SPECIAL PROJECTS
& EMERGING IDEAS

To accelerate progress made by hospital community benefit programs, scale efforts statewide, and coalesce around solving difficult and persistent health problems, MHA will deploy a core set of standard interventions within Michigan hospitals and health systems to address three priority areas identified through community needs assessments, including behavioral health, maternal and infant health, and access to healthy foods.

ID: 2411-155247

This project will provide support for community-based organizations presenting at the Council of Michigan Foundations’ annual conference, with the goal of increasing representation and reducing burden for nonprofits to share information with the Michigan philanthropy community.

ID: 2504-156126

This project will provide support for health-related programming at the Council of Michigan Foundations’ annual conference, with the goal of convening and increasing collaboration among health-focused foundations in Michigan.

ID: 2404-153859

To improve social connectedness and delay cognitive decline among older adults in Asian American communities, Eastern Michigan University will partner with local organizations to develop culturally adapted senior center programming. This initiative will serve Chinese, Filipino, and Bangladeshi older adults who face cultural and linguistic barriers to accessing wellness programming, offering activities such as Tai Chi, dancing, and gender-specific sessions aligned with community values.

ID: 2405-154408

To enhance the partnership of Michigan’s Food as Medicine programs with Medicaid Health Plans through “In Lieu of Services” (ILOS), this project will develop a coordinating intermediary to integrate Health-Related Social Needs (HRSNs) into Medicaid services, focusing on food and nutrition. Through streamlining service delivery and enhancing payment processes, the initiative aims to reduce health disparities, improve nutritional outcomes, and enhance the healthcare system’s ability to respond to HRSNs for Michigan residents.

ID: 2407-154810

To improve the quality and safety of health services provided by school nurses, this project will address gaps in care documentation. By assessing existing student information systems and electronic documentation platforms, this project will lead to more accurate and standardized documentation and consistent billing processes for school nurses.

ID: 2407-154776

This project will equip local public health agencies to address misinformation and better communicate public health messages with their communities. By analyzing attitudes across population groups and training staff in health communication, the project aims to improve messaging and engagement with diverse communities across Michigan.

ID: 2406-154678

To improve access to supportive housing for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness and co-occurring behavioral health conditions, this project will implement regional pilot programs across Michigan. By providing technical assistance, building capacity, and analyzing Medicaid rates, the project aims to better coordinate housing and behavioral health systems, ensuring that Medicaid covered Housing Assistance Services are fully utilized to meet the needs of this population.

ID: 2407-154787

To reduce youth incarceration, this project will assist eight Michigan counties in identifying evidence-based community programs for justice-involved youth. By partnering with a resource specialist and engaging local stakeholders, the project will help identify, implement, and sustain holistic services that strengthen family and community ties using increased reimbursement.

ID: 2407-154714

To reduce the administrative burden on providers participating in Medicaid health plans, this project will establish a standardized credentialling process for all Medicaid health plans in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. By selecting a single credentialing verification organization and leveraging input from multiple stakeholders, the initiative aims to promote broader Medicaid participation among healthcare professionals and increase beneficiary access to care by reducing provider approval times.

ID: 2407-154796

To publicly fund enabling technology for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Michigan, this project will implement the national Technology First framework. By creating a 20-member task force including parents and state government to develop implementation recommendations and establishing a nonprofit “tech champion”, the initiative aims to improve self-efficacy and resilience among IDD beneficiaries while addressing workforce shortages and enhancing care adherence.

ID: 2406-154680

To strengthen interpreter services for Michigan’s Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf Disabled community, this project will assess the interpreter workforce and the barriers to accessing critical services. Through a statewide census and data analysis, partners will develop recommendations to enhance interpreter training programs and improve service delivery in health care and community settings.

ID: 2407-154785

Through expanded Medicaid coverage and targeted services to individuals transitioning from incarceration back into the community, this 1115 waiver aims to improve health outcomes and reduce recidivism. This grant will support planning and implementation by conducting landscape assessments and engaging stakeholders, healthcare providers, and community-based organizations, facilitating continuous and integrating care for justice-involved individuals.

ID: 2406-154681

To personalize post-acute care (PAC) for stroke survivors, this project will create data models for 1,360 patients. By integrating patient data, cost measures, and predictive dashboards, the model will inform care planning, stratify results by race/ethnicity and insurance type, and demonstrate clinical and cost benefits that can shape federal regulations.

ID: 2407-154825

To improve early identification of developmental delays in premature and medically fragile infants, this project will implement and validate the “Premature and Young Infant Developmental Assessment Tool” (PYIDAT). By training Ealy On Michigan staff and assessing 200 infants across Michigan, the project aims to enable earlier interventions, enhance long-term health outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs for at-risk infants.

ID: 2401-153273

This project will increase access to prevention and early invention services for infants and early childhood providers by supporting the implementation of virtual infant and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC) to licensed and registered childcare providers serving children birth to age six and their families.

ID: 2501-155470