DETROIT – Lieutenant Governor Gary Gilchrist spent some time on Detroit’s east side touring one of many neighborhood wellness centers that help keep the surrounding community healthy.
The state is investing $17 million to help transition 22 former COVID-19 testing sites into health and wellness centers.
The work is being spearheaded by the Racial Disparities Task Force, led by Gilchrist, which works to reduce racial disparities in healthcare.
The wellness centers emerged from the neighborhood testing sites during COVID-19, and Local 4 learned during that time about the health disparities often tied to race, so the centers are addressing that.
You can get your praise inside Vernon Chapel AME church on Detroit’s east side and take care of your health there.
“We all need to be well,” said Vernon Chapel AME Church Administrator Carmen Sneed. “We all need to be healthy, and a lot of people in the community don’t have opportunty for medical services. This gives them that opportunity.”
The church is one of about 22 neighborhood wellness centers in Michigan.
The centers offer free preventive health screenings to address racial health disparities.
The state is investing $17 million in this program.
“The people closest to the problems are the ones closer to the solutions,” said Gilchrest. “And this model understands that to its core.”
“I hope that people are able to access health care in a way that they were not able to before,” said Elizabeth Hertel of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. “People who may have had barriers with transportations or financing can come to these community centers, get all of their basic sevcies and then have referrals.”
People were taking advantage of what the neighborhood wellness center offered on Tuesday (June 11) afternoon.
“I just got some good news on my high blood pressure,” said James Harris. “It’s getting better. So I think it is a great program.”
Even Sean Wright understood the importance of the facility.
“To keep everyone healthy and to keep everyone well, it is hard to live when we are sick,” said Wright.
At these wellness centers, you can get blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol screenings, and more.
If there are issues, community members will be pointed in the right direction. These wellness centers want to be hubs of prevention.
