Allegiance Family Health Fair Saves Life of Jonesville Man
September 18, 2008
Jackson, Mich. — "I had no indication there was anything wrong, but the vascular screen found an aneurism that needed immediate medical attention," said Charles Baird of Jonesville. Baird had stopped by the Allegiance Family Health Fair during a visit to Jackson—and decided to take advantage of one of the many free screenings offered at the event.
After additional tests and surgery to address his serious health situation, Baird is on the road to recovery, and credits Allegiance for the life-saving intervention.
"The staff at Allegiance went beyond the call," said Baird. "I had nothing but positive experiences with my care. The Health Fair was a life-changing event, to say the least, and I’m very thankful this free screening was available. It saved my life."
For over 90 years, Allegiance Health has supported many programs which provide vital services and products to needy individuals in the community. These programs provide care for those unable to pay, including free health screenings, community health education, free or reduced medications and counseling services.
To recognize the commitment of hospitals statewide to community benefit programs, the Michigan Hospital Association (MHA) recently released the MHA 2008 Hospital Community Benefits Report. This report details the efforts of state hospitals who go above and beyond the delivery of essential healthcare services.
According to the report, Michigan hospitals last year provided nearly $2.6 billion in community benefit programs to the communities they serve. Of this total, Allegiance Health provided about $2 million in services.
"Providing these services is core to our mission of leading our community to better health and well-being," said Georgia Fojtasek, president and CEO of Allegiance Health. "In today’s difficult economy, it is even more critical that we continue to support community benefit programs to aid those who need care most."
Visit mha.org to view the statewide report, or visit AllegianceHealth.org for local details.