Events Health and Wellness

Genesee Health Plan honors health care heroes at Hall of Fame ceremony

MLIVE LOGO   By Nicole Weddington | nwedding@mlive.com 

FLINT, MI — The Genesee Health Plan honored six individuals for their outstanding contributions to health care in the community during its third annual 2014 Health Care Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony Monday, March 31.

"The idea is to honor people in the community who have really made a lasting contribution to the health of the community and to providing low-cost health care to people in the community. So there's really a wide variety of folks on the list that we are honoring tonight," said Linda Hamacher, president and CEO of Genesee Health Plan.
Dr. F. Michael Jaggi was inducted into the 2014 Health Care Hall of Fame, and presented with the esteemed Hall of Fame Visionary Leadership Award, which honors visionary leaders who make a lasting impact on the community's health care.

Jaggi is vice president of Hurley Medical Center and is chief of emergency medicine and chief medical officer. Under his direction, Hurley became the only Michigan site to train Special Operations Combat Medics for the U.S. military. As a member of the Genesee Health Plan Board of Directors, Jaggi spent the last 10 years guiding many of the decisions about access to care, reduction of emergency room use and coverage.

Jaggi and five other honorees were nominated by members of the community and health care professionals. The final nominees were then chosen by Genesee Health Plan board members and staff.

"All of the nominees have provided guidance and planning and have had a very lasting impact on the path that the Health Plan is taking, which is to continue to be here to help people get the health care they need, to make sure that they're enrolled in programs that they're eligible for and to cover people who remain in need of health care," said Hamacher.

One of the three recipients of the Community Partnership Award was David Burr, CEO of The DM Burr Group. Burr arranged the purchase of a building for the Genesee Health Plan and leased it to the organization under affordable terms.


David Burr, a recipient of a Community Partnership Award, talks with co-workers and his wife Michelle Burr (right) at the Genesee Health Plan Health Care Hall of Fame Awards at the Flint Golf Club March 31.
Nicole Weddington | MLive

"We've never done anything like this as far as purchasing a building for another company. We're a service-based organization, so we're used to doing more service-based, so it's different but it's definitely an honor. We've had a tremendous time with Genesee Health Plan, getting to know them and how passionate they are about health care and how we can help out with that," said Burr.


"They've figured out a way to work with the local hospitals to get health care for the individuals and it's a great thing."

Other recipients of the Community Partnership Award included Colleen Sproul, director of community programs and government relations at Health Plus of Michigan, and Genesee County Commissioner Brenda Clack, who also serves as chair of the Genesee County Human Services Committee.

Sproul said that partnering with the Genesee Health Plan made sense for Health Plus of Michigan because both organizations have kindred visions for helping the community. She explained that even with the federal Affordable Care Act, there will still be people who will not qualify for any health care insurance.

"And Genesee Health Plan will be around to help them," she said.

Rick Wyles, vice president of finance and the chief financial officer of McLaren-Flint, received the Visionary Leadership Award. "It's one of those things where you just go to work every day and you don't feel like you deserve a reward," said Wyles.

As chairman of the Genesee Health Plan board of directors, Wyle has influenced financial policies that have helped the Plan remain strong during tough economic times.

"It's nice to be recognized, but what's really nice is Genesee Health Plan and everything that they've done for the community. That's the important part of all this. That they've helped a lot of people that cannot afford health care better their lives through that," said Wyles.

Dr. Daniel Dulin of the Mott Children's Health Center and a board member of the Genesee Health Plan, said that the awards ceremony is a chance to recognize people in the health field that don't really get recognition.

"Tonight you will see people recognized who have given away time in addition to their 40-hour work week to make sure people are healthy and well," said Dulin.

Other award recipients included Dr. Brenda Fortunate, a family practice physician specializing in osteopathic manipulative therapy who has served on the Genesee Health Plan advisory committee since 2008. Fortunate was honored with the Physician Leadership Award for her 30-year career as an active advocate for the uninsured and underserved.

"Organizations like Genesee Health Plan are really made successful because of the community that they thrive in and the people that support them day after day — people that volunteer, people who give their vision, their leadership and their time to helping members in the community get the health care that they need," said Hamacher.

"The Health Care Hall of Fame is something that is very near and dear to our hearts and you'll see from the attendance tonight that people in the community really do care and they want to be here to honor these people. It is all about community."

The event was at the Flint Golf Club, 3100 Lakewood Drive in Flint.

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