Community Health Services celebrates a successful 2022
Community Health Services (CHS) is an organization of programs that seek to lead Michigan Medicine in improving access, equity and health outcomes in the community and for the people we serve. CHS’ Year in Review is a glimpse in time at the important activities carried out by the program last year.
The team’s programs and services span the spectrum of health education and promotion, clinical care and support efforts to improve quality of life and provide opportunities for residents to stay active, healthy and connected. Its reach in Michigan spans as far south as Lenawee and as far north as Chippewa counties and in 43 states across the nation.
CHS allows Michigan Medicine to impact thousands of lives in several ways — often without people ever having to travel to the academic medical center.
From helping community members address food and housing insecurity to improving the training and care provided at Michigan Medicine, here’s how CHS does just that with its nine different programs.
Adolescent Health Initiative: A program that provides national training and assistance, and provides youth-driven resources to providers and health professionals.
Ann Arbor Meals on Wheels: Helps reduce hunger and food insecurity for homebound older adults and others in the area as complete, nutritious meals are delivered directly to people’s homes.
Community Benefit: This team collects and analyzes information from each program at Michigan Medicine and measures how many people benefit, how many dollars are put into the program and how many hours are logged by staff members to carry out its services. The small team also carries out the IRS-mandated Community Health Needs Assessment to ensure the organization offers impactful services that address needs identified in partnership with the community.
Friends Gift Shops: The four gift shops offer goods to patients, families, faculty and staff in hospitals and clinics, but their impact stretches far beyond their walls. Outside of operating costs for the gift shops, revenue supports programs and services for patients and families, in addition to programs external to the hospital that are in the community.
Housing Bureau for Seniors: A program that stretches throughout Washtenaw County, Housing Bureau for Seniors assists older adults with seeking and maintaining appropriate and affordable housing.
Michigan Medicine Lodging: A team that supports patients and families in accessing lodging at our onsite Med Inn Hotel or with any of our partner hotels in Washtenaw, Wayne and Livingston counties.
Program for Multicultural Health: This program improves health and well-being by providing culturally-responsive health education and promotion within the community.
Regional Alliance for Healthy Schools (RAHS): Provides a variety of primary care services at school-based health centers to meet the urgent and preventive care needs of students and the community.
Volunteer Services: A group that helps place thousands of volunteers across the organization, who then help support faculty and staff carry out a variety of functions.
The term “community” may resonate different meanings for some. However, to CHS, it is an all-encompassing and holistic term that defies traditional boundaries. CHS doesn’t see “patient vs. resident,” rather the importance of seeing where the health of the individual relates to the wellbeing of the community.
CHS sees the value of understanding the needs and developing programs and services that impact the health of our children, our families, our seniors, those struggling with mental health and substance use disorder and helping to raise up and guide our future health professionals to continue with the mission and vision we have for whom we serve.
CHS staff work with partners within U-M Health’s four walls to embed collective strategies to ensure that key values of collaboration, community involvement, diversity, innovation, quality and trust are embedded in the day-to-day work.
For 2022, CHS continued to focus on institutional objectives while also working to fully integrate community health in the care provided to move toward “person-centered care” that impacts positive health outcomes.
Stay tuned for more from CHS in 2023!
