Greg Loomis doesn’t consider the clattering of construction equipment just outside his office to be a daily distraction, but rather the future of health care in Muskegon County taking shape.

What one Grand Rapids-area physician considers a form of “extortion,” others see as a necessary way to gauge how well doctors keep up with modern medicine.

The heightened use of cheaper generic drugs has not been enough to stem the rising costs of prescription medication for Americans. 

Legislation requiring doctors to use a state-run drug-monitoring system before prescribing a controlled substance represents the “start of a journey” to address the opioid epidemic in Michigan.

Employment in Michigan’s health care sector grew steadily during the first half of the decade, reaching nearly 588,000 jobs as of 2015 and generating an economic impact of about $35 billion.

GRAND RAPIDS — A medical device startup will use a new $2.1 million capital investment to prepare for larger clinical trials for its new product that treats obesity.

EAST GRAND RAPIDS — Spectrum Health plans to relocate long-term acute care to Blodgett Hospital through a partnership with a major national provider in the field.

KALAMAZOO — The launch of a clinical trial in Europe brings a Southwest Michigan medical device startup a step close to the marketplace and an eventual sale.

ZEELAND — On the heels of opening an outpatient surgery center in Grand Rapids in February, a California firm has set its sights on developing another facility in West Michigan.

KALAMAZOO — The level of hiring activity and the frequency of job changes for today’s workers has generated steady growth for companies performing alcohol and drug screening.

GRAND RAPIDS — By creating a $100 million venture capital arm, Spectrum Health joins the ranks of U.S. health systems that invest money in companies developing new ways to treat patients and maintain health.

HOLLAND — Backed by a new $1 million round of funding, Shoulder Innovations Inc. plans to market its implant technology more aggressively to surgeons and health systems.

GRAND RAPIDS — A year ago, Joe Brennan felt excited when Spectrum Health’s MedNow recorded 50 patient visits a week as people started to use the telemedicine service.

GRAND RAPIDS — A new home health care provider in Grand Rapids targets a growing demand for service that’s driven by an aging population and changing consumer preferences.