Our guest for lunch this week was Dr. Paul LaCasse, president and CEO of Botsford Health Care since 2005. His role expanded earlier this year to include responsibilities with Beaumont Health, the new organization formed through a merger of Beaumont Health System, Oakwood Healthcare and Botsford in September 2014. Paul shared with us that he was "forever grateful for the journey that began in 1977 when I arrived at Botsford as a third-year medical student from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Now that the former Botsford Hospital is an essential component of Beaumont Health, it is time for me to transition its leadership to a new president." He will continue to serve as Beaumont - Farmington Hills president until a successor is named through an executive search. In his new role as executive vice president of the Post-Acute Division, Paul is leading the clinical and operational areas of medical transportation, senior living centers, home services, laboratory and pathology services, specialty and retail pharmacy, joint ventures and diversified business entities.

We also received an update on the $165MM expansion of Beaumont Health System Botsford Campus. The 5project which will take up to 5 years to complete will include a new patiewnt tower with 80 beds, doubling the size of the emergency room, adding 8 surgical suites, a new power plant and parking deck and much more. Services such as emergency care, surgery and post surgical will be on "stacked" floors to improve the flow of patients between units. All of the additions and changes are designed to improve the delivery of services and outcomes for patients, insuring that our community hospital has the best services and technologies available.

Rep. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) officially announced his Senate candidacy Wednesday at the Xemplar Club, pitching himself as a champion for the middle class in a note to supporters. “Today, I am officially announcing that I am a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2014,” Peters said. He called the present time a “critical moment” for Michigan. “I’ve always believed that the things middle class families struggle with around their kitchen tables should define my work in Washington,” Peters continued. First elected to Congress in 2008, Peters served as lottery commissioner and a state legislator before heading to Washington. The Republican field has yet to take shape. Rep. Mike Rogers, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, is considering a bid. So is libertarian-leaning Rep. Justin Amash, who has clashed with House GOP leadership.

Our guests for lunch this week were Kevin Hammer, Chair of the Farmington Area Commission on Aging and Marsha Koet, Farmington Hills Senior Division Director. The Commission helps toward the betterment of daily living for older adults with the mission of promoting their well-being and dignity through education and advocacy. The Commission examines social attitudes, creates community awareness, establishes a climate for living independently and encourages recognition for their contribution to the past and present. A Consumer Protection Committee is an integral part of the commission keeping the community informed about potential fraud and scams. The Senior Division provides low costprograms for seniors in the community from meals, to activities and trips. They serve over 80,000 meals each year to seniors at the Costick Center and through the Meals on Wheels program.