Authority Health were awarded two major grants that will expand Popoff Family Health Center’s primary care services on Detroit’s eastside:

• A $500,000 Total Health Care Foundation grant will expand Popoff Family Health Center, Authority Health’s Family Medicine clinical training site. The grant will fund an educational kitchen, provide nutrition education, and additional space for individual and group behavioral health therapy. The Authority Health behavioral health program has expanded greatly over the past year, due to increased need created by the pandemic and our Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT) program. Part of the increased need for our MAT services is a recent partnership with District Court 36B. Popoff now receives referrals directly from the court. Adding an additional counseling room as well as a group therapy room would enhance and support our increase in MAT programming.

The new kitchen will provide nutrition and cooking classes, as well as enhancing Authority Health’s partnership with the Fresh Prescription (Fresh Rx) program. Fresh Rx network providers provides nutrition counseling for patients with hypertension or diabetes in partnership with Eastern Market, Detroit Community Markets, and Genesis Hope Community Development Corporation. This program allows Family Medicine physicians to prescribe fresh fruits and vegetables as a treatment for these chronic diseases. Participants receive nutrition education, food vouchers, and telemedicine follow ups with Popoff health center physicians.

• The State of Michigan has authorized $450,000 to support the training and deployment of community health workers to support primary care initiatives at Authority Health’s health centers in Detroit. Based on premise that there has long been a need to support patients with chronic disease who are homebound or otherwise disconnected from the health care system, Authority Health proposed the deployment of community health workers in connection with telehealth, community nutrition programs, health literacy, and other initiatives

The project will evaluate the impact of community health workers (CHW) on care coordination, management of chronic disease and successful mitigation of COVID-19 related health impacts in at-risk urban populations. The project will also utilize community health workers to serve as extensions of community-based primary care providers to help patients better manage chronic conditions, understand their disease and treatment plan, and prevent complications. The community health workers will use telehealth technology to increase connectivity between patients and health providers. In addition, these workers will support patients by working with the patient to address social determinants that may hinder their ability to achieve maximum health and well-being and help patients navigate the health system. They will work with all ages, including effectively supporting caregivers.

Patients with chronic disease cared for through Authority Health will better manage their chronic conditions, thus avoiding complications and progression of disease. Vaccination rates for the patient base will increase. The attendance rate for routine medical exams will be improved, the overall satisfaction of patients with health care will be improved. Patient’s overall health, health literacy, and health behaviors will improve.