GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A West Michigan program is helping neighbors immigrating to the U.S. learn English and reconnect with their medical careers they built in their home countries — while also addressing a critical shortage of medical workers across the state.
The Literacy Center of West Michigan's My Impact program offers language classes, proficiency building, and career certification training to skilled healthcare workers who have come to the United States from other countries.
"We have amazing, skilled healthcare professionals from their home country here who want to work in these positions, and we were able to help connect them to these positions through language classes, proficiency building, and then also career certification training," said Melissa Reddy, Program coordinator for the Literacy Center of West Michigan.
The program has helped more than 100 people since it launched in 2024. The need is significant: according to the Michigan Health and Hospital Association, there are 23,000 open positions at Michigan hospitals alone.
"The community benefits when we have programs like this. Currently, people call physicians or doctors' offices, and they may wait months to get an appointment because there's such a lack of providers available," Reddy said.
Alexandra Joseph, a Wyoming neighbor whose originally from Haiti, is one of those success stories.
Joseph came to Michigan 2 years ago with limited English and a background as a physician in her home country, with dreams of becoming a pediatrician.
"I wanted to get more knowledge to help people, because I enjoy helping people," Joseph said.
She said violence in Haiti forced her to leave.
"I was victim many times, and I have to leave my country because we kidnapped doctor, we killed doctor, and I didn't feel safe in my country," Joseph said.
When she arrived, her limited English made it nearly impossible to work in medicine.
"It was like a beginner, because I can say I and understand something," Joseph said.
After completing the My Impact program, Joseph recently graduated and earned a job as a medical assistant with Corewell Health.
"I can say the literacy center gave me all the English that I need to work right now, because before that, it's why I went into the medical field, because I didn't have enough English," Joseph said.
She said the moment she got her stethoscope back felt like regaining a superpower.
"I didn't use it (stethoscope) since the two years that I've been here, and I'm feeling so happy, and I say 'I'm happy to get my baby on my neck again'," Joseph said.
For Joseph, the journey has been nothing short of extraordinary.
"It's like a dream for me," Joseph said.
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