May 31, 2005

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm and Michigan Department of Community Health Director Janet Olszewski today announced thousands of children will receive critical health services, mental health treatment, and preventive education in their communities, thanks to a $10.5 million investment in dozens of health centers across the state.

Click here for a list of grantees.

The state’s Child and Adolescent Health Center (CAHC) grants are funded through a combination of $3.7 million in State School Aid dollars, matched with $6.8 million in local and federal Medicaid resources. In addition, each center is required to collect third-party revenue and to collect fees through a sliding fee scale, based on family income levels. Local community support is also required, with local agencies providing an additional 30 percent match of state allocations.

“Ensuring that children receive the very best in health care that the state of Michigan can provide is a priority,” Granholm said. “From Detroit to Marquette, these 45 funded health centers will help to bring us closer to our overarching goal of achieving the best possible physical, intellectual, and emotional status of children statewide.”

The 33 clinical CAHC and 12 non-clinical CAHC centers (see attached listing for locations) are managed by local health departments, school districts, hospitals, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), rural health centers, and community organizations.

“At a minimum, children will receive on-site primary health care, mental health services, health promotion and disease prevention education, and referral services as a direct result of these important grants,” Olszewski said. “Together, both state and local units of government will work to improve the health of our most important resource - children.”

The CAHCs are specifically designed to target uninsured, underinsured, and publicly insured children aged 5 to 10, and youth aged 10 to 21, along with infants and small children of the adolescent population, Olszewski said.

"School-based and school-linked health centers provide vital on-site health services for children and families in a familiar and trusted setting -- their neighborhood schools," said Dr. Jeremy Hughes, Interim State Superintendent of Public Instruction. "Healthy children are healthy learners who have a far better chance for successful futures."