CMU healthcare group adds 19 counties

A mid-Michigan health care consortium centered at Central Michigan University is expanding with a new partnership to serve 19 more counties.

Michigan Area Health Education Center said that the Mid-Central Area Health Education Regional Center, housed at Central Michigan University, will be expanding into the western side of the state and will serve as the host partner of the newly formed Western Region Community Consortium (WRCC).

Forming a community consortium of existing partners is a tool for expanding programs, gaining collaborative funding, responding to community health care needs, and serving health care students and professionals in both the western and mid-central areas of Michigan.

“The community consortium model is an effective mechanism used nationally that is increasingly used to address complex, local health issues,” said April Osburn, executive director, Mid-Central AHEC.

“Collaborations like these enable a broader scope of responses to intractable problems that impact the health of communities. AHEC provides communities with the opportunity to work collaboratively toward a common objective.”

Once fully established, the WRCC will include community partners who are interested in working on shared community health interests, new funding sources and delivering quality health education and training opportunities.

The WRCC will serve 2.4 million people in 19 counties (10 rural and nine urban): Mason, Lake, Oceana, Newaygo, Muskegon, Ottawa, Kent, Allegan, Barry, Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Jackson, Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph, Branch, Hillsdale and Lenawee.

The Mid-Central AHEC will continue to serve the 1.4 million people in its already assigned 19 counties (13 rural and six urban): Arenac, Bay, Clare, Clinton, Eaton, Gladwin, Gratiot, Huron, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm, Osceola, Saginaw, Sanilac, Shiawassee and Tuscola. The Morning Sun