In an effort to reach more Michiganders in need of COVID-19 testing and other public health services, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is partnering with Genesee Community Health Center (GCHC) to provide mobile COVID-19 testing, vaccines and PPE, along with food, clothing and other social services.
“Every Michigander should have access to fundamental public health services regardless of their zip code, and this partnership with the Genesee Community Health Center will bring us a step closer to making that a reality,” said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist. “These mobile sites are a product of the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities, which I am proud to have chaired for over a year, and have been widely successful in advancing racial equity as we fight COVID-19. I look forward to seeing this partnership provide services where they are most needed in Genesee County.”
“Reaching out and taking resources to where Michiganders live makes it easier to access these services and increases the chances of them getting a COVID test or being vaccinated against or having a health screening,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, MDHHS chief medical executive and chief deputy for health.
“This partnership is helping address health disparities in communities as well as providing access to resources including emergency food and shelter and referrals to other assistance programs,” Khaldun added.
Genesee Community Health Center provides a medical home with a focus on the health of the whole person, offering primary care and mental health and substance use services and other community supports.
“This partnership with the state helps us to expand our reach within the community, allowing us to bring mobile services where they are most needed in the community,” said Jean Troop, director of GCHC.
“We have always known that Genesee County’s most vulnerable populations have difficulty in obtaining needed services for their health and well-being,” Troop added. “To that end, we are utilizing our mobile services to ensure we can reach individuals who have transportation (needs) and lack of resources that hinder them from getting important health and social services.”
“We work with a high-risk population who doesn’t often have a primary physician,” said Nicole Droomer, LMSW, CADC, clinical manager at New Paths, a Flint-based agency serving individuals with substance use disorders.
“We wanted to be proactive with our staff and clients to bring the vaccine to the,” Droomer addedl.
Michigan residents seeking more information about the COVID-19 vaccine can visit Michigan.gov/COVIDvaccine.
Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
