Mercy Health Partners
Muskegon, Mich.
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The Mercy Health Partners/Lakeshore Health Network Oceana County Health Care Needs and Outreach Services Committee has been meeting since July 2009 in response to several findings in the 2009 Community Health Needs Assessment pointing to disparities in access to care in this rural county. Mercy has participated in developing a network of health care providers and community agencies to jointly evaluate, plan and deploy health care services to better meet the needs of underserved residents of Oceana County. The goals of the project are to:
- Better understand local health need with continued assessment and monitoring.
- Jointly develop and formalize a network organization and operations through a strategic plan that identifies and prioritizes needs, and develops joint solutions in this service area.
- Identify health information technologies that can improve health care outcomes by improving coordination of services and sharing of health information.
Currently, the Committee is working to bring new physician specialties to Oceana County. A nephrologist will be starting a clinic at the Lakeshore Campus in the summer of 2011. Other interested specialists are being pursued, as well. Supported by Muskegon's "3-share" community coverage program, Access Health, Inc., the Oceana Medical Fund has been started to assist uninsured residents with pharmaceutical needs. The program is now being extended to inpatients and ER patients who are identified at discharge as needing assistance. Other Committee objectives include: addressing language and transportation barriers to accessing services, deploying the Wheels of Mercy Mobil Unit to more locations in Oceana County; and assisting CALL 2-1-1 with identifying services available in the county.