Message from Loretta V. Bush, CEO, Authority Health...
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Recognizing the Mental Health Frontline in the COVID-19 Pandemic
It has been nearly two months since Gov. Whitmer’s shelter in place order took effect. For many it was a shock to our lives, which came with the anxiety of not knowing how the coronavirus would affect us and our loved ones. Many of us know someone who became seriously ill or has died of the disease.
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken us out of our workplaces, kept us in our homes, away from people, created financial pressures for those who have been laid off from their jobs, and intensified social isolation – especially among older adults. Many of us feel overwhelmed or burned out and are worried about getting the virus or passing it on to family. We are fearful of the “new normal.” We may not be sleeping well, and we may be irritable.
Mental health professionals – from psychiatrists and psychologists to behavioral health therapists, social workers, and crisis hotline workers – have been helping people cope with these natural reactions to the COVID-19 crisis. While those on the medical front lines in hospitals and community health centers have been given much-deserved attention, we also need to recognize the role that psycho-social support plays in healing our caregivers and the rest of the community. This includes Authority Health’s 20 psychiatry residents who are an essential part of the mental health care delivery system in our region. We urge you not to suffer silently and alone. If you or someone you know is struggling with behavioral/mental health issues, help is a phone call away:
888-PEER-753 or
888-733-7753.
While professional counseling is an important resource, there is much we can do in the area of self-care:
- Get enough sleep
- Participate in regular physical activity – even a daily walk in the neighborhood
- Eat a healthy diet
- Try to avoid too much comfort food
- Limit screen time and excessive news coverage
We can now see an end to the social isolation, but it’s not the end of the psychological stress, or the long-term post-trauma stress that many will suffer. As we recognize
Mental Health Month, this is a timely opportunity to raise awareness, provide support, and advocate for policies that support people with mental illness and their families.
Many of us may not be employed, but others are working harder than they did before the outbreak. Either way, we need to take care of ourselves and realize that this won’t last forever.
Remember that learning to cope with stress can make you, and those you care about, stronger. Thanks to all the mental health professionals who are helping us get through this pandemic and the role they play in our health care system.
Toward the health of all,
Loretta V. Bush, MSHA
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COVID-19 Testing - Triumph Church and Popoff Family Health Center
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2020 Celebration of Service Confirms Schweitzer Fellows for Life
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On Saturday, May 9th, the 2020 Albert Schweitzer Fellowship - Detroit Chapter confirmed the Fellows for Life during the Celebration of Service virtual event. The program recognized the achievements of Jasdeep Kler, University of Michigan School of Public Health; Fatima Eid, Wayne State University Master of Public Health Program; Houda Abdullah and Kristiana Hila, University of Michigan College of Nursing; and Elizabeth , Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. The fellows presented their community service projects before Authority Health's President & CEO, Loretta V. Bush, the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Board Chairperson, Alice Thompson, as well as friends and family. Dr. Renee Canady, CEO of Michigan Public Health Institute, presented the keynote address to the group.
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Internal Medicine Resident Project Selected for Competition
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Authority Health resident, Dr. James Vu's quality improvement project has been selected for competition at the 5th Annual Michigan Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Summit. The study aimed to determine the percentage and reasons for canceling procedures on the day of surgery and provide quality improvement processes to reduce the high cancellation rate. This means that adequate measures could be taken to reduce the cancellation rate, maximize patient safety, and optimize patient care.
"I am honored and grateful to have been chosen for the competition. Patient experience is everything, that first greeting is part of the patient experience," say Dr. Vu. "We can create a fulfilling patient experience by improving patient care and avoiding patient suffering."
The competition will be held in a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Authority Health Residents Provide Insight on Virtual Health Technology for Arkansas Med Students
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American medical schools are required to provide medical students with experience working with physicians training in residency programs. Likewise, American residency programs are expected to train resident physicians to teach medical students. During the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, achieving these expectations requires that programs address a new set of challenges. Technologies enable both distance learning and telemedicine (virtual physician-patient encounters).
In an innovative collaboration, Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (AKHE) allow their medical students to work with Authority Health Family Medicine residents during patient encounters facilitated by Doxy.me. Distance-learning technology will be utilized to securely link the Arkansas students with Authority Health (AH) residents during patient care sessions. AH patients will undergo “informed consent” so that medical students may observe their virtual primary care encounters. It is anticipated that students will be able to directly engage in these encounters in the near future.
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Time to Start Your COVID-19 Victory Garden
As the frost line gradually moves north, it will soon be safe (if we can use that term for something other than infection control…) to plant. In recent weeks articles have popped up from various sources regarding the prospect of restoring the 20th-century idea of a “victory garden.” Originally intended to encourage average citizens to raise vegetables in their backyards (“vegetables for victory”) during World War I, when more than five million small gardens were planted. The practice was continued during World War II when victory gardens grew 40 percent of the produce in the country. They served as both a practical tool to provide nutrients during a period of rationing, but also to build morale during the war years. As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, we certainly are feeling as though we are at war.
Read More
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COVID -19 Testing Available at the Popoff Family Health Center
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The
Popoff Family Health Center, 10809 Mack Avenue, Detroit, offers the nasal swap test that checks for active infection, and the antibody test, which is a blood test that determines whether a person has had the COVID-19 virus, or is possibly immune.
We are also providing back-to-work health assessments for employees through the virtual health assessment capabilities of the Popoff Family Health Center. To make an appointment for COVID -19 testing or the back-to-work assessment, please call
313-824-1000.
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Authority Health is a public body corporate serving the needs of the health care safety net. It sponsors the nation’s second largest graduate medical education teaching health center, a community-based wellness center, and a health data analytics division. In addition, Authority Health provides extensive enrollment and navigation services, as well as professional training opportunities.
Authority Health | 313.871.3751 | media@authorityhealth.org | www.authorityhealth.org
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