Category: Hospitals Help

Hospitals Help: Munson Healthcare, Community Partners Offer Free Family Support Program

Hospitals Help, Member News
Marina, a Healthy Futures participant, with her family and newborn son.

Healthy Futures is a free family support program that helps answer questions and assists families in finding services and resources in the community. The program, which has no eligibility requirements, is a collaboration between Munson Healthcare, local health departments and healthcare providers across 31 counties in the northern Michigan region.

The main goals of the program are around increasing access to care, immunization education and breastfeeding support services. The program includes newsletters and texts sent by Munson, phone calls and home visits by a public health nurse in the community.

After struggling with breastfeeding her newborn daughter, one patient enrolled in the program and accepted a home visit, which resulted in a life-saving diagnosis and treatment for postpartum preeclampsia, a condition that can be fatal if left untreated.

“Today, I’m alive, healthy, and here to enjoy my daughter, son and family because Healthy Futures stepped in at the right time,” said Marina, a Healthy Futures participant. “They helped me breastfeed, taught me how to boost my milk supply, monitored my baby’s weight, checked in on my mental health…and after almost five months, they’re still checking on me and my baby.”

To learn more about the program, visit Munson Healthcare’s website. To read more positive hospital stories, check out more Hospitals Help webpage and the 2025 Community Impact Report. Members with questions may contact Lucy Ciaramitaro at the MHA.

Hospitals Help: Corewell Health Program Addresses Youth Vaping Prevention, Cessation

Hospitals Help, Member News

Rural schools in Newaygo County, like so many across Michigan, were seeing an increase in the number of students caught vaping. To address this community-wide concern, Corewell Health Gerber Hospital established the Corewell Health Gerber Vaping Prevention and Cessation program to reach students early on and find an upstream solution.

The program is designed to decrease youth use of tobacco and nicotine products through the implementation of early education and access to onsite quit services. With this in mind, Tobacco Treatment Specialists (TTS) are deployed into Newaygo County schools during grades 4-8 to provide hands-on, age-appropriate education. This engaging education teaches youth about the chemicals in vapes and highlights the health consequences that result from vaping.

Students have an opportunity to practice how to say no to peers and how to resist peer pressure. The program also reaches families and caregivers with this important messaging by presenting at school and community events throughout the year. The TTS team partners closely with school resource officers to identify students that have been caught with nicotine products and provide additional education and support as an alternative to suspension whenever possible. One-on-one, onsite, weekly cessation counseling is offered to each student. If students are caught again, they are referred to the juvenile court where more intensive education takes place for both youth and their parents.

During the 2024-2025 school year, 2,348 youth received nicotine prevention education and 16 were seen for tobacco cessation counseling.

“We are fortunate to collaborate with all Newaygo County Schools to provide this education and cessation support for students,” said Shelly Klochack MSN, BSN, RN, clinical program specialist, tobacco treatment specialist, Corewell Health Gerber Hospital. “Through our continued efforts, we are keeping more students in school and encouraging them to make healthier choices.”

For more information and hospital stories, check out the 2025 Community Impact Report. Members with questions may contact Lucy Ciaramitaro at the MHA.

Hospitals Help: MyMichigan Clinics Improve Access to Timely Care

Member News, Hospitals Help

MyMichigan Health established the Continuing Care Clinics in 2023 to serve residents across its 26-county service region who lack timely access to primary care physicians. These clinics are pivotal during critical health transitions, offering responsive care after hospital discharges, emergency department visits, stays in long-term care facilities or while patients await new primary care providers.

The multidisciplinary team of clinicians at MyMichigan Health create personalized care plans that help patients successfully transition home and reduce the risk of readmission.

Through the Continuing Care Clinics model, MyMichigan Health has demonstrated significant success in reducing poor health outcomes. Patients receiving care exhibit a lower risk of readmission compared to those at other, similar clinics. This achievement is credited to the multidisciplinary team of clinicians who develop personalized care plans, assisting patients in successfully transitioning home while minimizing readmission risks.

Additionally, patients receive referrals for preventive care screenings, further promoting community wellness. The Continuing Care Clinics collaborate with community partners to enhance patients’ access to essential resources including food, transportation and medication. These efforts empower patients to manage their health more effectively and improve recovery.

“Through partnerships with food centers, transportation services and pharmacies, we’ve improved patient access to essential resources like free food, transportation and medication,” said Steve Frazier, MHA, BA, RN, ACN-RN, director of quality and patient safety, MyMichigan Health. “These interventions help patients manage their health, reduce the risk of readmissions and improve overall health outcomes. Additionally, the clinics connect patients without a primary care provider to care, ensuring continuous support and reducing gaps in preventative care.”

For more information and hospital stories, check out the 2025 Community Impact Report. Additionally, this work earned MyMichigan Health a 2025 Ludwig Community Benefit Award. Members with questions may contact Lucy Ciaramitaro at the MHA.

Hospitals Help: Aspire Rural Health System Offers Lifeline to Families in the Thumb

Member News, Hospitals Help, Rural Health Updates
The Transitions program offers case management, referral services and specially trained Transitions volunteers to provide support, friendship, practical assistance and respite breaks for family and caregivers in the thumb region.

Transitions, offered through Aspire Rural Health System, is a free community-based program dedicated to supporting individuals with chronic or life-limiting illnesses, as well as their families, across Michigan’s thumb region. The program provides a compassionate bridge between healthcare and daily living, ensuring that no one has to navigate these challenges alone.

At the heart of Transitions is a dedicated coordinator who offers case management, referral services and personalized guidance. Specially trained Transitions volunteers extend this support by providing companionship, respite breaks for caregivers and practical assistance with everyday tasks such as light housekeeping, meal preparation and errands.

Families are also guided through advance healthcare directives and connected with community resources, helping them plan ahead and reduce stress during difficult times.

In 2024, the Transitions program supported more than 120 individuals and families to ensure patients received emotional and practical care in addition to medical treatment. These efforts not only improve quality of life but also strengthen community connections by fostering dignity, comfort and peace of mind.

“Transitions has been a lifeline for families in the thumb region,” said Angela McConnachie, co-chief executive officer, Aspire Health System. “By pairing compassionate care and resources for those who need them most, we’re able to provide relief, friendship and advocacy at a time when it matters most.”

For more information and hospital stories, check out the 2025 Community Impact Report. Members with questions may contact Lucy Ciaramitaro at the MHA.

Hospitals Help: Henry Ford Health’s Hospital-Based Doula Program

Hospitals Help, Member News

To help address the alarming rate of maternal and infant mortality, Detroit-based Henry Ford Health established a hospital-based doula program in 2024 that makes a trained professional available to provide emotional, physical and educational support before, during and after pregnancy to patients with Medicaid Health Plans. The program is believed to be the first of its kind in the country.

Members of the Henry Ford Health Doula Program team.
Members of the Henry Ford Health doula program team.

Studies suggest that care from a doula can make labor and delivery safer for pregnant people and babies. Through the program, eligible patients can request a doula at any time during their pregnancy. If an individual arrives at the hospital to deliver a baby and staff learn they’ve had little or no prenatal care, they can offer the services of an on-call doula, who provides an added layer of care during and after delivery. In its first year, nearly 200 pregnant people enrolled in the doula program.

Research conducted at Henry Ford Health after the implementation of the doula program found that those with greater social risk were more likely to engage in doula care when services were integrated and accessible, underscoring the importance of tailoring programs and outreach.

“Far too often individuals arrive at the hospital to give birth having had no prenatal care,” said Dr. D’Angela Pitts, maternal fetal medicine, Henry Ford Health. “These patients are most at-risk for complications during and after birth. That’s why we took the extra step of having doulas on call in the hospitals.”

For more information and hospital stories, check out the 2025 Community Impact Report. Members with questions may contact Lucy Ciaramitaro at the MHA.