A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
5
S
EPTEMBER
1, 2011
I
NKSTER
- W
AYNE
- W
ESTLAND
Health insurance for children campaign under way
Westland sets 9/11 ceremony
More than 127,000 children in
Michigan are uninsured and it
doesn't have to be that way.
Oakwood Healthcare, Inc,
joined a coalition of Michigan hos-
pitals, school districts and
Community Health Centers in a
back-to-school campaign to enroll
eligible children in the state low-
cost and free health insurance pro-
grams known as MIChild and
Healthy Kids. The eight-week cam-
paign is part of a year-long effort of
the Enroll Michigan coalition to
enroll as many of Michigan's more
than 127,000 uninsured and eligi-
ble children as is possible in the
two programs.
“This care is critical for detect-
ing health conditions at an earlier
stage,” said Brian Connolly, presi-
dent and CEO of Oakwood
Healthcare, Inc., which provides
health care to patients throughout
southeast Michigan. “Introducing
children to prevention and well-
ness care also teaches them the
importance of developing healthy
habits. These lessons last a life-
time.”
While most of these uninsured
children are eligible forMIChild or
Healthy Kids, they have not been
enrolled for reasons including lan-
guage barriers, lack of transporta-
tion or means of communication
(telephone access) and unaware-
ness of eligibility and/or how to
enroll. Enroll Michigan has been
working since March to connect
the families of eligible children to
community navigators to complete
the simplified online, telephone
and in-person enrollment process-
es.
“A child who gets health care in
the right place at the right time is
better prepared to learn and less
likely to develop serious, costly
medical conditions,” saidMichigan
Primary Cree Association
Executive Director Kim Sibilsky.
“The goal of the Enroll Michigan
back-to-school project is to help
moreMichigan children get afford-
able coverage, obtain the care they
need, and become healthier and
happier students.”
It's easier than ever to enroll,
according to Spencer Johnson,
president of the Michigan Health
and Hospital Association. Families
with children who have no health
insurance can call 2-1-1, email
enroll@mpca.net or visit the
Enroll Michigan website,
www.enrollmichigan.com.
“The process to enroll eligible
children has been simplified sig-
nificantly, and the quality of care
and services available through
MIChild and Healthy Kids are
high,” Johnson said.
“Healthy kids can consistently
attend school and aren't distracted
with avoidable medical conditions
that can set themback,” addedRay
Telman, executive director of the
Middle Cities Education
Association. “Let's make sure kids
return to school this fall with the
best school supply there is - their
health.”
The coalition recently launched
a gift card incentive program June
1 which gives $10 gift cards to peo-
ple who refer a child to coverage
through Enroll Michigan. The gift
card program runs through Sept.
30 or until supplies last.
Ten years ago an act of terrorism
against the United States claimed
nearly 3,000 lives at the World
Trade Center in New York, the
Pentagon and in a field in
Shanksville, PA.
The City of Westland will host a
9/11 Memorial Service commemo-
rating the 10-year anniversary of
the tragic event at 11 a.m., Sunday,
Sept. 11. The service will be at St.
Matthew Lutheran Church and
School.
The program will take place on
the south steps of Westland City
Hall, located at 36601 Ford Road.
This marks the eighth year for the
service, which remembers those
who perished due to the attacks on
Sept. 11, 2001, as well as honors
members of the Armed Forces and
those who continue to serve and
protect our community.
"The ten year anniversary is a
significant milestone for our coun-
try and the City of Westland is
proud to continue to invite the
community to this event to pay
respect to our country's first
responders and to honor the brav-
ery they demonstrate," said
WestlandMayorWilliamR.Wild.
Pastor Kurt E. Lambart of St.
Matthew Lutheran Church and
School in Westland will preside
over thememorial service.
Annual fire fighters breakfast set
They've been flipping out for 13
years and they are very good at it.
When the Wayne firefighters
take to the griddles from 9 a.m.
until noon Oct. 8, hungry patrons
will, as usual, be lined up around
the block from the fire station.
This will be the 14th year the fire-
fighters have offered breakfast to
the public.
Every year the firefighters open
the fire station to the public for the
all-you-can-eat breakfast of pan-
cakes, three sausage links, coffee,
juice or milk. The event has
become a tradition throughout the
city and residents "flip" for the
fluffy griddle treats.
Advance tickets are not neces-
sary and the breakfast cost, $5 for
adults and children 10 and
younger $3, can be paid at the
door.
TheWayne Fire Station is locat-
ed at 3300 S.WayneRoad.
For more information, call the
department at (734) 722-1111.
Friends seeking help
The City ofWayne is still look-
ing for a littlemore help from its
'Friends.'
The Friends, People Helping
People project will take place on
Sept. 10 this year. Volunteers
gather at 8:30 a.m. at the city sen-
ior center, have a quick break
fast and from there travel to a
house in the city to spruce it up.
“We never know from year to
year how many people we're
going to have,” said Ed
McMurray, who coordinates the
project. “We're looking for volun-
teers.”
Now in its 13th year, the proj-
ect uses volunteers and donated
supplies to performminormain-
tenance and improvements to a
house in Wayne. They clean up
the yard, put on new coats of
paint and perform other minor
duties.
“We're usually done by 1 p.m.
or 1:30,” said McMurray. “When
it's all done the homeowner is
happy and everybody that works
on the project gets a really good
feeling from helping someone
out and making someone's life a
little bit better than it was before
we showedup.”
McMurray said he's still look-
ing for sponsors for the project,
which does not use any city
money. For $50, businesses or
individuals can get their name
printed on the back of the offi-
cial shirt volunteers wear on the
day of the event. Those interest-
ed can send a check to the city
with 'Friends Project' listed in
the subject line.
Wayne Mayor Al Haidous
said the project is a favorite for
the city and volunteers since
McMurray started it in 1998.