Genesee Health Plan’s Community Health Worker Team recognized for extraordinary service

GHP team receives national honor for making an impact in Flint area community

FLINT – Genesee Health Plan’s Community Health Worker Team recently received the 2020 Mosley Team Award for Extraordinary Community Health Worker Service from Spectrum Health.

This award recognizes outstanding service, dedication and excellence of Community Health Workers, who serve as trusted liaisons to the community and help facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery. This year, four Community Health Worker teams across the U.S. were nominated for the award. The other nominees included the California Rural Indian Health Board Greenville Rancheria CHW Team, PASOs Spartanburg CHW Team of Boiling Springs South Carolina, and Shingleton Medical Center CHWs of Shingletown California.

“GHP has provided assistance to the uninsured and underserved residents of Genesee County for nearly 20 years,” said Jim Milanowski, GHP President and CEO. “Our Community Health Workers connect with the Greater Flint community to help ensure everyone has access to quality health care and vital resources. They are truly unsung heroes and first responders within and outside the walls of the school and community they serve.”

GHP has 18 Community Health Workers on staff who help area schools, their students, families and Genesee County residents with their health care coverage needs and connect them to additional community resources.

GHP receives funding to support its Community Health Workers program, which began in 2015, from the following: Crim Fitness Foundation, Genesee County Health Department Healthy Start Lead Expansion Program, Ascension Genesys, Consumers Energy and Huntington Bank.

“Community Health Workers do more than anyone could imagine,” said retired Spectrum Health Executive Vice President John Mosley, who announced the award winners virtually on Aug. 20 at Spectrum Health’s 13^th Annual Community Health Worker Conference. “Genesee Health Plan’s Community Health Workers are instrumental in serving the community and I couldn’t be prouder of all they’ve accomplished.”

GHP Community Health Workers have extensively served the Genesee County community by:

• Assisting 9,953 families with completing health needs assessments for social determinants of health, applying for health coverage, providing health education and referrals for community services
• Working collaboratively with school principals, nursing staff, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, community school directors and other community organizations
• Providing services for the Community Education Initiative School-Based Program under the direction of the Crim Fitness Foundation through the C.S. Mott Foundation – serving 11 Flint Community Schools and two area charter schools since 2015
• Improving access to health coverage, health education and community resources for Flint Community Schools families and surrounding community members
• Completing training on cultural competency, motivational interviewing, and understanding various chronic health conditions to better serve the community
• Identifying Flint Community School student laundry service needs and partnering with Sheldon T. Banks Funeral Home to support the Loads of Luv Laundry Program
• Minimizing transportation barriers for families to attend parent meetings and doctor appointments by partnering with Flint Sunrise Rotary Club to support the Rising Above Barriers Program, which provides bus passes to families in need, in partnership through Mass Transportation Authority of Flint
• Enrolling thousands of families in the Flint Water Registry Program to keep them informed on the impact of the Flint water crisis

Previous award winners from Michigan include Henry Ford Health System Community Health Worker Hub, Priority Health Community Health Workers and Northwest Michigan Health Services Inc. Enabling Services Team.