Since 2021, the WHI’s Collaborative Impact Award has recognized local collaborations that have made a significant positive impact on community health. Do you know of a collaboration between organizations that is improving our community? Nominate them now!
Washtenaw Optimal Wellness is championing a Blue Zones Project in Washtenaw County. This project aims to enhance the Washtenaw County community model of health and well-being by adopting practices similar to those used in regions with high longevity. The Blue Zones Project is based on research conducted in regions where people live significantly longer and healthier … Read more
We spoke with Marie Gress, co-chair of the WHI Healthy Aging Collaborative, to learn more about the collaborative’s recent work and its focus on critical issues affecting seniors in Washtenaw County. How did you come to co-chair the Healthy Aging Collaborative? When I joined, the Healthy Aging Collaborative had already decided to focus on transportation, … Read more
In May of this year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released “Aging in the United States: A Strategic Framework for a National Plan on Aging” through the Administration for Community Living (ACL). “The rapidly growing population of older adults creates an urgent need for thoughtful planning and coordinated action to strengthen the … Read more
Read the June 2024 newsletter: Help disseminate this survey about shared housing availability in Washtenaw, and more.
Recent data from the Washtenaw County Health Department’s suicide report shows some promising trends and other areas of concern. As the county website reported: “Suicides among young people have been of concern in Washtenaw County for several years. Preliminary data from 2023 suggest a hopeful trend that the suicide rate may be decreasing among this … Read more
Looking for a new healthcare plan is a challenge. In a national Kaiser Family Foundation survey, fielded March – April 2020, more than 2,000 individuals were asked about the enrollment process. 18 percent reported that they received professional help finding a new insurance plan that year and 22 percent of those who did not report … Read more
Read the May 2024 newsletter: Substance use disorder in Washtenaw County, “It Is Possible” campaign, and more.
Washtenaw County is one of just 12 of Michigan’s 83 counties with an Overdose Fatality Review Team. Formed in 2023, this multidisciplinary team–with representatives from the public health department, medical examiner’s office, criminal legal justice system, substance use disorder treatment community, and more–meets every other month. Each time, they review and discuss overdose fatalities. The … Read more
Loving someone who is struggling with addiction can be an incredibly painful and lonely experience. “Watching someone you love go through addiction is one of the hardest things someone can experience, because there are so many unknowns,” says Wendy Klinski, clinical director of Home of New Vision in Ann Arbor. “Family and friends live day … Read more