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Health care can be difficult. It isn’t always easy to understand it, afford it, or have access to it,” says Jim Milanowski, President & CEO of Genesee Health Plan, who has a deep passion for serving those in need. Whether it be providing a family with clothing so the children can go to school or assisting a family in obtaining health care, Jim wants to be of service to the Flint community.
Jim grew up in Inkster, Michigan, and went on to complete his bachelor’s degree at Spring Arbor University and his master’s degree at Eastern Michigan University, with both degrees in clinical psychology. Toward the beginning of his healthcare career, he served as the Vice President at Brighton Hospital and worked in the substance abuse program. His career led him to work for other non-profit organizations, including the Intake and Referral Center (IARC), where his work helped individuals battling substance abuse challenges within the City of Flint. Later, his work as a consultant for a national healthcare consulting firm based in Lansing, Michigan bolstered his experience combating issues that impact healthcare.
In 2006, Jim’s dedication to helping the residents of Genesee County led him to join the Genesee Health Plan (GHP), where he learned how to break down the barriers that so many residents face when seeking health care.
One thing Jim loves about this community is that there are no silos–everyone works together to help. In this spirit, GHP partnered with the Crim Fitness Foundation to deliver critical health care support to local families through the Flint Community Education Initiative. GHP provided community health workers (CHWs) on-site in each of the schools. What started in 2015 at a single school has now blossomed into a partnership that offers services in 13 Flint area schools.
Examples of the community health workers’ impact in the schools are abundant. Recently, one parent shared how her CHW provided the inspiration needed to improve her health. Six months prior, she was overdue for a full physical and was prescribed several medications for diabetes. With the CHW’s support, she has been seeing a primary doctor regularly and is improving her eating habits and exercising regularly. She also has lost a total of 30lbs and is no longer prescribed insulin.
Stories like these not only illustrate GHP’s impact on a single individual, but also demonstrate how the Genesee Health Plan is driving change for our whole community. While Jim leads a healthcare organization, he understands how often there are other barriers to health and wellness beyond the medical component.
For example, GHP is helping some schools in the community start laundry programs called Loads of Luv, to help families increase their child’s school attendance. Genesee Health Plan offers families gift certificates to laundromats so they can wear clean clothes. They dive deep to assist Flint families and ensure their needs are met.
“With a focus on the health and wellness of our community, we are grateful for the work Jim and his team do every day,” says Lauren Holaly-Zembo, CEO of Crim Fitness Foundation. “His dedication to serving this community is evident, and his leadership at GHP is helping address critical needs in Genesee County.”
“Through this partnership with the Flint Community Education Initiative, our primary goal is to assist families with whatever needs they have so that it doesn’t affect school attendance,” Jim shared. “There are plenty of disparities in health care, education, and resources, not only in Flint but in places all over the country.”
Jim has two sons, both pursuing career paths similar to his, giving him great pride in the knowledge that his legacy is continuing to provide service and support to communities. His oldest son works alongside him at the Genesee Health Plan, and his second son works on a crisis mental health team in Daytona Beach. When traveling to visit his youngest son, Jim noticed that the two communities he and his son work in both face many of the same issues. “It isn’t just Flint that is facing the lack of access to health care and resources along with health care disparities,” Jim explained. “I want to be an inspiration to other cities across the US, through the work that we are doing right here in Genesee County.”
Jim’s work within the Flint community does not go unnoticed. He, along with the entire Genesee Health Plan team, has helped many families access health care and other resources. The work Jim is leading is critical to the community and has not only contributed to eliminating some barriers to health care services but has also equipped many Genesee County residents with the resources they need for success.
