Health Planning is not new to West Central Michigan. In 1948, a report entitled Health and Hospital Study of the Grand Rapids Region was prepared by James A. Hamilton and Associates under the guidance of a volunteer community Health Council. This Council consisted of local citizens who were committed to improving people’s health and the health care system. This effort was the origin of the Alliance for Health. Following is a partial summary of subsequent major events in the evolution of the Alliance for Health:
| 1947 | Community hospital trustees convene to commission James A. Hamilton and Associates to conduct a health and hospital development study of West Central Michigan. |
| 1948 | Health and Hospital Study of the Grand Rapids Region presented to community. Among the far-reaching recommendations was the establishment of an ongoing planning entity to coordinate and guide the development of West Michigan’s health resources.Kent County Medical Society adopted the Health Council. |
| 1959 | Community Chest and Council of Social Agencies merged to form 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. |
| 1964 | Health Steering Committee designated to conduct evidence of necessity reviews for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. |
| 1965 | Hospital and Related Facilities Planning Unit organized by 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).
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 Areawide Comprehensive Health Planning Unit. |
| 1971 | Neighborhood Health Services (forerunner to Cherry Street Services) planned and organized by ACHPU in Grand Rapids.
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.
Michigan Certificate of Need (CON) and law enacted and WMCHPU formally designated with review responsibilities for West Central Michigan. WMCHPU merged duplicative blood banking services in Kent County; Grand Valley Blood Program (now Michigan Blood) organized. |
| 1973 | WMCHPU initiated Emergency Medical Services (EMS) systems planning, enhancing rescue extrication, communications, EMT training, and special trauma services; cited as national model of excellence.
School dental disease programs developed and implemented by WMPCHU in cooperation with West Michigan District Dental Society. West Central Michigan Hospital Council organized by WMCHPU. |
| 1974 | Areawide burn care services network planned by WMCHPU.Regional poison center established and funded by WMCHPU at Spectrum Health Blodgett Campus.
Feasibility for first area HMO established by WMCHPU.WMCHPU merged psychiatric programs in Muskegon County; secured public millage support for new combined public-private facility. |
| 1975 | New health planning legislation enacted, (P.L 93-641), The National Health Planning and Resource Development Act of 1974), signed by President Gerald 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).
Kent County EMS organized by WMHSA. |
| 1978 | First Annual Health Expo sponsored by WMHSA to provide health screening, education and resource awareness. |
| 1981 | 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.
First regional AIDS Committee organized by WMHSA. |
| 1988 | WMHSA changed name to Alliance for Health (AFH), made organizational modifications and eliminated geographic limitations.
Michigan CON law revised and AFH 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.
Commission on Future Directions in Health Care, organized by AFH, 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 | Special AFH Ad Hoc Committee, chaired by Judge Stuart Hoffius, recommended AFH continues to participate in the State CON process. |
| 1992 | West Michigan Trauma Network organized by AFH responding to physician and hospital requests.
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 AFH 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 Health Services 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 part of AFH, 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 (RWJF) 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.
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 | AFH 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.
Additional funding from RWJF 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. |
| 2009 | Michigan Health Connect formally organized as a health information exchange. |
