We primarily serve the uninsured, underinsured, and refugee community in West Michigan. Our integrated healthcare modelincluding physical, vision, dental, behavioral, and spiritual care servicesare provided to our community, promoting wellness for all.
Exalta Health, formerly Health Intervention Services, was established in 1996 by local physicians, nurses, social workers, pastors, and business people to serve underprivileged women with faith-centered medical care.
The acronym HIS was created to represent our Christian motivation for service. The mission quickly expanded to include all people without access to healthcare. Located in the Burton Heights area of Grand Rapids since 1998, we became a trusted resource for healthcare in the West Michigan community.
The name echoes our commitment to lifting up health and praising God who makes this work possible. Time has also brought other changes, including integrating behavioral health into our physical health team, measuring our impact on patients and the community, focusing on the social factors that determine health, and supporting people where they live and work. What has never changed is our commitment to improving the health of our community motivated by our belief in the healing power of Jesus.
We surround a small core of caring and competent staff with many enthusiastic volunteers. We average 100+ active volunteers each month, ranging from doctors to maintenance staff. Volunteers may be students, full-time employees, or retirees, but they all bring enthusiastic passion for the job.
Eva Alexander is Executive Director at Lighthouse Immigrant Advocates, a 501(c)3 immigration law and advocacy center in West Michigan. Born and raised in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico, she was introduced to Exalta Health via our Annual Luncheon and says she was especially drawn to our holistic approach to serving the individual regardless of the background. As an immigrant, this resonates with me, she says. I want to ensure that people are being helped because health care is a basic need. She also appreciates all of our staff and volunteers, people she says who remind her that Exalta Health is a ministry of people who care and are selfless. In her free time, Eva enjoys theatre, music, traveling, and trying new dishes with her partner and husband, Michael Alexander, a classically trained chef! The couple also has two young boys.