August 2021
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Message from Loretta V. Bush, CEO, Authority Health...
Reflecting on National Health Center Week
At a time when the nation is coping with an acute shortage of primary care providers, community health centers provide a unique opportunity for comprehensive primary care. During the week of Aug. 8-14, we celebrate the important role that health centers like our Popoff Family Health Center, Anne Mare’ Ice Pediatric health Center, and Hope Family Health Center, federally qualified health centers, and other health centers that fill gaps in the safety net.
 
I had the opportunity to talk with Joslyn Pettway, one of the newest leaders among community health centers. Joslyn started her career at Authority Health as an administrative fellow and later as director of Primary Care Initiatives. She has achieved a career milestone of becoming CEO of Covenant Community Care, which is based in Detroit but serves patients in the metro area.
 
Community health centers provide prevention and primary care services for nearly 30 million people in the United States and continued to do so throughout the pandemic. While much attention has been appropriately given to health care workers in the hospital setting, community health center workers have played an important role in providing testing, and now vaccines for a community that has incurred extreme disparities in COVID infections. We did this while maintaining our primary contact with patients through telemedicine, a technique that has increased access to our physicians for many with mobility challenges.
 
Community health centers meet our community midstream with a range of medical, mental health, substance use disorder, and dental services for underserved communities.
 
While community health centers are helping ease the shortage of primary care services, there still is a primary care physician shortage. Authority Health, together with the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and our health center partners, established a teaching health center in Detroit to train the next generation of primary care physicians, knowledgeable in population health, trauma-informed care, and antiracism. We’re pleased that Covenant Community Care is one of our training partners.
 
For more about the role of Covenant in the community and Community Health Center Week, watch my interview with Joslyn Pettway below.
 

In health,

Loretta V. Bush, MSHA
Reflecting on National Health Center Week
with
Loretta V. Bush & Joslyn Pettway
VIDEO - Authority Health President & CEO, Loretta V. Bush reflects on National Health Center Week with Covenant Community Care CEO, Joslyn Pettway, and the importance of community-based health centers.
Hope Family Health Center Family Fun Day
Hope Family Health Center Dedication VIDEO
The Nardin Park community on Detroit’s near westside was invited to a dedication and family fun day to celebrate the formal opening of the Hope Family Health Center in Hope Academy. This new clinical site for Authority Health, funded through a great from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, will offer pediatric care for students in the school as well as youth in the nearby community. Mayor Duggan and Rep. Rashida Tlaib headed a list of dignitaries who participated in the dedication.
Albert Schweitzer Fellow,
Amanda Bazzi Shares Reflection
In prior months, I was concerned about language barriers between my clients and I but as I have spoken to more clients I have become more comfortable with them and more confident in my abilities to address their concerns and find a solution for their problems.

I am feeling very happy with how my fellowship is going so far, I couldn’t ask for more. I like all of my clients, the majority of my clients are very helpful in providing information and listening to my advice.

My site mentors are very helpful and I am able to pass to them any questions and concerns that I may have. When I have trouble with clients / can not answer questions they ask me I am able to
turn to my mentors and they solve the problem right away. Overall, this was a good month where I made a lot of progress.
Amanda Bazzi is a 2021-2022 Albert Schweitzer Fellow, Detroit Chapter, and student at the University of Michigan School of Public Health
Authority Health Staff Attends Michigan Association of Health Plans Summer Conference
Pictured: Authority Health's Medicaid Finance Manager, Cheryl Porter - Hawkins, Executive Director of MAHP, Dominic Pallone, Authority Health's Director of Finance, Corliss Beard-Ingram, and Authority Health's VP of Clinical Operations, Vincent Jones, II

MAHP hosts conferences to advocate for quality and accessible health care and to celebrate innovation in the industry.

Authority Health facilitates access to health care services for uninsured and underinsured residents by providing Medicaid outreach and eligibility determination, including referrals, coordination and monitoring of medical services. 
Community Health Blog: Pastor links science with religion in an effort to promote COVID-19 vaccine use
The philosophical conflict between faith and science has found common ground in the vision of a Florida pastor who preached his message during the pandemic – but not before six unvaccinated members of his congregation had died from COVID infections within 10 days. READ MORE.
Authority Health's 2020 Community Report Now Available




Check out the 2020 community report HERE.
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 and community-based wellness centers. 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