Albion Health Care Alliance programs include the following:
Health Care Facilities Program
Elementary School Nurse Program
Wildcat Wellness Center Program
Neighborhood Health Visitors Program
Teen Pregnancy/Sexual Issues Prevention
In addition the Alliance has established Community Partner Programs with key organizations capable of accelerating efforts to promote the health and wellness of the Greater Albion Community. These partnerships include the following:
Albion Health and Wellness Action Team
Albion Faith-Based Community
Albion Youth Development Coalition
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Health Partnership
Maternal and Infant Health Commission (coming soon)
Health Care Facilities Program
The Alliance has built, owns, and manages a 10,000 square foot state-of-the-art medical office facility in downtown Albion. Located on riverfront property at 115 Market Street, this facility has 12 physician examination rooms, five dental operatories, two nurses' stations, radiology suite, laboratory draw station, comfortable and attractive patient areas, and convenient on-site parking. The facility is leased at no cost to the Family Health Center of Battle Creek for provision of primary care and dental care services, and to Oaklawn Hospital for provision of laboratory and radiology services.
In addition, Steven Williams, RPT, operates a specialty clinic, Unique Physical Therapy, for provision of physical therapy services. This is a full service physical therapy practice, catering to patients who need physical therapy for a variety of ailments, including backs, arthritis, and surgical recovery.
Elementary School Nurse Program
The Alliance has enhanced access to care and wellness for vulnerable elementary school aged children by placing a nurse in the Washington Gardner Elementary School. This nurse provides health education, health screenings, medication, MI Child enrollment, triage to other health services, and referral to a primary care home. In addition to providing these vital services at Washington Gardner, the Alliance in collaboration with the School Wellness program conducted health screenings for all K-12 students in Albion schools during the 2004-2005 school year. This program directly supports AHCA's educational goals by providing care in the school setting.
Wildcat Wellness Center Program
The Alliance has successfully competed for a state grant to develop and manage a child and adolescent health center at Albion High School beginning in 2006. The health center provides primary care services, health education, health insurance eligibility and enrollment, medication, MI Child enrollment, and referrals to partnering agencies for services outside of the scope provided through the health center. The WWC offers on-site mental health and substance abuse services, and primary care services including pregnancy testing and medical management of chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes mellitus, and sexually-transmitted infections.
Neighborhood Health Visitors Program
With the support of the Calhoun County Public Health Department and HCAP (Health Community Access Program), the Alliance has developed and managed the Neighborhood Visitor Program — a community outreach, peer education and referral program. Through this program, trained health visitors go door-to-door in their respective communities throughout Albion, distributing smoke alarms and thermometers, promoting MI Child applications, and informing residents of available health services in Albion and Calhoun County.
Teen Pregnancy/Sexual Issues Prevention
Goals of the organization:
- Albion will have zero teen pregnancies from moms who have not graduated from high school.
- Albion will be a community that will wrap its arms around youth 24/7.
- Albion will be a community where early sexual promiscuity will not be tolerated.
- Address the core issues, educate a full spectrum of ages on sexual issues, have a major paradigm shift.
Albion Health and Wellness Action Team
The Action Team is a local group comprised of community and county wide members working to address various health care problems in the community. The group continues as a grass roots organization dedicated to identifying and prioritizing health initiatives both in the county and in the greater Albion Community. They have a network of volunteers who support many community health initiatives, i.e. blood pressure clinics at community events, kids cardiac life support (KCLS), health fairs, and promoting healthy lifestyles to improve the general health of the community.
Albion Faith-Based Community
The Alliance has worked with the ministries of Albion to conduct outreach and promote wellness among several congregations of our community. Alliance staff and nurses from Alliance partner organizations have attended church events at various times throughout the year to provide health screenings, health education and referrals to health resources. The coalition has 16 churches who are currently involved in providing a variety of services which include before and after school programs for children in the Albion Public Schools. The major focus is developing character, violence prevention, and tutoring.
Albion Youth Development Coalition
Vision: To increase assets in the lives of all youth with a focus toward success and the reduction of negative behaviors and thereby creating a community where every child can succeed, no exceptions, no excuses.
Mission: To ensure that these promises are kept and become sustainable by serving as the forum for connecting resources, providing leadership, and being a support with an aim of guaranteeing accountability by pursuing our vision, implementing our mission, and remain surrounded by our individual commitment.
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Providing help for those in need of finding shelter, paying utilities, food, rent, prescriptions, transportation, medical care, child care, dental dare, substance abuse, etc. This service is promoted by the Neighborhood Health Visitors.
Health Partnership
Mission is to increase knowledge and skills of eliminating health disparities and barriers to healthcare in Calhoun County by engaging in culturally competent strategies through training and professional development of health and human service professionals.