April 2020
Message from Loretta V. Bush, CEO, Authority Health...
CEO Message: Remaining Committed to Community Health During COVID-19

The events of the past month related to the COVID-19 outbreak have been a sobering reminder about the importance of public health in our lives. Authority Health has followed the leadership of our state and local public health departments in establishing a remote office network and supporting our clinical practices in the community.

We are committed to serving our community through the Popoff Family Health Center and our pediatric practice. In both cases, we have instituted telehealth and telemedicine, enabling our patients to communicate with their physicians from home and avoid an office visit, if possible.

The Popoff Family Health Center has joined the City of Detroit Coronavirus Community Care Team, providing medical assessments and referrals for COVID-19 testing. We are very pleased to play an important role in mitigating the effects of this pandemic. By providing health assessments for people through virtual health, our physicians will be able to provide an order for patients to get tested for COVID-19 at the State Fairgrounds at 1120 West State Fair, corner of Woodard and Eight Mile. 

While the COVID-19 has stressed the hospital system, it has also compromised the primary care delivery system. The Popoff Family Health Center and our pediatric practice have remained open as other primary care practices have closed in the city. This is our commitment to meeting the health needs of this community (click here for practice hours for virtual and in-office visit times). 

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention suggests you seek medical attention immediately if you develop the  emergency warning signs  for COVID-19. Emergency warning signs include:

  • Trouble breathing
  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
  • New confusion or inability to arouse
  • Bluish lips or face

Our administrative team will continue working in our remote settings, meeting as necessary through virtual networks. Authority Health is strong because of the unifying principles that guide our work. As the governor has indicated, we still have a long way to go before the danger of COVID-19 has passed. So, I ask that you Stay Home and Stay Safe as we collectively continue to pursue our missions.

Let’s remain connected in our goals and efforts to strengthen the safety net at a time when it is stressed even more.

Toward the health of all,

Loretta V. Bush, MSHA
Authority Health Residents Volunteer for COVID-19 Response Team
Ernie Yoder, MD, PhD, MACP, Director Medical Education and Designated Institutional Officer (second from the right) led a team of residents to respond at an area Salvation Army when someone tested positive for COVID-19. This is the face of community medicine and what mission driven care looks like!   
Authority Health Offers COVID-19 Community Resource Guide
Authority Health Video-
President & CEO, Loretta V. Bush Talks Teaching Health Centers
Join President & CEO, Loretta V. Bush as she sits down with Drs. Ernie Yoder and Allison Tripi to discuss the importance of teaching health centers.

Research conducted by the American Association of Teaching Health Centers has found that eight out of 10 teaching health center graduates are committed to primary care, and more than half want to work in underserved communities, compared with 23 percent in traditional training programs.
Online Virtual Care Physician Visits Available at Popoff and Ice Practices
Authority Health has added online virtual care visits as a resource for our patients at both our Popoff and Pediatrics practices. High-quality health care and the safety of our patients and their families are priorities to us always and especially now during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please call the Popoff practice at (313)824-1000 or the Pediatrics practice at (248)281-3215 if you have questions or are interested in scheduling an online virtual appointment.
Cheryl Porter, Dedicated to Assisting the Uninsured
Cheryl Porter has been with Authority Health for 10 years as the Medicaid Patient Finance Manager. Her goal is to assist every person who calls or comes into her office in obtaining health insurance so they can access quality healthcare.

Her expertise was tested when a patient with no health insurance found his way into the Popoff Family Health Center. A job offer with the city of Detroit was contingent on a physical exam and hearing test. He was able to pay for his physical exam out-of-pocket; however, the doctors at Popoff were unable to perform the hearing test he needed (the gentleman wears a hearing aid and required specialized testing).

Ms. Porter had the patient complete a Medicaid application. Upon verifying the application, Ms. Porter found out the job with the city would be full time with benefits. Because of this, the patient would not be eligible for Medicaid, making acquiring a hearing test difficult. However, Mrs. Porter would not be defeated!

She found that Sam’s Club offers free hearing tests. She was able to arrange a hearing test for the patient, and he was able to complete his required health clearances.

Unfortunately, the patient's employment start date has been delayed until August or September due to circumstances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Now Ms. Porter is re-processing the patient for Medicaid until his job starts.

 As the government starts to acclimate this pandemic and respond to the needs of the people, it is the people who are rising to the occasion. The medical professionals who are working countless hours on the front lines, the food service and sanitation workers, grocery store staff, and truck drivers are just a few occupations that are put themselves at risk to support our ability to endure this crisis. Read More...
Juggling a Job and Kids? Here Are Six Tips to Make That Balancing Act Work
From Corp! Magazine

One question has been going through the minds of parents since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis: Are they workers first or educators? Because with the demands of school-age children at home full time, some working parents may be feeling the squeeze of these two roles happening simultaneously. Read More
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