The MiHealth Marketplace is of particular interest to Michigan’s Community Health Center network because so many of the people we treat are uninsured and will benefit from an insurance exchange in Michigan. A major portion of these patients have jobs, but their employers do not provide health insurance benefits or don’t offer benefits at a price they can afford.  We believe implementation of the MiHealth Marketplace will allow market forces to work more effectively by creating competition among insurers and providers, spreading risk among the pool of people to be insured, and helping to mitigate against increasing premiums. We are before you today because we believe it is imperative to pass authorizing legislation immediately that will begin to create the structure in Michigan through which purchase of insurance for individuals and small businesses can be better organized.

We have four compelling reasons for our request:

A Health Insurance Exchange is a good idea even if the Affordable Care Act is found unconstitutional next June.  Case in point is testimony written by the Heritage Foundation in 2006, two years before President Obama’s election, that concludes “State-level health insurance exchanges would increase health insurance coverage, significantly lower prices in the individual coverage market, give individuals and families access to more choice, allow coverage portability, and increase employer’s flexibility in offering health benefits.”

Unless Michigan is prepared to implement an exchange by June 30, 2012, our state will be ineligible for federal funding to design and operate an exchange. Without such funding, our state will likely abdicate responsibility for design and operation of the exchange to the federal government. This could mean that the federal government will likely be dictating eligibility and information systems requirements, which could have sizeable impact on Michigan processes and current IT systems. It also means jobs that would be created to operate the exchange in Michigan will likely be created elsewhere.

The federal government must certify by January 1, 2013 – just one year from now – that Michigan is capable and ready to operate a state exchange. The Information Technology requirements to implement the exchange will be massive. It just took the state’s Medicaid program four years to implement its new information management system (CHAMPS).  To successfully implement a more expansive effort in just 12 months will be next to impossible if we don’t begin immediately. Important decisions need to be made now in Michigan to have the exchange be effective for our state.

The slower we go in getting the structure and decision making authority in place, the less time we will have to actually design the exchange. It is prudent to get the structure in place and identify the people who will be making important decisions to allow sufficient time for dialogue, research, and design to get it as right as possible. If Michigan delays, it will have to do the heavy lifting in a much shorter amount of time, which in our opinion is much more likely to lead to mistakes.

We believe legislation creating a Michigan exchange is needed now so that planning efforts can begin as soon as possible.

Representatives from local health and human service agencies taught families how to prevent poisoning, call 9-1-1 in an emergency, and stay safe while traveling by foot, scooter, or buggy. Alcona Health Centers—a Michigan Community Health Center—serves an Amish population of 17 families in Ossineke, Michigan. Each family has an average of five children who walk to school via a busy thoroughfare, and their dark clothing makes them hard to see.

“It has been interesting seeing the modifications that several families have made to their buggies for night traveling, making themselves more visible,” said Paula Kienzle, RN.

Before leaving the health fair, families were given a first aid kit and digital thermometer compliments of ABC Medical sales representative Karen Wilding, toothbrushes, laminated cards with instructions for calling 9-1-1 and the poison control center, as well as gifts for the children.

“The children have come to look forward this event with great anticipation,” said Jaci Fitzgerald, DO.

This is the third health fair that Alcona Health Centers has hosted for the Ossineke Amish community, and plans are already underway for making the next event bigger and better.

To learn more about Alcona Health Centers, go to www.alconahealthcenters.org. For more information about Michigan Community Health Centers visit www.mpca.net.

Arthur Hill High School students thank Sen. Roger Kahn (R-32) for helping restore funding for the School-based Health Center.

After two-plus years in the making, Health Delivery, Inc. and the Saginaw School District unveiled the new Arthur Hill School-based Health Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony on December 12, 2011.

The full-time Health Center located right on the campus of Arthur Hill High School in Saginaw, Michigan, provides a convenient place for students to get comprehensive primary care, immunizations, physicals, behavioral health care, and health education.

Prior to the new School-based Health Center’s opening, a multi-disciplinary team of health care professionals worked out of a specially equipped medical bus that served as a portable Health Center. Construction of the Arthur Hill School-based Health Center was delayed when the state eliminated funding in 2010 to balance Michigan’s budget.

During Monday’s ribbon cutting ceremony, students gave Senator Roger Kahn (R-32^nd District) a big thank you for his work in helping to restore the funding so construction could begin.

More than 1,900 School-based Health Centers across the country provide access to primary, mental, and oral health services for nearly 2 million students. Through partnerships between schools and community health organizations such as Health Delivery, Inc., School-based Health Centers are providing health care that is helping to keep students healthy and in the classroom.

Michigan’s School-based Health Centers, also called Child and Adolescent Health Centers, have been delivering comprehensive health care and a wide range of support services for over 20 years. They are vital in addressing critical health issues that impact youth today, such as asthma, diabetes, mental health problems, drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases. The School-based Health Center model increases access to health care, especially for students who are uninsured, underserved, and have nowhere else to get care. Uninsured students are given information on enrolling in state-funded insurance plans for uninsured families.

Health Delivery, Inc. – a Community Health Center organization that serves over 53,000 Michigan residents throughout 14 counties — also operates a School-based Health center at Saginaw High School, in addition to three year-round dental facilities, eight year-round medical facilities, two mobile dental units, a mobile medical unit, and various seasonal migrant health sites. For more info, visit www.healthdelivery.org.

The popular nurse practitioner runs the district’s school-based health center at Durant High School, where she has earned a reputation as a caring and compassionate provider.

“Dottie has an unbelievable passion for school-based health,” said Waterford school limited license psychologist and colleague Alissa Lusky. “She is a great advocate and supporter for all of our clients.”

That passion brought Dottie Rodriguez to the attention of the School Community Health Alliance of Michigan and earned her the advocacy group’s Marilynn Keesler Legacy Award.

The award was presented to a surprised Dottie at the Alliance’s recent annual meeting in Mt. Pleasant.

“The award recognizes an individual who encompasses the traits of Marilynn Keesler — strong and passionate advocacy for children and school-based and linked health centers and programs,” said Michele Strasz, Executive Director, School Community Health Alliance of Michigan.

“I’m very honored,” said Dottie. “I see first-hand the need for school-based health centers and the impact our work can have on a young person. We’re still up and coming, though, and a lot of people don’t know about what we do. I see this award as an opportunity to spread the good word.”

Dottie has worked with adolescents in school-based health centers in Detroit and Waterford for 10 years.

The Waterford Teen Health Center is operated by Oakland Primary Health Services, a Michigan Community Health Center that has been providing primary care and preventive health services to residents of the City of Pontiac and surrounding communities in Oakland County since 2002.  It also operates two school-based health centers at Pontiac’s high school and middle school.

More than 90 school-based and school-linked health centers and programs in Michigan deliver a range of primary, preventive, and early intervention services to youth.

For more information about Oakland Primary Health Services, visit www.oaklandphs.org.

Dec. 1, 2011, ribbon cutting of Hamilton Community Health Networks' new Main Site in Flint

It’s been a busy couple of weeks at Hamilton Community Health Network, a Michigan Community Health Center organization that has been providing quality, affordable, comprehensive primary and preventive health care to residents of Genesee County for nearly 30 years.

On December 1, 2011, Hamilton celebrated the ribbon cutting of its new flagship facility that is designed to increase access to primary care for residents of Flint, Burton, Clio, and surrounding areas. The new 31,000 square-foot building, the largest of Hamilton’s six Health Center sites, is significantly larger than the former space it occupied. This means expanded services, increased capacity to serve at least 13,000 more patients at this site alone, a $7 million investment in the community, and the creation of 25-30 new jobs.

“The opening of this new facility significantly broadens our ability to meet health care needs,” said Clarence Pierce, CEO, Hamilton Community Health Network. “With the addition of vision and specialty services, we are creating a one-stop shop for medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services.”

On December 5, 2011, Hamilton celebrated the opening of another new facility, the Clio Area Health Center in Vienna Township. This project is the culmination of a 2-year collaboration between Hamilton Community Health Network, the Clio Area Regional Planning Board, and the Healthy Community Initiative.

“The new Clio Area Health Center will provide much needed services to residents regardless of the level of income or the level of insurance,” said Henry Hatter, Chair of the Regional Planning Board and Hamilton Community Health Network board member.

Hamilton Community Health Network board members Frank Wood, Christine Gleason, and Henry Hatter celebrated the opening of the new Clio Area Health Center with Clarence Pierce, Hamilton CEO

In the past, Clio residents have had to drive to other communities for a full range of primary health care services, putting further burden on small resources. Now, residents can save money and time because of the new location of the Clio Area Health Center.

For more information about Hamilton Community Health Network, go to www.hamiltonchn.org.

Dedicated Health Center staff who REALLY care and who, day-in and day-out, live the Health Center mission of providing comprehensive, accessible, affordable community-based primary health care services to members of their community…no matter their age, race, ethnicity, income level, insurance or health status.

Committed Health Center board members who provide guidance in assuring their Health Center is meeting the unique needs of the community. By sharing their time and talents, these volunteers give the community a voice in the care they receive, and are key to the success of their Health Center in addressing the health care needs of their neighbors.

Compassionate and caring health care professionals who provide second-to-none care. Every day they work in teams to prevent sickness, coordinate and integrate care, manage chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease, communicate with patients in a culturally sensitive way, and keep patients out of costly hospital emergency rooms and reduce referrals to specialty care.

Patients who give Health Centers their trust, and value and utilize their services. Nearly 600,000 Michigan residents rely on a Community Health Center as their health care home for primary and preventive care, behavioral health care, dental care, eligibility application assistance, pharmacy services, x-rays, health education, smoking cessation and weight reduction programs, transportation, translation…and more!

Partnering organizations that support the Health Center mission. The support of and collaboration with community organizations, foundations, programs, coalitions, state and federal agencies, state and federal government, universities, and individuals enables Community Health Centers to innovate, maximize resources, and expand their reach.

Advocates who give Health Centers a voice. By educating their elected officials and their community, and by engaging the media, advocates raise public awareness and build support for Health Centers. The Health Center movement began with just two Health Centers in two communities over 45 years ago, and has grown to include more than 1,200 Health Centers providing care to 20 million people in more than 8,000 communities across the country. This growth, in large part, is the result of the tireless work of advocates.

Policymakers who fight to assure health care is available to everyone. For decades Presidents and Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have recognized Community Health Centers for saving lives and saving money. We are thankful for the champions in Washington, DC, and Lansing who understand the value of maintaining and strengthening the part of the health care system that is working—Health Centers.

Health care facilities whose doors are open to all, and who are a source for local jobs in the communities where they are located. In 2010, America’s Health Centers employed more than 131,000 staff, including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, certified nurse midwives, dental providers, behavioral health professionals, case managers, and health education, outreach, and transportation staff.

Resources for expanding Health Centers across the state and country. Expanding services and sites enables Health Centers to serve more patients. Access to affordable health care remains a huge problem for Americans of all income levels, as there are still 60 million people, including many with health insurance, who still lack access to a regular source of health care.

AmeriCorps members who commit one year of their lives to the MPCA Community HealthCorps program to serve their communities by building a healthier Michigan; for the many Community Health Centers and other host sites who faithfully supervise, train, and mentor these members; for the AmeriCorps Alums who continue to work and serve in communities across Michigan, many in our own Health Centers and at MPCA; and for the MPCA staff members who give freely of their time to equip our AmeriCorps members so that they can better serve their communities.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Michigan Primary Care Association family to you!

Phillip Bergquist, Manager of Health Center Operations and CHIPRA Project Director, Michigan Primary Care Association

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently recognized Phillip Bergquist, Manager of Health Center Operations and CHIPRA Project Director for the Michigan Primary Care Association (MPCA), along with nine other organizations and individuals, for outstanding efforts to identify and enroll eligible children in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

“The efforts of Phillip Bergquist and the other honorees have helped eligible children get the high quality coverage and care that Medicaid and CHIP provide,” said CMS Administrator, Donald Berwick, MD. “These honorees have not only helped to improve participation in health coverage, but also have enriched our understanding of the best ways to help consumers obtain and keep health coverage.”

Bergquist’s wide-ranging efforts have helped to directly enroll over 1,650 children in Medicaid and CHIP (MIChild) throughout Michigan and spread awareness of these invaluable coverage programs to thousands more. Most recently, his collaborative leadership in the Enroll Michigan campaign, a partnership between MPCA, the Michigan Health and Hospital Association and the Middle Cities Education Association, resulted in a 21% increase in the number of applications for children’s health coverage during the 2011 back-to-school season. Bergquist’s continuing creative use of technology and online tools, dedication to high quality enrollment assistance and drive to make the process easy and informative for families with uninsured kids is taking outreach activities to a new level.

The recipients of the ECHOE (Excellence in Children’s Health Outreach and Enrollment) honor are:

• Dayanne Leal, Children’s Health Policy and Outreach Manager, Health Care For All, Massachusetts
• Ann Bacharach, Special Projects Director, Pennsylvania Health Law Program
• Jodi Ray, Project Director, Florida Covering Kids and Families, University of South Florida
• Gale Marshall, Two Feathers Media, North Carolina
• Phillip Bergquist, Manager of Health Center Operations, CHIPRA Project Director, Michigan Primary Care Association
• Ruth Kennedy, Medicaid Deputy Director/Bayou Health, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals
• Oklahoma Health Care Authority
• Children’s Defense Fund –Texas
• Oglala Sioux Tribe, South Dakota
• Cathy Kaufmann, Administrator, Oregon Healthy Kids

Under the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA), CMS has awarded $90 million in outreach grants since 2009.  These grants are aimed at ensuring further improvements in reaching children who are eligible but unenrolled. An additional $40 million in funding will be made available under the Affordable Care Act for improving outreach and enrollment efforts. ECHOE honorees include past and current CHIPRA outreach and enrollment grantees, as well as groups working in partnership with grantees.  Their activities include using technology in innovative ways to enroll eligible children, enlisting schools in effective outreach, sponsoring a successful enrollment telethon and designing the systems needed to ensure that eligible children retain their health coverage for as long as they qualify.

“The efforts of State, Tribal and community partners, like our honorees, have helped to achieve significant progress toward reducing the number of children who are eligible but not enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP,” said Cindy Mann, deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services. “Because of their work, participation rates have improved nationally and in every region of the country, and we are better prepared to meet future enrollment challenges.”

For information on each honoree, please visit: http://www.cms.gov/apps/media/fact_sheets.asp.

For information on a new CMS survey that shows high parent satisfaction rates with the level of coverage and quality of care their children receive under Medicaid and CHIP, please visit: http://insurekidsnow.gov/professionals/CHIP-Medicaid-Survey-Topline.pdf.

Learning sessions focused on the bidirectional integration of behavioral health and primary care services. Topics ranged from the future of medical and mental health collaboration in the framework of the Patient-Centered Medical Home, to long-term care by telepsychiatry, to integrating behavioral health care into a primary care center.

“In Michigan and throughout the country there has been substantial growth in community led efforts to implement integrated care at the patient level; improving the health outcomes, reducing cost, and improving the quality of life for so many individuals.  Conference participants had an opportunity to learn from their peers about strategies for building efficient and effective models of care,” said Becky Cienki, MPH, Director of Strategic Planning, Michigan Primary Care Association.

In December MPCA will launch a year-long series of monthly webinars supporting community efforts to expand integrated care.  Individuals interested in receiving invitations to these webinars should send an email to bbeard@mpca.net.

Kathy Sather, Family Health Care President & CEO, and Board Chair Corey Van Fleet cut the ribbon on Nov. 9 to officially open the new Family Health Care in White Cloud. They are surrounded by James Turner, USDA State Director; Eric Rudert, Board Member, Capital Campaign Cabinet; and board members Rev. Larry Doorn, Ruth Ann Harris, and Gerald Anderson.

There’s a new world of health care in White Cloud now that Family Health Care has opened its state-of-the-art Community Health Center in West Michigan’s Newaygo County.

This new 32,000 square-foot facility consolidated the services formerly provided at two Health Centers in this rural community, whose aged and small facilities were barriers to meeting growing patient need.

The array of services provided at the new Health Center are impressive. Residents of Newaygo County now have a place they can go for medical, behavioral health, and dental care, as well as lab work and x-rays, pharmacy services, and health education — all under one roof.

“West Michigan residents have relied on Family Health Care for quality, affordable, accessible health care for 44 years,” said Kathy Sather, Family Health Care President and CEO. “Under the guidance of our dedicated board of directors, the staff is committed to continuing that valuable service for years to come.”

Family Health Care opened the first Community Health Center in Michigan in 1967. Today it operates Health Centers in Lake, Wexford, and Missaukee Counties, in addition to Newaygo County. It also administers school-based health centers in Baldwin, White Cloud, and Grant Public Schools, and employs a school nurse at Hesperia Community Schools.

Family Health Care is one of Michigan’s 32 Community Health Center organizations. Together they provide care for nearly 600,000 patients at 185 delivery sites each year. For more information about Family Health Care, go to www.familyhealthcare.org. For more information about Michigan Community Health Centers, please visit www.mpca.net.

To amplify that message, Michigan Health Centers collected over 5,500 signatures and personal letters (and still counting) from patients, staff, board members, and community residents.

Dr. Brenda Coughlin (left) and Monica Woods (right) hosted State Representative Stacy Erwin Oakes for a tour of Health Delivery, Inc. and handed over patient petition signatures in support of the Health Center.

“The signatures we collected show in a very concrete way how much our patients and the community value our local Health Centers for the quality, affordable, and cost-effective health care they provide, regardless of insurance status or income level,” said Monica Woods, Public Relations Manager, Health Delivery, Inc.

Health Delivery, Inc. delivered 1,150 signatures to Congressman  Camp’s district office on Thursday, and shared them with Chris Hennessy, Regional Representative for  Senator Debbie Stabenow, when he toured the David R. Gamez Community Health Center earlier in the week. They also presented them to State Representative Stacy Erwin Oakes who visited on Monday as well.

Family Health Center, Inc. staff hand delivered signatures and letters to Congressman Upton's Kalamazoo office on November 10.

A combined total of 469 signatures and personal letters were hand delivered to Congressman Upton’s district offices in Kalamazoo and St. Joseph, Michigan, by Family Health Center, Inc. and Cassopolis Family Clinic. The St. Joseph district office shared that the petitions they received were scanned and forwarded to the Congressman’s Washington, DC, office.

Ingham County Community Health Centers’ signature and letter delivery to the district offices of Congressman Mike Rogers and Senator Stabenow received local media attention and earned a spot on the evening news of Lansing’s WILX-Channel 10 and WLNS-Channel 6.

Advantage Health Centers' Executive Joe Ferguson hand delivered petition signatures to Congressman Clarke's district office.

Advantage Health Centers’ Executive Director Joe Ferguson delivered 460 signatures of patients and staff to Congressman Hansen Clarke’s district office on Thursday. The Wellness Plan Medical Centers, which also provides care to constituents in Congressman Clarke’s district, collected over 200 signatures.

“I feel the 500-plus signatures Muskegon Family Care collected send a very powerful message, and I am proud of the participation Muskegon Family Care patients stepped up to give,” said Sheila Bridges, Muskegon Family Care Chief Executive Officer, who hand delivered the signatures to Congressman Bill Huizenga’s district office.

Other Michigan Health Centers that participated in the National Petition & Letter Drive spearheaded by the Campaign for America’s Health Centers (a NACHC project) were Covenant Community Care, East Jordan Family Health Center, Baldwin Family Health Care, Family Medical Center of Michigan, and Detroit Community Health Connection.

To further broadcast the message, “protect Health Centers, preserve Medicaid,” Michigan Health Centers submitted press releases, op-eds, and letters to the editor of media outlets across the state, such as as in the Niles Daily Star and The Herald-Palladium.

Yes, it has been a very busy grassroots advocacy week for Michigan Health Centers. Michigan Primary Care Association thanks everyone who made calls, encouraged others to make calls, tweeted and posted messages on Facebook, collected and delivered petition signatures and letters of support, and reached out to the media. It is amazing to watch so many voices come together to send one loud, clear message on behalf of America’s Health Centers that serve 20 million people across the country, keep patients healthy, save the health care system $24 billion every year, and create thousands of jobs from coast to coast. We can make a difference, and we will continue to fight for our Health Centers.