SE Michigan AHEC announces staff appointments

Joslyn Pettway has been named Executive Director of the Southeast Michigan Region of the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Program, according to Chris Allen, CEO of the Health Authority, which is the AHEC host. Pettway has been Director of Primary Care Initiatives for the Health Authority. Also named were Michele Calloway, AHEC Assistant Director, formerly Manager of Medicaid Outreach for the Health Authority, and Mia Puryear, Administrative Assistant, from Community Outreach Specialist with the AmeriCorps Program, based at the Health Authority.

"We are very pleased that these three talented people from the Health Authority will lead the important task of creating an environment in Southeast Michigan that fosters primary care expansion, recruitment of under-represented minorities in the health professions, as well as develop and retain a diversified health care workforce," Allen said.

Major national child health study begins in Wayne County

The Michigan Alliance of the National Children's Study (MANCS) last month launched a study that will document the effects of the social and physical environment on children's health from pregnancy to age 21. The largest long-term study of children's health in the United States will involve three Michigan universities, Henry Ford Health System, and Children's Hospital of Michigan.

Women who are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant will be eligible for the study if they reside in statistically-selected neighborhoods (ensuring that the study sample reflects the appropriate diversity of Wayne County). Those who join the study will be asked to remain involved from before the child is born until he or she reaches their 21^st birthday. Participating mothers will be asked a series of questions about their and their child's health and environment. Study staff will collect samples from participants, the child, and the environment. No medications or drugs will be administered. Participants will be compensated at various intervals during the study.

Specific organizational responsibilities include:

• Michigan State University will coordinate the overall work of the study and houses the main study office at its East Lansing campus. MSU is also responsible for the retention of study participants. MSU Extension plays a major role in developing community engagement in each of the five counties.
• University of Michigan is responsible for enrolling and interviewing study participants and assessing postnatal child development.
• Wayne State University will oversee the assessment and care of pregnant women. Children's Hospital of Michigan manages the repository for biological samples.
• Henry Ford Health System will work with MSU Extension to develop community support, manage environmental samples, and oversee medical examinations of children.

The Michigan Department of Community Health will provide information related to live birth characteristics and locations in each of the five participating counties. 

The $75.5 million study is funded by the National Institutes of Health. For further information on the study, call 1-877-40-MANCS (877-406-2627) or visit www.mancs.us  and www.nationalchildrensstudy.gov.  For eligibility information, call 1-888-99-MI-NCS (888-996-4627).

Kresge Foundation awards $750,000 to Voices of Detroit, St. John Providence for diabetes, hypertension program

Voices of Detroit Initiative (VODI) and St. John Providence Hospital will develop a "Health Living Mall," which will offer a variety of services to address diabetes and hypertension in Conner Creek area of Detroit's Near Eastside with a $750,000 grant, according to Lucille Smith, VODI Executive Director. Nearly 20 percent of the residents of the area are uninsured and at high risk for diabetes and hypertension.

Perspective

Medicaid appears vulnerable as states struggle with deficits

When isn't the Medicaid budget vulnerable? This year, as states struggle with overwhelming budget deficits, Medicaid is particularly vulnerable - ironically, at a time when the nation looks forward to increasing access to the program for hundreds of thousands of people in Michigan.  Medicaid, sometimes overlooked in the discussion on access to health care services, is critical, particularly for maternal and child care. The Health Authority, through the work of a community coalition, published "Preserving Essential Health Services on Detroit's Eastside" a couple years ago. This report was intended to document the vacuum created by the closure of Detroit Riverview Hospital and propose a long-term plan of action. Last year, MichUHCAN, a statewide health advocacy organization, published "Ensuring Essential Community Health Services," which includes an action plan for promoting dialogue between health systems and community groups regarding prevention or coordination of health services in event of closure.

All of this raises the question, what is at risk for essential health services? Medicaid has always fallen short of provider billing in the best of times. Recently, vision, oral health, and other Medicaid-funded services have been discontinued. Community health centers, an important component of the safety net, rely on Medicaid funding to ensure their financial viability. Private physician groups and health systems serving the Medicaid population are already compromised; further cuts may cause them to reduce their commitment the Medicaid population.

Arizona's governor has already proposed dropping people from its Medicaid program, while New York is cutting $2 billion and Georgia has proposed eliminating ending coverage for dental, vision, and podiatry treatments, something Michigan has proposed in recent years in addition to funding cuts. Earlier this month, the National Governors Association and the Republican Governors Association urged congressional leaders to let them downsize their programs.

With the formal speeches on record, the hard work of coping with federal and state budgets is under way. While we are certainly cognizant of the extreme pressure under Michigan lawmakers to find cuts to balance our state's budget - a big target being Medicaid - we need to remind them, as well as ourselves, that Medicaid is "essential" to the viability of the safety net, not to mention the expansion of access promised in the Affordable Care Act.

We need to be more efficient and effective in how we care for people, and we need to be more accountable for our own health and well-being. But we must have a viable Medicaid program in place. This is about ensuring essential health services, something the Health Authority will advocate for in the year ahead.

Circles of Care gain popularity in region