NEWS RELEASE
Jun 22, 2000

$4.1 Million Dollars in Rural Health Initiative Grants Awarded --Northeast Michigan to Receive $459,514

 

Michigan Department of Community Health Director James K. Haveman, Jr., today announced that $4.125 million in rural health funding has been awarded in recognition of the special health care needs faced by the residents of Michigan's rural areas.

"These grants will strengthen our health care system in rural Michigan," said Haveman. "It will lead to needed improvements in pre-hospital care - especially in our emergency medical system, service integration, telecommunications, and non-emergency transportation. This project demonstrates the strong partnership between the department and local rural communities."

A workgroup, consisting of Senator Joel Gougeon, Representative Terry Geiger and Director Haveman, was established to determine how to allocate the additional funding to improve rural health in Michigan. The workgroup held community forums in Sault Ste. Marie, Ludington and Mt. Pleasant.

Grants were awarded to various entities, including local life support/public safety entities, hospitals, health departments, and commissions on aging. These grants will cover various equipment and training costs, as well as develop and/or expand specific community services that have been identified as vital to local communities. Sixty-one projects, originating from 36 rural Michigan counties will receive awards. Due to the wide geographic scope of some of the applications, 50 of Michigan's 58 rural counties will directly benefit from these proposals.

Grant recipients in Northeastern Michigan include:
* Alpena General Hospital will receive $200,000 to work in partnership with the University of Michigan to expand current teleconferencing capabilities to connect Alpena and Ann Arbor staff for peer-review consultations on patient cases, live telecast of Cancer Grand Rounds and Tumor Board consultation.

* Long Rapids Township Fire Department, of Lachine, will receive $8,094 to purchase "jaws of life" extractor tools. The set of hydraulic spreaders, cutters and rams with a gasoline motor power unit will be used to extricate victims caught up in vehicle and agricultural machinery accidents.

* District Health Department #4 will receive $25,000 for the Northeast Michigan Pediatric Asthma Attack program. The pediatric asthma program originating from Presque Isle, Alpena, Montmorency, and Alcona counties will establish a coalition of health care providers, schools, health department and hospital personnel who will develop a common plan of action for early detection, management and prevention of pediatric asthma. They will also provide a series of seminars that target parents and providers.

* Alpena County will receive $66,250 for a Communications Network for Northeast Lower Michigan. The project, which covers Alpena, Alcona, Montmorency and Presque Isle counties, will develop a multi-agency response plan and resource network to facilitate an integrated EMS system. Funds will also be used to upgrade and link the counties' dispatch systems, and upgrade an ambulance hospital communication system.

* Mercy Hospital, of Grayling, will receive $25,000 for local fire departments and ambulance services in Crawford, Roscommon and Montmorency counties in parntership with Mercy Hospital, to purchase 19 automatic external defibrillator, 11 trainers and computer software. This equipment will be used to replace older, defective equipment.

* Crawford County Transportation Authority, of Grayling, will receive $93,800 to establish non-emergency transportation services. It is anticipated that 8,000 passenger trips will be provided annually to health care facilities in Antrim, Crawford, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Ogemaw and Otsego Counties.

* Oscoda Area First Responders will receive $20,000 to purchase a new EMS/Rescue Vehicle that will replace a 14 year old, high mileage, inefficient unit that is in poor physical and mechanical shape.

* Oscoda County Ambulance Service, of Mio, will receive $11,370 to purchase a Special Service Response Mini Rescue vehicle. This all terrain, four wheel drive vehicle will improve the ambulance service's response time to snowmobile, hiking, ATV and hunting accident scenes.

* Onaway Area Ambulance will receive $10,000 to purchase an additional transporting unit. This vehicle will enable the non-profit volunteer association, located in Presque Isle county, to improve its response time to emergency scenes located in remote portions of the service area.