A stethoscope after two years away

Alexandra Joseph fled Haiti after years of violence against doctors in her home country. She arrived in Michigan two years ago with a medical degree and almost no English.

She spent six months in a program run by the Literacy Center of West Michigan. Now she works as a medical assistant with Corewell Health.

"I didn't use it 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 of her stethoscope, according to a report by WXMI Fox 17.

The My Impact program

The Literacy Center's My Impact program launched in 2024. It offers language classes, English proficiency training, and career certification to skilled healthcare workers who have immigrated to the United States.

Melissa Reddy, program coordinator for the Literacy Center of West Michigan, said the program has helped more than 100 people since it began.

"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," Reddy said.

Joseph came to Michigan with dreams of becoming a pediatrician. Her limited English made it nearly impossible to work in medicine when she first arrived.

"It was like a beginner, because I can say I and understand something," Joseph said.

A $10,000 grant fuels the work

The Literacy Center of West Michigan received a $10,000 award from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation in May 2026. The grant was the maximum amount offered in the state distribution.

More than $280,000 in literacy grants went to Michigan schools, libraries, and nonprofits as part of a national distribution totaling nearly $16 million, according to a report by 94.7 WCSX.

The foundation requires recipients to operate within 15 miles of a Dollar General store or distribution center. Funds can be used for technology, books, materials, or software.

Michigan's provider shortage

The program addresses a documented gap in Michigan's healthcare workforce. 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.

Joseph said she left Haiti after experiencing repeated violence. Doctors in her home country were kidnapped and killed.

"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.

She said the Literacy Center gave her the English skills she needed to return to patient care.

"It's like a dream for me," Joseph said.

The Literacy Center of West Michigan serves the Grand Rapids area and surrounding communities including Byron Center, Kentwood, and Wyoming.