Improving health care access is a priority for Wayne County

Studies have long shown that while the United States has more costly health care than other industrialized nations, we also have the highest rates of citizens lacking access tocare.

The Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as O hamacare, has helped greatly to close the gap but there is much more to do to ensure all citizens receive the care they deserve.

This challenge is particularly acute in Wayne County where 11 percent of our residents do not have health insurance. That number represents 25 percent of Michigan's entire uninsured population. Access to care goes beyond just insurance. In Westland, Wayne, Romulus and Inkster, there is only one primary care doctor for every 4,100 residents.

We cannot grow a strong, world-class county if so many of our residents lack essential health care services. That's why I've made improving health care access a priority for Wayne County government even as we worked to balance the County budget in the face of financial challenges.

Our efforts began when, as part of our overall restructuring to right Wayne County's flnances, we consolidated numerous departments and divisions into the new Department of Health, Veterans and Community Wellness.

This wasn't a bureaucratic reshuffling. Instead, the new streamlined department was designed from the ground-up around a "No Wrong Door" service model. Residents once had to navigate a bureaucratic maze to obtain care, but now case managers are trained to conduct complete resident assessments. We have made it our responsibility to see that a person receives the services they need, not vice-versa.

While implementing the "No Wrong Door" policy was significant, we look to make an even larger impact with two significant initiatives to reach underserved residents in the communities in which they live.

We recently opened the new full service Wayne Health Center in the city of Wayne to provide care for underserved communities in Western Wayne County. One primary care doctor for every 4,100 residents is a reality we couldn't allow to continue without trying to address it.

Through a partnership with Beaumont Health, this facility offers primary care services. Physicians and health care professionals from Beaumont's Family Medicine program are working side by side with Wayne County's public health nurses.

We've also launched our Wellness@theCommunity events in Hamtramck and Ecorse. Our staff will spend one Wednesday a month in each community through June providing care to anyone who needs it.

Dr. Mouhanad Hammami, director of Wayne County's Department of Health, Veterans & Community Wellness, his team and their partners are doing a fantastic job to implement these efforts. We believe over time they will significantly improve access to care for those who need it most.

In my opinion, it is unacceptable that lack of access to health care has been a struggle for so many of our residents. My administration is committed to building on these efforts to further improve access. Our goal is to ensure Wayne County government is doing everything it can to help residents receive the care they need.

I want to personally invite all county residents in need of health care to take advantage of these programs. They are here for you and our staff is professional and respectful of the residents they serve.

If you are seeking care for you or your family please don't hesitate to reach out. You can learn more about these and other programs on our website, waynecounty.com, or by calling our Public Health office at 734.727.7000.