Specifically, the collaborative:
Advanced the priorities of various work groups and affiliated projects
Emphasized diversity, equity, and inclusion across all WHI operations
Enhanced communications to educate the community about COVID-19 relief
Documented the Washtenaw Health Initiative's impact
Positioned the collaborative to have an even greater impact
More than five dozen individuals attended the WHI’s 10th anniversary stakeholders meeting, to reflect on WHI accomplishments in the first decade, and the work and challenges that remain.
Panelists focused on uninsurance and underinsurance in Washtenaw County and highlighted how conditions have improved since Michigan’s ACA expansion.
The WHI’s inaugural Collaborative Impact Award was bestowed on the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County and thirteen community-based partners for hoteling people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic.
A 10-year anniversary timeline, an illustrated history of the Washtenaw Health Initiative, was unveiled.
This included the selection of new steering committee members and staff, who brought more diversity to the collaborative. The WHI also updated its mission statement, operational principles, and member commitment statement to include health and racial equity components. The collaborative also conducted a self-assessment to determine benchmarks for measuring and improving diversity, equity, and inclusion.
FOCUS: To design and implement community-based initiatives that increase enrollment in Medicaid and Marketplace health insurance plans.
Impact: MMOE members designed English and Spanish flyers and distributed thousands across Washtenaw County to encourage Medicaid and Marketplace enrollment. A social media campaign was designed and implemented, and the MMOE work group collaborated with other organizations on educational campaigns to help enrollees understand insurance benefits and costs—which declined significantly during the pandemic.
Co-chairs:
Alena Hill, Senior Director of Revenue Cycle Pre-Services, Michigan Medicine
Kimberly Hulbert, Patient Access Financial Clearance Manager, Trinity Health
FOCUS: To enhance equitable healthy aging for older adults and care partners by improving systems and accessibility while fostering partnerships.
Impact: The Healthy Aging Collaborative collected and analyzed data to assess the greatest needs of seniors across Washtenaw County and shared that data with local policymakers and decision leaders. The cross-sector collaborative began to develop a county-wide healthy aging strategy to promote age-friendly practices. Members of the collaborative represent as equity, caregiving, faith, housing, nutrition, and other organizations.
Co-chairs:
Ann Davis, Retired Administrator, Chelsea Hospital
Monica Prince, Director, Ypsilanti Senior Center
FOCUS: To address gaps within our community in an effort to combat the opioid epidemic in Washtenaw County.
Impact: After the Burrehophrine prosecutorial policy passed in January of 2021, the Opioid Project submitted a letter to the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office encouraging the inclusion of methadone—a opioid medication more frequently utilized by communities of color. The policy is aimed at reducing low-level drug-offense prosecutions. The group also hosted webinars highlighting resources for opioid use disorder and harm reduction.
Co-chairs:
Sara Szcoztka, Project Manager, Washtenaw Recovery Advocacy Project
Alyssa Tumolo, Grants Coordinator, Community Mental Health Partnership of Southeast Michigan
FOCUS: To position the WHI as a valuable organization for improving health and reducing disparities across the county, and to support work groups and members.
Impact: This year, the group continued to produce newsletters highlighting work group initiatives and providing community resource information. The group also supported initiatives to help the clients of member organizations understand health insurance options, including reduced costs as a result of the Public Health Emergency. Furthermore, the group improved the WHI's website and published an historical timeline featuring WHI member accomplishments.
Co-chairs:
Liz Conlin, Vice President of Client Services,
REGROUP
Maria Alfonso, Project Manager, National Alliance on Mental Illness - Washtenaw County
FOCUS: To identify and address community health needs, including the social determinants of health, in order to advance public health and health equity.
Impact: This year, UNITE members convened to conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment, then developed implementation plans to outline strategies to address priority needs, including mental health and substance use disorders, obesity and related illnesses, and pre-conceptual and perinatal health. The group also began to strategize with the Washtenaw County Health Department and other community health organizations and WHI workgroups to achieve the goals outlined in the implementation plan.
Co-chairs:
Reiley Curran, Community Health Improvement Manager, Chelsea Hospital
Alfreda Rooks, Director of Community Health Services,
Michigan Medicine
FOCUS: To improve the health and well-being of residents with complex needs, enhance capacity at participating organizations, and reform the regional system of care.
Impact: MiCC convened local health and human service organizations to provide patient-centered, coordinated care to more than 150 individuals with complex medical, behavioral, and social needs. Additional accomplishments included enhancing data collection, developing a new partnership with Michigan Social Health Innovations to Eliminate Disparities (M-SHIELD), and distributing funding to partners to address some of the most pressing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic around housing insecurity, food insecurity, and transportation.
Community partners:
Avalon Housing
Jewish Family Services
Livingston County Community Mental Health
Packard Health
Shelter Association of Washtenaw County
Trinity Health Ann Arbor
Trinity Health Livingston
University of Michigan Health
Washtenaw County Community Mental Health
Washtenaw Health Plan
Community affiliates:
Corner Health Center
Home of New Vision
Huron Valley Ambulance Community Paramedicine
FOCUS: To develop a sustainably-funded home nutrition and care coordination program for vulnerable older adults and their caregivers.
Impact: This year, the Vital Seniors Network designed and launched a pilot program that responds to food and social isolation needs of vulnerable seniors. The pilot, assessed participants social needs of pilot participants while delivering medically friendly meals and providing referrals to community-based organizations. They also received several grants to enhance the program’s design and work on new partnerships that will sustain the program.
Participating organizations:
Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation
Area Agency on Aging 1-B
Catholic Social Services
Chelsea Senior Center
Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County
Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels
360 Advisors, LLC
Acción Buenos Vecinos Action
Aetna Better Health Plan
Aid in Milan
American Cancer Society – Lakeshore Division
Ann Arbor / Ypsilanti Regional Chamber
Ann Arbor District Library
Ann Arbor Housing Commission
Ann Arbor Police Department
Ann Arbor Treatment Services
Arbor Hospice
Area Agency on Aging
Avalon Housing
Bethesda Bible Church
Blue Care Network
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Blue Cross Complete
Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County
Center for Health and Research Transformation
Center for Independent Living
Chelsea Hospital
Citizens for Better Care
City of Saline Police Department
Community Action Network
Community Alliance
Community Dental Center
Community Mental Health Partnership of Southeast Michigan
Community Mental Health Services of Livingston County
Corner Health Center
CRC Health Group, Ann Arbor Treatment Center
Dawn Farm
Dove House
EMU Snow Health Center
Evangelical Homes
Faith in Action, Grace Clinic
Gift of Life Michigan
Glacier Hills
Hamilton Crossing
Home of New Vision
Hope Medical Clinic
Hospice of Michigan
Huron Valley Ambulance
Huron Valley PACE
Huron Valley Physicians Association
Integrated Health Associates
Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County
Karen Bergbower & Associates
Legal Services of Southeastern Michigan
Michigan WORKS
Molina Health Plan
NarAnon
National Alliance on Mental Illness – Washtenaw
Neighborhood Family Health Center
Ozone House
Packard Health
Pharmacy Solutions
Planned Parenthood of Mid and South Michigan
POWER, Inc.
REGROUP, Inc.
Regional Alliance for Healthy Schools
Saint Joeseph Mercy Health System
Samaritan Counseling Services
Shelter Association of Washtenaw County
SOS Community Services
St. John Treatment Center
St. Joseph Mercy – Ann Arbor
St. Joseph Mercy – Livingston
Trinity Health
U-M Law School
U-M School of Dentistry
U-M School of Public Health
U-M School of Social Work
U-M University Health Service
Unified – HIV and Health
United Healthcare
United Methodist Retirement Communities
United Way of Washtenaw County, Washtenaw Success by 6
University of Michigan Health System
VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System
Washtenaw Association for Community Advocacy
Washtenaw Community College
Washtenaw County
Washtenaw County Department of Health & Human Services
Washtenaw County Medical Society
Washtenaw Health Plan
Washtenaw Intermediate School District HeadStart
Washtenaw ISD
Washtenaw Voice
Women’s Center of Southeastern Michigan
Ypsilanti Community Schools
Ypsilanti Housing Commission
Alfreda Rooks, Director of Community Health Services,
Michigan Medicine
Alonzo Lewis, President, Saint Joseph Mercy - Ann Arbor & Livingston
Angela Moore, Community Ambassador
Ann Davis, Retired Administrator, Chelsea Community Hospital
Brent Williams, Medical Director, Michigan Medicine Complex Care
Doug Strong, Retired CEO, Michigan Medicine
Ginny Creasman, Medical Center Director, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System
Gregory Dill, County Administrator, Washtenaw County
Jack Billi, Professor, University of Michigan
Jeremy Lapedis, Executive Director, Washtenaw Health Plan
Jimena Loveluck, Health Officer, Washtenaw County Health Department
Julie Aronica, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Blue Cross Complete of Michigan
Mashod Evans, Pastor, Bethel AME Church
Naomi Norman, Interim Superintendent, Washtenaw Intermediate School District
Pam Smith, President and CEO, United Way of Washtenaw County
Sharon Moore, Retired, UAW Local 898
Tendai Thomas, Associate Division Head, IHA
Tony Denton, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Michigan Medicine
Trish Cortes, Executive Director, Washtenaw County Community Mental Health