Dean Janine Janosky visits the White House

From left to right: Catherine Oaker, Deputy Director "Let's Move"; Kevin Hagan,
CEO, American Diabetes Association; Janine Janosky, dean of UM-Dearborn
College of Education, Health, and Human Services; Carole Johnson, White House
Domestic Policy Council;  Jeff Levi, Professor of Health Management and Policy,
George Washington University

WASHINGTON, DC - CEHHS Dean Janine Janosky participated in the White House Domestic Policy Council’s “Making Health Care Better” series on Thursday, April 7. She was one of three participants in a panel presentation about diabetes and healthy lifestyles, moderated by Catherine Oakar, deputy director of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign.

The "Making Health Care Better" series highlighted the significant progress made in improving the health system over the past seven years. This first event was focused on diabetes, and brought together experts on diabetes within and outside of government, individuals living with diabetes, and passionate diabetes activists. Through three panel discussions and a "lightning round" interview, the event focused on advancements in diabetes prevention, research, quality of care, and coverage.

The opening remarks were given my Patrick Conway, MD, Acting Deputy Principal Administrator of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The panel presentations addressed the progress made for those living with diabetes and heartfelt testimonies of living with diabetes from NFL players and advocates from the American Diabetes Association.

Dean Janosky participated on the panel discussion "Healthy Lifestyle" along with Cat Oakar, deputy director of Let's Move; Kevin Hagan, CEO of American Diabetes Association; Carole Johnson, White House Domestic Policy Council and Jeff Levi, professor or Health Management & Policy at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at The George Washington University.

The event ended with closing remarks from Mary Wakefield, Acting Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Dean Janosky as Keynote Speaker at the Doctors for America 2015 National Leadership Conference

WASHINGTON, DC - Dr. Janine Janosky participated as keynote speaker at the Doctors for America 2015 National Leadership Conference held at the Grand Hyatt in the nation's capital on October 10-11, 2015.

Dr. Janosky was part of the panel of experts during the opening plenary session in which the social impacts on health were discussed.

The panel held a dialogue about the challenges of providing basic resources to patients, enabling them to take care of their own health, particularly those in poverty.

Dr. Janosky, who implemented the Accountable Care Community in Akron, OH, said, "We must move from Accountable Organizations to Accountable Communities".



About Doctors for America:
Doctors for America is a group of 16,000 physicians and medical students in all 50 states.  They work in private practices, academic centers, community health centers, and government-run systems like the Veteran's Affairs and the Indian Health Service.  Their mission is to improve the health of the nation and to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, high quality health care.

Encouragement and guidance ensures positive results for health policy studies grad

After searching for a way to make a difference in the field of health outside of a clinical setting that would allow him to work with people who needed assistance, Ray Lynem found his educational home in UM-Dearborn's Health Policy Studies program through the guidance of  Lawrence Radine, then associate professor of sociology and Director of the Health Policy Studies. Radine retired after the Fall 2014 semester.

Lynem views his studies assisting him in moving toward his ultimate goal.  “The ability to have such a profound impact on the health of others would be an incredible experience and responsibility. My most important mission is to promote justice and equality within the healthcare system by increasing access to care for all people.”

Lynem is attending U-M Ann Arbor this fall to earn a Master of Health Services Administration degree.


View the full article in the Reporter

Student Highlight: Why You Should Consider Public Health or Community Health Education...

Hello! My name is Raymond Lynem and I am a senior at UM-Dearborn in the Health Policy Studies Program in the College of Arts, Sciences, & Letters. Throughout my time here I have developed an interest in the interdependent relationship of health systems and the overall health of populations. Whether it is studying the social determinants of health (e.g. income, environment, education) or comparing the outcomes of different segments of the population, these are all issues that call for the proper management of population health.

My journey to the HPS program was somewhat indirect but has helped to give me a much better perspective on health care delivery and the current system utilized by the United States. Just a few years ago my intentions were to pursue a nursing degree with the hopes of becoming a nurse anesthetist. After a few science courses and gaining some very necessary experience within health care, my interests quickly shifted. Since starting my undergraduate degree, I have been privileged to work as a nursing assistant, perform research at the UM Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, and learn the importance of pathology in health care delivery as a lab assistant on California’s central coast. This past summer I also had the opportunity to intern at CHE Trinity Health in Livonia as a student in the University of Michigan Summer Enrichment Program (SEP).SEP provides students with the experience of a lifetime and I would recommend it to anyone interested in a career in public health. Each of these experiences have given me a unique perspective on the health care system and I hope to continue to build upon this moving forward.

UM-Dearborn, and the HPS program in particular, provides students with an opportunity to grow and expand upon a desire to help others through health care but on a broader level. The policies that government enacts have a large impact on the nation and it’s communities. One of the most recent examples of this is the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which aims to create access to health care for millions of Americans that is both affordable and of good quality. With the ACA and the many other changes it will produce, the need for policy experts and health administrators cannot be overstated.

As we move forward, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on these issues with a unique focus on health inequities and population health. I hope to shed light on different aspects of health care and any new experiences I may have. I will also be writing about the activities of the Public Health Student Society (PHSS), a student club that all health students should consider joining as well as UM-Dearborn’s new Health and Human Services programs, Public Health and Community Health Education, while being joined by other student bloggers interested in spreading the word about public health!

Health and Human Services Chair in Legacy Magazine: A Marginalized Motor City

JULIE RODDY AND PAUL DRAUS KNOW their way around metropolitan Detroit.The University of Michigan-Dearborn professors walk through neighborhoods to speak with Detroiters about the rise of urban agriculture and whether farming can boost the city’s economy.

They talk with locals about the health consequences of medical marijuana.They establish relationships with southeast Michigan residents to discuss what factors led to the region’s rapid depopulation.

And they visit jails and substance abuse treatment centers to interview former street sex workers about the arduous recovery process these women face.Many of the research projects that Roddy and Draus have launched in recent years involve some of the region’s most vulnerable residents. Their efforts have highlighted the perspectives of people who often are ignored.

“We work with marginalized individuals who are most at risk,” said Roddy, chair of the College of Education, Health, and Human Services’ Department of Health and Human Services. “We target people who live in neighborhoods where they’re overexposed to the lures of drugs and illicit employment. Nobody aspires to grow up and live these sorts of lifestyles, but when it’s all around you, you’ve got to make a living somehow.”

One of the major factors impeding Detroit’s comeback is blight. Streets are littered with abandoned homes, while overgrown vegetation shrouds vacant lots with inoperable streetlights.A popular solution is urban agriculture. Many vacant lots in Detroit have been transformed into farms in recent years, so Roddy and Draus visited local neighborhoods to ask residents about the ongoing agricultural uptick and its potential economic impact.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Ronald, a local pastor who remains optimistic about Detroit’s comeback. “I believe that farming is one of the foundations of a community where everybody works to grow, maintain and then reap the benefits of a community garden. I don’t think you can go wrong.”Roddy and Draus also interviewed 100 street workers throughout Detroit to learn why these women turned to a life of prostitution. They followed many of these women from the time they were arrested through drug court and treatment.

“In Detroit, you see a lot of social exclusion,” said Draus, director of public policy and public administration at UM-Dearborn. “Our focus is on how the routes or trails to recovery help people transition from marginality to the mainstream.”

Read full Legacy Issue Here

How Does Climate Change Affect Public Health? Check Out CEHHS Professor Natalie Sampson's Work In Detroit To Find Out

How does a city grappling with how to thrive in the present day begin to think about what it will look like 50 years down the road?

Check out full article HERE

That was a question the Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice (DWEJ) wanted answered when it assembled the Detroit Climate Action Collaborative (DCAC) in 2011, a largely volunteer initiative to bring government, industry, academia, and the community together to address the effects of climate change on the city.

Natalie Sampson

“Understandably, a lot of people don’t have the time and the resources to be thinking about climate change, but, as a society, I don’t think we have a choice in the matter,” said Natalie Sampson, University of Michigan-Dearborn assistant professor of health and human services. “It’s exciting to see [DWEJ Policy Director] Kimberly Hill Knot and the environmental justice community pick up this topic and run with it.”

Sampson sits on the DCAC steering committee and chairs the public health work group. She hopes to get decision-makers to think about how public health and climate change are connected. With climate change, southeast Michigan will likely experience increased temperatures and more heavy precipitation events. This has implications for health—think of how heat waves can trigger respiratory issues or how flooded basements can expose people to waterborne diseases.

“The core mission of public health fits in with getting ready for these events,” she said. “If we have these extreme weather events, what does that mean for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents? If we’re behind on this issue, we’re going to further amplify disparities.”

DCAC has led focus groups and community outreach activities to make sure their work reflects the needs, resources, and knowledge of Detroiters and the DCAC’s partners. Across the city, many related community development and environmental initiatives have been underway for years.

To address climate change, Sampson said, “We have to think about how we can put systems in place to support citywide efforts, as well as the good work that is already happening in Detroit’s neighborhoods.”

The DCAC is working on a climate action plan that will begin to address those needs in ways that reflect existing research. The plan—similar to plans developed in more than 600 cities nationwide—will document the city’s current greenhouse gas emissions levels and detail strategies on how to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

DCAC published initial accomplishments in the Michigan Journal of Sustainability and will release the climate action plan this spring. The group also plans to continue to work with its many partners and Detroit residents to raise awareness of climate change and its impact on the city.