Alliance for Health

Community hospital trustees convene to commission James A. Hamilton and Associates to conduct a health and hospital development study of West Central Michigan

Health and HOspital Study of the Grand Rapids Region presented to the community.  Among the far-reaching recommendations was the establishment of an ongoing planning entity to coordinate and guide the development of West Michigan's heatlh resources.

Kent County Medical Society adopted the Health Council.

1959

Community Chest and Council of Social Agencies merged to form the United Community Services of Kent County. This organization had two divisions - United Fund and Planning.

1962

Health Council (organized in 1948) merged into the Planning Division of United Community Services to provide a formal organizational home.  A standing Health Steering Committee was created within the Planning Division, concerned primarily with voluntary and public health services.

1963

Health Steering Committee merged City of Grand Rapids and Kent County Health Departments into one unit.

Health Steering Committee was designated to conduct evidence of necessity reviews for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

1965

Hospital and Related Facilities Planning Unit organized by the United Community Services Planning Division; concerned particularly with hospital and nursing home facilities.

1966

Hospital and Related Facilities Planning Unit awarded federal Hill-Burton matching funds for facilities planning.

1968

Hospital and Related Facilities Planning Unit and Health Steering Committee merged to become the Areawide Comprehensive Health Planning Unit (ACHPU) which was the first Michigan organization designated under the new comprehensive health planning legislation (Section 314 (b) of Public Law 89-749).

1968

ACHPU Developed master plan for Kent County Medical Care Complex (Kent Community/Kent Oaks Hospitals).

1969

West Shore Health Planning Council became operational, planning for Mason, Oceana and Muskegon Counties.

1970

Kent County Health Care Facilities Study Committee (Hillman Commission) appointed by the Areawide Comprehensive Health Planning Unit.

1971

Neighborhood Health Services (forerunner to Cherry Street Services) planned and organized by ACHPU in Grand Rapids.

1971

ACHPU planned the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Grand Valley State University.

1972

ACHPU became separately incorporated from the United Way of Kent County (formerly United Fund and Community Services) and its name changed to West Michigan Comprehensive Health Planning Unit (WMCHPU). West Shore Health Planning Council (Mason, Oceana and Muskegon Counties) merged into WMCHPU to form a twelve county service area.

1972

Michigan Certificate of Need and law enacted and WMCHPU formally designated with review responsibilities for West Central Michigan.

1972

WMCHPU merged duplicative blood banking services in Kent County; Grand Valley Blood Program (now Michigan Blood) organized.

1973

WMCHPU initialted Emergency Medical Services (EMS) systems planning, enhancing rescue extrication, communications, EMT training, and special trauma services; cited as national model of excellence.

1973

School dental disease programs developed and implemented by WMPCHU in cooperation with West Michigan District Dental Society.

1973

West Central Michigan Hospital Council organized by WMCHPU.

1974

Areawide burn care services network planned by WMCHPU

1974

Regional poison center established and funded by WMCHPU at Spectrum Health Blodgett Campus.

1974

Feasibility for first area HMO established by WMCHPU.

1974

WMCHPU merged psychiatric programs in Muskegon County; secured public millage support for new combined public-private facility.

1975

New health planning legislation enacted, (Public Law 93-641), The National Health Planning and Resource Development Act of 1974), singed by Presiden tGeral Ford, replacing the comprehensive health planning law (P.L. 89-749).

1976

WMCHPU federally designated as official health systems agency for West Central Michigan and name changed to the West Michigan Health Systems Agency (WMHSA).

1976

Kent County EMS organized by WMHSA.

1978

First Annual Health Expo sponsored by WMHSA to provide health screening, education and resource awareness.

West Michigan Business Group on Health organized by WMHSA.

1984

Labor Task Force on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention organized by WMHSA to educate and motivate union members.

1986

National Health Planning and Resource Development Act and federal funding expired.

1986

First regional AIDS Committee organized by the West Michigan Health Systems Agency.

1988

WMHSA changed name to the Alliance for Health, made organizational modifications and eliminated geographic limitations.

1988

Michigan Certificate of Need (CON) law revised and the Alliance for Health received continued designation as review agency for West Central Michigan.

1989

Initial monthly First Friday Forum offered to engage discussion and debate about current health issues.

1989

Commission on Future Directions in Health Care, organized by the Alliance for Health, to review future needs, concluded that competition in health care has a very limited role, and that cooperative planning at the local and areawide level is very much needed.

1991

SpecialAFH Ad Hoc Committee, chaired by Judge Stuart Hoffius, recommended the Alliance for Health continue to participate in the State Certificate of Need process.

1992

West Michigan Trauma Network organized by Alliance for Health responding to physician and hospital requests.

1992

Fitness West Michigan organized by AFH as regional arm of Governor’s Fitness Council.

1993

Special Kent County Area Health Care Facilities Study (Hillman Commission), chaired by U.S. District Judge Douglas W. Hillman, organized by Alliance for Health to conduct comprehensive review of hospital plans in Kent County and to make appropriate recommendations for the future. The far-reaching recommendations provided a blueprint for the community, leading to the merger of Butterworth and Blodgett Memorial hospitals and creation of Spectrum Health

1994

Value Improvement Partners (VIP) project created by AFH to evaluate the effectiveness of area health plans. This evolved into the nationwide eValue8 program, now coordinated by the National Business Coalition on Health.

1995

AFH merged Lake, Mason and Oceana Community Mental HealthServices to form West Michigan CMH System.

1996

West Michigan Occupational Health Initiative organized by AFH to develop cooperative standards.

1997

Public Inebriate Shelter planned for Kent County by AFH.

2001

Kent Health Plan Corporation incorporated by AFH as a community coalition to provide health care coverage for the uninsured in Kent County.

2002

West Michigan Nurses Advisory Council became a part of the Alliance for Health, initially focusing on the area’s nursing shortage.

2004

West Central Michigan Health Care Regional Skills Alliance (RSA) organized by AFH in partnership with 5 area Michigan Works! Agencies, working to develop and maintain a system to assure a supply of qualified employees for health care employers and systematically provide health care careers for displaced workers.

2006

WIRED West Michigan selected the RSA to align the workforce development and education systems around the emerging skill requirements of the health care sector.

2007

AFH received Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant - Aligning Forces for Quality, one of just 14 communities in the US to receive this award to improve the quality of health care throughout West Michigan.

2007

AFH received planning grant from the State of Michigan to establish a West Michigan Health Information Exchange (WMHIE)  to develop a regional information technology infrastructure for health care information exchange that will streamline the sharing of medical information throughout West Michigan. 

2008

The Alliance for Health was named a Chartered Value Exchange by the US Department of Health and Human Services,  one of 14 communities across the US in recognition of AFH work to implement cutting-edge, collaborative methods to transform health care at the local level.

2008

Additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation was received by AFH to establish new phase of quality improvement focusing on reducing disparities in race, ethnicity and primary language that occur at the inpatient setting.