News & Updates from SAY Detroit Clinic
Dec 12, 2018 | News + Updates, SAY Detroit Clinic
Ten years after its doors opened, the SAY Detroit Family Health Clinic received a pledge during the 7th Annual SAY Detroit Radiothon (Dec. 6th) for its future from Trinity Health to provide management services over the next five years.
The agreement will enable the clinic to expand its outreach and care, and position it for further growth.
“This is a very generous gift, and we’re very grateful for this partnership,” SAY Detroit founder Mitch Albom said during the 2 pm hour of the 7th annual SAY Detroit Radiothon at the Somerset Collection in Troy, where the partnership was first announced.
Originally launched in December 2008 in Highland Park, the clinic — recognized as the nation’s first free medical clinic devoted to homeless children and their mothers — averages more than 4,000 patient-visits a year.
“I want to thank Trinity Health,” said Rob Orley, President of SAY Detroit’s Board of Directors. “It’s amazing — game changing.”
Patricia Wells, a recently-hired nurse practioner at SAY Detroit, beamed as Dave Spivey, president of St. Mary Mercy Livonia, made the announcement with Tawana Nettles-Robinson, executive director at Mercy Primary Care Center. Nettles-Robinson will be the operations leader at the SAY Clinic.
“‘As a provider, I see many people without health insurance,” Wells said. “And to hear what’s happening, it will allow us to expand what we do.”
Oct 24, 2018 | News + Updates, SAY Detroit Clinic
When: Monday, November 5th from 9:00am – 12:00pm
Where: SAY Detroit Clinic, 211 Glendale Ave, Highland Park MI
What is hepatitis A?
Hepatitis A is a serious liver disease caused by a virus. The virus is found in the feces of infected people. If a person has an infection with the hepatitis A virus, it can easily spread person-to-person and cause liver disease lasting a few weeks to a serious illness lasting many months. In some cases, people can die because of hepatitis A.
What are the symptoms?
-nausea and vomiting
-stomach pain
-loss of appetite
-fatigue
-fever
-jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
-dark urine, pale stools, and diarrhea
You are more likely to be infected with the virus if you:
-have chronic liver disease
-use illegal drugs
-have sex with an infected person
-touch objects or eat food that someone with hepatitis A infection handled
Mar 27, 2018 | A Hole in the Roof, Dream Scholars, News + Updates, S.A.Y. Detroit, S.A.Y. Detroit Play, SAY Detroit Clinic, Working Homes/Working Families
DETROIT, March 27, 2018 — Representatives from 22 area charities accepted checks totaling nearly $1.25 million on Tuesday from donations raised at Mitch Albom’s S.A.Y. Detroit Radiothon last December.
The ceremony at the Fisher Building, which included six first-time recipients, has become S.A.Y. Detroit’s favorite day of the year, said Albom, who distributed the funds to the benefitting charities with Dr. Chad Audi and representatives from major sponsor organizations, and supporters. Audi is president of the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, which is S.A.Y. Detroit’s operating partner.
“It’s really the generosity of the people who gave to our Radiothon — some even $5 or $10 contributions, all the way up to large corporate gifts — that we are sharing with worthy charities around Detroit,” said Albom, who founded the S.A.Y. Detroit nonprofit in 2006. “It’s our honor and pleasure to do so each year.”
Funds were distributed to the following charities:
- S.A.Y Detroit Play Center, $565,000
- S.A.Y. Detroit Family Health Clinic, $300,000;
- Working Homes Working Families, $100,000;
- S.A.Y. Detroit Tomorrow Fund (endowment), $100,000;
- College for Creative Studies/Detroit Dream Scholars, $30,000;
- Cass Community Social Services, $25,000;
- Bing Youth Institute, $10,000;
- Humble Design, $10,000;
- Westside Cultural & Athletic Club, $10,000;
- COTS/Bright Beginnings, $10,000;
- SASHA Center, $10,000;
- Michigan Veterans Foundation, $10,000;
- LA SED INC., $10,000;
- *Notes for Notes, $7,500;
- Real Life My Music, $7,500;
- *D2N/EVO Detroit, $7,500;
- United Sisters of Charity/Mother Batie’s Kitchen, $6,000;
- Hole in the Roof Foundation/*Grace Episcopal, $5,000;
- Veterans Matter, $5,000;
- *Art Road, $5,000;
- *Friendship Circle/Farber Soul Center, $5,000;
- JVS, $5,000;
- *Buckets of Rain, $3,000.
(* Denotes 1st-time recipient).
Albom also announced the expansion of S.A.Y. Detroit’s Board of Directors. The 11 members are: Dennis Archer, Cynthia Ford, Carmen Harlan, Judge Damon Keith, Rob Orley, Al Papa, David Provost, Charles Rothstein, Arn Tellem, Albom and Audi. A new advisory board will be announced soon.
“We’re so pleased to form the expanded board of S.A.Y. Detroit, which reflects a wide range of backgrounds, expertise and history,” Albom said. “I’m proud to be working with them and have great confidence that they will help steer S.A.Y. Detroit into the future and even greater level of effectiveness to help the needy in our city.’’
The 2018 Radiothon is Dec. 6 at the Somerset Collection in Troy.
Dec 18, 2017 | Detroit Water Ice, News + Updates, S.A.Y. Detroit, SAY Detroit Clinic
S.A.Y. Detroit Family Health Clinic Receives Donated Coats
Highland Park, MI: Lisa Dunn’s act of charity was inspired by another charity that popped up, literally, right down the road from her popular Deja Vu, an upscale designer resale boutique in Franklin.
“When I saw the Detroit Water Ice Factory store in the Franklin Cider Mill parking lot this summer as a pop up, I decided to call to inquire who was behind this fun and great idea,” Dunn said. “Turns out it was Mitch Albom. This did not surprise me due to all his philanthropic work he does for Detroit, so I decided I would have a coat drive and donate all of the coats to S.A.Y. Detroit.”
Dunn collected nearly 30 coats during her two-month campaign, and last Friday (Dec. 15) the items found a home thanks to Dr. Peggy Richardson, medical director of the S.A.Y. Detroit Family Health Clinic in Highland Park. A “holiday store’’ was set up in a meeting room that was outfitted with a mirror and Christmas decorations so the clinic’s female patients can shop for their free coats in style.
Richardson and her staff, including Dr. Keyshia Covington, plan to distribute the coats in the coming days.
“The background of S.A.Y. Detroit really inspired me, and for our first event, I think it was a huge success!’’ Dunn said.
Sep 18, 2017 | A Time to Help, News + Updates, S.A.Y. Detroit, SAY Detroit Clinic
HIGHLAND PARK, MI — For more than two hours Saturday (Sept. 16), the parking lot just outside the doors of the S.A.Y. Detroit Family Health Clinic was transformed into a vibrant gathering spot for the community.
Called “Healthy Food = Healthy Women,’’ S.A.Y. Detroit hosted its first women’s health fair and open house to increase its outreach and visibility in one of metro Detroit’s most-challenged neighborhoods while also celebrating the good work the clinic has done for the community for the past nine years.
The S.A.Y. Detroit Family Health Clinic, which is located at 211 Glendale Avenue, between Woodward and Hamilton, was established in 2008 by S.A.Y. Detroit founder Mitch Albom as the nation’s first free medical clinic for homeless and uninsured women and children. Operated by the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, the clinic records more than 4,000 patient visits annually.
Area residents who attended the free event – which was run by 20 members of Albom’s A Time to Help volunteer team — were treated to a continental breakfast sponsored in part by Avalon International Breads and Forgotten Harvest. Henry Ford Health System provided free blood pressure and BMI testing, while SASHA Center had a booth set up to distribute information about its sexual assault services nonprofit.
In addition to those donations, S.A.Y. Detroit would also like to thank Dr. Joel Kahn’s GreenSpace Café in Ferndale for distributing free vegetables; My Community Dental Centers for its free giveaways; Smiggins the Clown for entertaining and painting children’s faces; Dr. Richard Keidan of Detroit2Nepal Foundation for his assistance in organizing the event, and the Cooper Standard Foundation for its longtime sponsorship of the clinic.
“Today was a fantastic meeting of our staff, our volunteers, some previous patients and a lot of potential new patients,” Albom said. “We were amazed at how many people still didn’t know about our little gem here, but we’re really pleased at how pleased they were once they found out what it was and I think this will spread the word about our clinic. We also spread the word about healthy eating, and we introduced a lot of people who had never met each other before to one another, which is the best thing you can do.”
Dr. Peggy Richardson, the S.A.Y. Clinic’s medical director, and Dr. Keyshia Covington took residents and guests on tours of the clinic. Chris Skellenger of Buckets of Rain — an urban garden nonprofit — also informed visitors of its program, which provides homeless shelters with free produce and other food, and has one of its main gardens across the street from the clinic.
“We are trying so hard to let people know in the neighborhood and beyond what we are doing at the clinic,” Richardson said. “We have specialty care for our patients who do not have insurance. Everything that we have is free of charge for them.’’
Albom added: “We were blessed with great weather and this is exactly the kind of outreach that we want to do. We just don’t want to be inside our clinic, inside our doors, we want to be outside our doors telling our community that we can help them and we’re here for them — and we accomplished that today.”
Apr 27, 2017 | News + Updates, S.A.Y. Detroit, SAY Detroit Clinic
A packed waiting room greeted Dr. Keyshia Covington and the S.A.Y. Detroit Family Health Clinic staff on Thursday morning. The main reason was right outside the door: It was the day that The Anthony L. Soave Family Mobile Mammography and Health Screening Center was at the clinic to ensure that all women have easy access to high-quality breast health services regardless of their ability to pay.
The Soave Family mobile unit is part of St. John Providence’s mission of making screening mammography accessible to those in need in and around metro Detroit.
Nearly 20 women received free mammograms beginning at 9 a.m. at the S.A.Y. Clinic on Glendale. It marked the second time this year that the mobile unit visited the clinic.
“We’re going to get another date because we already have an overflow list,” Dr. Covington said. “It’s incredibly valuable because in our last session we had multiple people needing secondary follow-up — ultrasounds, biopsies. Without the opportunity to get screened, they would have never had access to this critical care. They’re so grateful.”
S.A.Y. Detroit is deeply appreciative of St. John Providence and The Anthony L. Soave Family Mammography and Health Screening Center for helping serve the female patients at the clinic.
