Author

Estelle Slootmaker

Estelle Slootmaker's Latest Articles

Berrien County Health Officer Guy Miller, Corewell Health South Medical Group and Continued Care Vice President Melinda Gruber, and Region IV Area Agency on Aging CEO Christine Vanlandingham at the Berrien County Health Department.
Here’s how a collaboration in Southwest Michigan helped older adults avoid hospitalization for COVID

Health care providers repackaged existing community services that enabled older adults to stay in their homes if they came down with COVID, or return home more quickly if they were hospitalized.

Tina Swanton, Michigan Health Improvement Alliance (MiHIA) executive director of community impact and strategic partnerships, and MiHIA CEO Heidi Tracy at Hidden Harvest and East Side Soup Kitchen in Saginaw.
Despite agricultural hub, Michigan’s Thumb has high food insecurity. Can collaboration change that?

The Michigan Health Improvement Alliance is taking a new approach to addressing food insecurity in the 14 heavily agricultural counties it serves in central and eastern Michigan.

Robert Sheehan, executive director of the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan
Here’s good news for Michiganders’ mental health: Community mental health delivers cutting-edge care

Michigan's community mental health agencies lead the nation in innovation, serve all 83 counties, and help Michiganders of all ages access the mental health supports they need.

Art teacher Steven Pryce teaches at Lincoln High School in Augusta Township.
State program helps Michigan schools handle students with extra care if they’ve experienced trauma

Since it was piloted in 2017, the state's Handle With Care program has helped schools provide compassionate care to thousands of children identified by law enforcement as having experienced a traumatic event.

Lynn Hendges, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services manager of housing and homeless services.
New data management tool aims to help medically vulnerable Michiganders escape homelessness

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is developing a standardized, statewide indicator to track not only an individual's homelessness risk but also their medical fragility. 

Nicole Shannon, systemic litigation and advocacy attorney for the Michigan Elder Justice Initiative, and Alison Hirschel, director and managing attorney of the Michigan Elder Justice Initiative.
Here’s how Michigan is working to ensure court-appointed guardians don’t take advantage of elders

Michigan providers and activists are working hard to ensure the guardianship system effectively serves Michigan's older adults.

Jamie Winkler, executive director of the Salvation Army Great Lakes Harbor Light System, in a short term residential care room at the Salvation Army's Harbor Light facility in Detroit.
Medical respite care helps Michigan’s most vulnerable recuperate after hospitalization

A handful of Michigan facilities offer daily wound care, help filling and taking prescriptions, or support with substance use disorder treatment for those in need.

Participants enjoy BMCC's 13 Moons of Anishinaabe programming.
Bay Mills Community College SNAP-Ed programs inspire healthy living

Bay Mills Community College is working with the Bay Mills Indian Community to leverage Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education programming to create environments that inspire healthy living.

Pill organizers at the Region VII Area Agency on Aging.
Inflation Reduction Act will cut crucial health costs for older Michiganders

Starting in 2023, the act will lower prescription drug costs for people with Medicare, cap out-of-pocket costs at $35 a month for insulin, and allow over-the-counter sales of hearing aids for the first time.

Dr. Sara Santarossa is the lead on a Henry Ford Health project that asked COVID long haulers to draw body maps representing their condition. She sits next to several of their works here.
Researchers seek solutions for Michigan’s 700,000 COVID long haulers

Michigan health care organizations are racing to determine what support those with "long COVID" need and how best to provide it.

Our Sponsors

Gilmore Foundation

Our Media Partners

Battle Creek Community Foundation
BINDA Foundation
Southwest Journalism Media Collaborative
Southwest Michigan First
Milestone Senior Services
Consumers Energy

Don't miss out!

Everything Southwest Michigan, in your inbox every week.

Close the CTA

Already a subscriber? Enter your email to hide this popup in the future.