This reporting series from Planet Detroit examines the growing role of community health workers (CHWs) in Michigan—trusted professionals who assist residents in navigating housing, food access, managing chronic illnesses, and the healthcare system. Medicaid cuts could undermine funding for these workers, who often come from the same communities they serve. By building trust and drawing on lived experience, CHWs are addressing critical gaps in care that traditional health systems often overlook. This project was made possible with support from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.
How to understand and connect with community health workers in Michigan
Community Health Workers in Michigan are vital in bridging healthcare gaps, offering essential support like food, housing, and insurance enrollment. Certified and trained, they build trust and provide care to underserved communities, especially amid federal Medicaid cuts threatening their funding.
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More than medicine: How a community health worker keeps one patient housed – and alive
Community health workers at Trinity Health Michigan are tackling food insecurity and housing challenges, offering support with Medicaid and utility shutoffs, while empowering residents through the hospital’s urban farm and food hub.
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How a phone call a week helped one Detroiter manage diabetes — and avoid the ER
Read our entire series on Community Health Workers here>>> When Terry Pita’s doctor told her she needed to start insulin, she burst into tears. “I just didn’t want to take shots,” she said. “I still cringe.” Pita, who has managed Type 2 diabetes for…
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As Medicaid cuts loom, are Michigan’s community health workers in jeopardy?
Michigan’s Medicaid reimbursement for certified Community Health Workers marks a pivotal moment in health equity and access, yet looming federal budget cuts threaten to unravel these advances, impacting economic stability for vulnerable communities.
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