Detroit, Michigan

Detroit child health indicators are among the worst in the nation.  Four out of 10 young children were under-immunized, and six out of ten Medicaid children with persistent asthma had not seen a doctor.  Detroit had a severe shortage of primary care doctors in 2008, which has only grown worse over the past two years.  As a result, many children have gone without access to comprehensive care, placing their long-term health and well-being at risk. 

In December 2010, the Children's Health Project of Detroit, a partnership between the Henry Ford Health System and Children's Health Fund, launched a mobile medical clinic that will deliver comprehensive health care services to approximately 1,000 to 1,500 children a year.  The mobile clinic visits local Detroit schools and youth centers on a weekly schedule to ensure continuity of care and to build on-going relationships with teachers, parents, students and the community.

Henry Ford Health System, ranked as one of the America’s Best Hospital systems by U.S. News & World Report, has a deep commitment to community-based health care and operates a number of school-based and school-linked programs in low-income areas.  The addition of a mobile medical program allows the Children’s Health Project of Detroit to follow students who are transferred (as a result of Detroit’s budget crisis and the closing of several schools) to academic institutions that do not have on-site health services, without requiring physical space in the school buildings.

Sampling of Services:

• Primary care,
• Treatment for chronic conditions,
• Physical and sports examinations,
• Immunizations,
• Vision and dental services,
• Referrals for specialty care,
• Behavior health case management and referrals,
• Urgent care,
• Transportation assistance to specialty care and other services,
• Health insurance enrollment assistance, i.e. Medicaid, community outreach, and
• Health education. 

DOWNLOAD THE DETROIT PROJECT FACT SHEET