Hi! I’m Megan Albertson. I am currently serving as the Director of the Jackson Care Hub. We are a team of three:
On June 13th, we hosted the first post-COVID in-person Jackson Care Hub Annual Meeting! Forty-six people showed up to spend the afternoon together. Even a scary summer storm didn’t keep people away! But for the folks who were not able to join us, here are the highlights.
State of the Jackson Care Hub
We talked about the sate of the Jackson Care Hub by reflecting on our work over the past year. In 2023, we did 193,046 screenings on 103, 878 individuals, served 8,073 people who wanted support, and made 10,124 referrals to local agencies. While these numbers are impressive, the most impactful part of the Jackson Care Hub is our dedicated network of people. Several of these partners offered us their stories and experiences about the past year. Their open heartfelt words reminded us of the power we have when we work together to support our community!
- Aiden Chavez – Community Health Worker – Lifeways
- Aiden shared his experience coming from a very rural community where access to resources was very difficult. When he was first introduced to the care hub he couldn’t believe it was real!
- Caitlyn McDermott – Community Health Worker – ARE
- Caitlin shared how the Care Hub is embedded in every aspect of their organization. Regardless of where a person walks in or the service they are getting, they have access to resources because of the Care Hub. They have even used it to help employees with resources!
- Tabatha Zuniga – Community Health Worker – LifeWays
- Tab shared her experience being an OG of the Care Hub and discussed the growth from its inception. “It’s incredible to see all these connected organizations now”.
- Amanda Pier – Community Health Worker – Center for Family Health
- Amanda talked about the experience of the patient being able to leave with resources to organizations WHO ARE GOING TO CALL THEM! She shared how appreciative people were that they didn’t have to make those calls themselves.
- Michael Cain – Youth Career Advisor – Michigan Works Southeast
- Michael gave a moving success story about an individual who was referred to Michigan Works Southeast for employment services. This is a direct quote from that patient: “Before I went to Michigan Works, I wasn’t sure what I was going to pursue as a career or how i was going to pay for it. Michael helped me figure out which direction to head in, and helped me get funds so everything was paid for. All I had to worry about anything was showing up to class, four months later I completed my program. Now i have four different certifications and currently putting them to use at my new job. Thank you Michael! Thank you Michigan works! And JMG”
Program Launches
We talked about two quality programs that are launching this year. One of the most important advantages of the Jackson Care Hub is the ability we have to coordinate actions across multiple organizations at the same time. This allows us to focus our energy on shared goals.
- Client Referral Incentive Program
This program is directed towards our Community Resource Liaison (CRL) agency partners. These are the folks that pick up the service referrals that our Community Health Workers (CHW) make in the Hub. The Care Hub is an IT platform, but its ability to serve our community is rooted in the collaborative efforts of our partners: agencies from all sectors agreeing to work together in a new way. The Hub only works if we all trust that other agencies are doing their part. Thankfully, they are!
Our CRL agency partners receive referrals in the Jackson Care Hub without any additional funding. They consistently allocate their own resources (time, talents, and treasures) to working collaboratively in the Jackson Care Hub because they know it’s important for our clients. The Incentive Program is an attempt to create a pathway to compensate these agencies for the work they do. Service agencies provide tremendous value by alleviating the effects of this wealthy nation choosing not to care for its people. It is our vision that, in a more equitable future, they will be fairly compensated for this good work.
Future posts will outline the key features of the Incentive Program. For now, please know that we are working towards a sustainable financial model to support the essential work being done to create equity and justice in our community.
- Queer Care Quality Program
The Queer Care Quality Program is a justice initiative intended to improve the experience and quality of care for queer people and their communities in Jackson. The Jackson Care Hub Governance Committee allocated funds to develop the program. We partnered with two expert consultants to design the content: Dr. Linsey Grove, DrPh of Carriage House Consulting, and Dr. Adreinne Rowland, PhD, LMSW, CST. The result is something I am very proud to launch with our partner agencies, many of which have been asking for this type of content for years.
The Queer Care Quality Program defines care standards across five organizational domains.
- Agency Policies and Procedures
- Staff Education and Competency
- Client Care and Service Delivery
- Built Environment
- Social and Community Solidarity
Again, more posts will describe the program in greater detail. For now, please know that we are committed to creating justice for everyone in our community by investing in high-quality, intersectional resources.
Awards
It was an honor for the Jackson Care Hub team to present awards of recognition to our wonderful partners. Please take a moment to read through the names below and reflect on the sacred power of a community deciding to work together towards an open and compassionate future!
If you are a partner or ally not listed below, know that we see you and honor your work as well. If you are not yet involved in the Jackson Care Hub, you and your gifts are needed and welcomed in this labor of love!
- Governance Committee
- Laura Reaume – Community Action Agency
- Maribeth Leonard – LifeWays
- Sara Benedetto – Center for Family Health
- Kara Lorenz – Wellwise
- Bob Powell – Family Services and Childrens Aid
- Alexa Burgei – Jackson Collaborative Network
- Caitlin Yanakeff – Jackson Health Network
- Angie Guadagnini – Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
- Janelle Buchler – Jackson County ISD
- Amy Schultz – Henry Ford Jackson
- Community Health Workers
- Betsy Evans – LifeWays
- Barb Rudd – LifeWays
- Caitlyn McDermott – ARE
Tabitha Zuniga – LifeWays
- Reta Edger – LifeWays
- Lynna Eubanks – Wellwise
- Aiden Chavez – LifeWays
- Marissa Lowery – LifeWays
- Ruth Brown – LifeWays
- Amanda Pier – Center for Family Health
- Community Resource Liaisons
- Sherry Mills – LifeWays
- Clarissa Winters – LifeWays
- Michael Cain – Michigan Works Southeast
- Deanne Mathews – Wellwise
- Sarah Harris – Big Brothers Big Sisters
- Megan Pitts – College and Career Access Center
- Mindy Albert – DisAbility Connections
- Amanda Pier – Center for Family Health
- Caitlyn McDermott – ARE
- Tausha Gutierrez – Community Action Agency
- Spark Award presented by Limitless Innovation
- Community Health Worker Who:
- Embraces the shift
- Demonstrates a different level of passion
- Has a high level of engagement
- Very curious mindset
- SPARKS others around them
- Amanda Pier – Center for Family Health
- Amanda has been a pillar of the Community Health Worker work in our community. I cannot count the number of times we have called Amanda on random days to follow up with a person who needed help. No questions asked, Amanda just does it. She is active in every learning community and brings energy to every session. Above all, Amanda embraces the shift in the work that we do and is a champion of the movement.
- Community Health Worker Who:
Q & A Conversation
We had an engaged group at the meeting! We took time for an open Q&A session. Lots of folks wanted to know about our plan and/or capacity to expand both within Jackson County (new connected partners) and into other communities where people need help. Yes, we are eager to expand and preparing to actively recruit and on-board new partners in 2025. I fear that the pace of our growth might frustrate some (we are a small team!), it was lovely to hear such enthusiasm about expanding the scope of our service and care!
Closing Remarks
I was excited to end the agenda (and open the social hour) with closing remarks. It has been an honor to serve as the Director of the Jackson Care Hub since March 2022. I am humbled by the importance of the work we do together: all that we have accomplished already and all that we have left to do. If you are interested in that message, the link is below.
Thank you again for your good work and for choosing to share your blessings with us!!
Missed the closing remarks!? Check out the video here: Jackson Care Hub Annual Meeting: Closing Remarks
Special Thanks
Thanks to our event partners!
- Venue – Forty nine South
- Catering – CCC Catering
- Drink Sponsor – Fetch Data
