Funds to aid in the program’s mission to address basic health needs across 31 Northern Michigan counties.
Munson Healthcare (MHC) has announced that over the next two years it is committing $120,000 to Community Connections, a free program helping to ensure families across the region have access to basic necessities.
“The most recent triennial Community Health Needs Assessment, completed in June, identified economic security among the top priorities for the communities we serve in Northern Michigan,” said Ed Ness, Munson Healthcare President and CEO. “We are proud to support Community Connections which plays an important role in addressing so many social determinants of health.”
Community Connections is the result of collaborative work through MiThrive within the Community Health Initiative Region (CHIR). The free program provides one-on-one support to help connect families to community resources that address essential needs including:
- Medical, dental, and behavioral health care
- Healthy food and lifestyle resources
- Housing and support to pay utilities
- Education and childcare
- Transportation and other services
Research indicates that access to basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare have significantly improved overall health. Community Connections is a collaboration between health departments, healthcare providers and hospitals across the region. Recent evaluations indicate that 95% of participants had their needs met or exceeded as well as a decrease in emergency department visits’ pre-and-post enrollment by over 24%.
“With changing landscape of healthcare, the role of our community health workers may be more important now than ever before,” said Debbie Aldridge, Community Connections Hub Director, Northern Michigan CHIR. “We appreciate Munson Healthcare’s support in our work to help community members navigate these challenges and provide access to essential services for those most in need.”
Since 2024, Munson Healthcare has committed over a half-million dollars to support organizations and programs expanding access to basic needs which include Safe Harbor shelter ($100,000) in Traverse City, Goodwill Northern Michigan ($150,000) and a nationally recognized Street Medicine program ($300,000) which is now expanding into Cadillac.
Community Connections is made possible through Community Health Initiative Regions, or CHIRs, with six hubs across a 31-county coverage area, including all the MHC service area and all of lower-Northern-Michigan. CHIRs bring a broad group of stakeholders together to improve the wellbeing of the residents in their community, in particular, by addressing factors that affect a person’s health.