Voice of the WHI

This October, WHI Communications Committee Co-Chair Maria Alfonso met with Mark Creekmore, treasurer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Washtenaw County (NAMI WC), to discuss his journey through juvenile corrections and the field of mental health, learning from past mistakes, and why he believes collaboration is essential for tackling our biggest challenges. Q. What … Read more

This September, WHI Communications Committee Co-Chair Liz Conlin met with Catherine McClary, treasurer of Washtenaw County, to discuss her multifaceted career, including her early history of working for women’s health—both in our county and nationally—and current aspiration to make Washtenaw County a more equitable community by dismantling structural inequalities. Q. You’re a finance person. Can … Read more

This August, WHI Communications Committee Co-Chair Liz Conlin met with Trish Cortes, executive director of the Washtenaw County Community Mental Health (WCCMH) agency, to discuss the significance of mental health funding, new challenges with our behavioral health workforce, plus the impact of local community partnerships and how the WHI has supported the work. Q. What … Read more

This summer, WHI Communications Committee Member, Gregory Powers, met with Margy Long, Director of Washtenaw Success by 6 Great Start Collaborative at the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, to discuss early childhood challenges in Washtenaw County and how Success by 6 is helping meet the needs of our youth and families, plus some of her proudest … Read more

In June, WHI Communications Committee co-chair, Liz Conlin, spoke with Versell Smith, Jr., executive director at the Corner Health Center and longtime member of the WHI, to discuss the history of his organization, the health inequities he sees in our community, and the many ways his organization is serving Washtenaw County’s youth and young adults. … Read more

In April, WHI Communications Committee Co-Chair, Liz Conlin, spoke with Jack Billi, Professor of Internal Medicine at Michigan Medicine and Steering Committee member of the WHI, to discuss his early interest in becoming a doctor, the biggest health challenges we face, and some of his proudest accomplishments over a long and storied career in the medicine, quality improvement, … Read more

In March, WHI Communications Committee Co-Chair Maria Alfonso spoke with Aubrey Patino, executive director of Avalon Housing, to discuss Aubrey’s passion for housing, the health challenges that keep her up at night, and her many sources of inspiration. Q. What originally inspired your passion for housing? Patino. I started out as a homeless outreach worker … Read more

Q. You’re a retired auto worker. Tell us a bit about your career. Moore. I worked at the Ford Rawsonville plan for 39 years. I started out as a production worker on the assembly line and ultimately became an elected District Committeeperson and Bargaining Representative. I retired in 2005 as an appointed Employee Resource Coordinator … Read more

Q. Washtenaw County has seen about 1,300 cases to date, with about 40 percent of these in the 48197 and 48198 zip codes. Why were these areas so hard hit? Loveluck. The Health Department has been focusing on health inequities in these communities for several years. In addition to assessing community health, we review the data … Read more