To better serve the Flint and Genesee County community, the area’s three hospital systems, Genesys Health System, Hurley Medical Center, and McLaren-Flint have partnered with the Greater Flint Health Coalition to complete a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) – a new federal requirement of all non-profit hospitals to better understand the communities they serve and strategically invest resources to improve the health of residents over the long-term.

As founding members of the Greater Flint Health Coalition, Genesys Health System, Hurley Medical Center, and McLaren-Flint completed the CHNA by collectively supporting and expanding the GFHC’s Community Data Scorecard, a data collection tool that includes 265 community health metrics monitoring demographic, social, economic, environmental, healthcare access, healthcare cost, and public health status measures and data for Flint and Genesee County.

Through the leadership of Genesys Health System, Hurley Medical Center, McLaren-Flint, and the Greater Flint Health Coalition, this CHNA collected and analyzed data from a network of partners including public health professionals, health insurers, physicians, government agencies, school systems, businesses, and residents. In addition to the data, the CHNA process included engagement of approximately 2,200 local stakeholders and community residents from Flint and Genesee County.

The primary health needs for Flint and Genesee County identified through the CHNA are shown below, all supporting a goal of improved health behaviors and health outcomes for all residents:
· Increased Physical Activity & Active Living;
· Improved Nutrition & Diet;
· Tobacco-Free Living (Anti-smoking Activities);
· Effective Health Care Delivery for the Aging Population;
· Infant & Child Health Improvement;
· Improved Physical Environment, Neighborhood Safety, & Transportation.

The CHNA was approved by the respective Boards of Directors of Genesys Health System, Hurley Medical Center, and McLaren-Flint in June 2013 and has been posted to their respective websites for viewing by the community. The CHNA can also be found at www.gfhc.org/CHNA.

In the coming months, Genesys Health System, Hurley Medical Center, McLaren-Flint, and the Greater Flint Health Coalition will continue working together on an Implementation Plan to strategically improve the health of Flint and Genesee County residents in the primary health needs identified, strategically investing resources in order to maximize the benefit to the community.

The Flint Healthcare Employment Opportunities (FHEO) Program is seeking applicants for the next training cycle of future healthcare professionals. Training opportunities include: Medical Assistant, Certified Nursing Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Phlebotomist, Emergency Medical Technician, Health Unit Coordinator, Medical Billing and Coding, and Dental Assistant.

The FHEO Program, of which the Greater Flint Health Coalition is the lead agency, is locally funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Career Alliance, Inc., and the Community Foundation of Greater Flint. The FHEO Program is a sector workforce development program, assisting unemployed residents and dislocated workers from Flint and Genesee County with obtaining training, employment, and educational opportunities in the healthcare industry. Those accepted into the FHEO Program are provided with free training and supportive services.

To complete an online application and see dates for upcoming FHEO Program information sessions, please visit www.gfhc.org/fheo. Interested parties will be allowed to schedule for an information session once confirmation of an online application is received.

Individuals representing nearly 75 local employers and community organizations participated in the second annual Commit to Fit! 6 Weeks to Wellness Challenge, a community-wide business-to-business challenge that sought to encourage healthy behaviors in a competitive workplace wellness challenge. In this wellness challenge, Genesee County businesses and organizations signed up to compete for six weeks to determine who could practice the most healthy behaviors relating to physical activity, nutrition, hydration, and promotion of health within their own organization to earn Commit to Fit! Wellness Points.

Participants tracked their Commit to Fit! Wellness Points using the Commit to Fit! interactive website, www.commit2fit.com – participants logged in over 17,500 times during this 6 Weeks to Wellness Challenge, and tracked their health behaviors, earning a total of over 5.9 million Commit to Fit! Wellness Points.

Winners were announced in both the Small and Large Business Divisions of the 6 Weeks to Wellness Challenge, as follows:

Small Business Division (Employers with 10-99 employees)
Winners – Highest Average Wellness Points Per Participant
1st Place – Genesee Health Plan
2nd Place – Grand Blanc Township Police Department
3rd Place – Physicians Integrated Physical Therapy

Large Business Division (Employers with 100+ employees)
Winners – Highest Average Wellness Points Per Participant
1st Place – Advanced Physical Therapy Center
2nd Place – Genesee County Health Department
3rd Place – G.C.C.A.R.D.

To earn extra Commit to Fit! Wellness Points, individuals also participated in free Commit to Fit! fitness classes held weekly throughout the challenge which included Zumba, Drums Alive!, and Yoga. These weekly classes held throughout the challenge served as a unique opportunity for challenge participants to engage in physical activity and support a healthy lifestyle.

To recognize the successful business engagement of the 6 Weeks to Wellness Challenge, participants will gather at Creasey Bicentennial Park in Grand Blanc on Wednesday, June 12th from 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. for a celebration event. In addition to the trophies awarded to the business winners, prizes will be awarded to individuals, including over $2,000 in total cash prizes; fitness club memberships to Genesys Athletic Club, Hurley Health & Fitness Center, and the University of Michigan-Flint Recreation Center; as well as numerous Commit to Fit! water bottles, tote bags, and pedometers. Individual awards will be presented at 4:00 p.m., all participants are encouraged to come enjoy food and refreshments, attempt to win $100 in a Zing Ring Toss, and enjoy a fun afternoon in the park with their 6 Weeks to Wellness Challenge competitors. All Commit to Fit! participants are encouraged to attend the event.