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Mike Tyson and CBS Collaborate with Nurture by Steelcase

by Laurel Petriello | Monday, August 8, 2011 | 1 Comment

He’s a lover, not a fighter. Last night’s episode of “Same Name,” a new show in the CBS primetime lineup that showcases a guest celebrity who walks in the shoes of a regular person of the same namesake, featured former boxer Mike Tyson who swapped lives with local Grand Rapids Mike Tyson, a nurse connected with the city’s Metro Health Breton Health Center.

Showcasing his softer side, the athlete collaborated with the television network and Nurture by Steelcase to redesign the waiting room of the outpatient facility that provides medical care for low-income families. Nurture responded by donating all of the furniture including seating for more than 20 patients, tables, and a Sync workstation to offer computer access to patients.

Jason Vanderground, Nurture’s manager of marketing communication, was honored to be a part of the project noting, “The producers told us that after touring a number of other Metro environments that featured Nurture furnishings, that they had a specific vision for what the new clinic would look like—and that vision was a Nurture environment.”

“Patients love the new waiting room,” said Margo Schlewitz, practice manager at Metro Health. “I think the waiting room is a reflection of the care the patient can expect from the physician – however, since our clinic is the residency training program and serves a mostly poor patient population, we just didn’t have funds for replacing furniture. The new furniture and renovated space is comfortable, beautiful and relaxing. Patients are definitely happier waiting for their appointment and I’m sure that translates to their time with the doctor.”