Grand Rapids as a top destination for the medical industry

As home to one of the fastest growing life sciences clusters in the U.S, Grand Rapids is a world-class healthcare destination.   

The founding of medical-research facility Van Andel Institute  in 1996 jump started a multibillion-dollar investment along Michigan Street in the city’s compact, walkable downtown. Quickly christened the “Medical Mile,” this stretch is now populated by advanced clinical, research and academic institutions that have attracted medical professionals from around the world.

A who’s who of GR’s life sciences industry

Medical Mile tenants include Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Fred and Lena Meijer Heart Center, Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion, Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Secchia Center, Michigan State University Grand Rapids Research Center, Grand Valley State University Health Campus, Ferris State University College of Pharmacy, Perrigo North American Corporate Headquarters and BAMF Health, which introduced the world’s first vertically integrated platform for molecular imaging and radiopharmaceutical therapy in 2022.

The Medical Mile isn’t downtown GR’s only life sciences cluster. Just one mile to the south is Trinity Health Grand Rapids Hospital, the Lacks Cancer Center, the Hauenstein Neuroscience Center and the Wege Center for Health and Learning. They’re all just steps away from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, ranked America’s 9^th Best Rehabilitation Hospital by U.S News & World Report in 2024. Opening in 2026 is the Joan Secchia Rehabilitation Hospital, the first children’s rehabilitation hospital in Michigan.

About 15 minutes south of downtown is University of Michigan Health-West Hospital, an affiliate of Michigan Medicine, one of the state’s largest health care complexes. UM Health-West is partnering with Orthopedic Associates of Michigan to open a new orthopedic surgery center on the Medical Mile in 2027.

Grand Rapids also boasts the highest concentration of medical device manufacturers in Michigan, with more than 50 innovative businesses providing high-tech solutions for every stage of the medical device product lifecycle. More than half of these companies are members of MIDevice, a consortium that facilitates collaborations with other medical device manufacturing professionals and educational institutions.

A collaborative approach to medical meetings

With all this medical infrastructure and expertise, it should be no surprise that, “Grand Rapids is an emerging destination for medical conferences from across the country,” according to Laura Greiner, Senior Sales Manager for Experience Grand Rapids. “Our local institutions and professionals are eager to collaborate with conferences to keep attendees engaged and advancing in their medical fields.”

That was certainly the case for Jocelyn Gaona when she was named Conference Coordinator for the 33^rd annual regional conference of the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) Midwest, a non-profit organization founded to represent, support, educate and unify U.S. Latino(a) medical students.

Held at the MSU College of Human Medicine Secchia Center in downtown Grand Rapids, the 2023 conference included a research symposium, workshops, keynote presentations, an exhibitor fair and a gala reception.

Gaona had no experience planning an event of this scale when she was recruited to lead the effort, assisted by a team of her fellow students. She was grateful for the support she received from the Grand Rapids medical community and beyond, listing MSU, Corewell Health, Trinity Health, the Hispanic Center of West Michigan, The Rapid bus system, The Ballroom at McKay – site of the closing gala – and the city’s “very friendly community” as among the local resources helping ensure a successful event.

Also tasked with enlisting speakers, Gaona was particularly excited to secure Dr. Martin Aramburu to deliver the event’s closing keynote. Dr. Aramburu is a family physician at GR’s Clinica Santa Maria, which focuses on providing health care to the underserved, homeless, migrants and uninsured throughout our community.

Gaona and her team achieved impressive results for LMSA. “The conference is often held in Chicago, so Grand Rapids was a nice breath of fresh air,” says Gaona. The move to a smaller city actually boosted attendance – the conference historically draws around 50-200 students, speakers and exhibitors. “But we sold out in Grand Rapids with 380 people, and we doubled our typical fundraising numbers!”

Gaona says attendees enjoyed the city’s compact size and walkability, with more than 300 hotels, restaurants, shops, museums and entertainment venues within a 10-minute walk of the MSU Secchia Center.

Whether conferences are medical-related, business-focused or consumer-driven, most Grand Rapids conference attendees agree that the proximity of downtown amenities to the city’s meeting spaces – from the MSU Secchia Center to the state-of-the art DeVos Place Convention Center to unique off-site venues – is a great benefit.

Grand Rapids’ medical infrastructure, access to local expertise and awesome attendee experiences have made Grand Rapids a leading Midwest destination for the life science sector. Visit our Meetings page to discover more resources and get connected to planning assistance.