email: allofus@spectrumhealth.org

Where to Enroll Locally

Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital

Medical Office Building, Suite 112 (former office of Dr. Nizar Umran and Dr. Bret Autrey)

7 Atkinson Drive, Ludington

Dates: Monday through Thursday, December 17—20, 2018 

Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“All of Us” is a registered service mark of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS).