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When Access Health opened in 1999, our goal was to provide an affordable alternative to commercial health insurance for low-income workers who couldn’t otherwise access health coverage. Over the last 25 years, we have worked with more than than 2,000 local businesses and provided health coverage for more than 60,000 workers — at a fraction of the cost of traditional insurance.
One of our early challenges was finding ways to keep costs low while actively engaging members to be more proactive about improving their health.
Our unique multi-share model relies on a financing arrangement that combines resources from community stakeholders with a vested interest in community health – including care providers, hospitals, and businesses. This means that members only pay 30% of the premiums.
One of the ways we keep costs low for the stakeholders is to requiring members to participate in health-related activities that promote accountability and improve health outcomes.
Instead of focusing on just physical health, our innovative “Whole Person” approach takes into account the many factors that contribute to health, some of which include financial, social, emotional, and intellectual wellbeing.
Over the past 25 years, Access Health has been featured in a number of national and local publications, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the American Medical Association’s American Medical News, and Business Week magazine.
Access Health Inc. is a 501 (C3) non-profit healthcare organization in Muskegon, MI that was incorporated in 1999. Access Health provides affordable, quality health care and support for community health initiatives and programs allowing individuals and the Muskegon community to thrive. For 25 years, it has been empowering people and changing lives through an initial tri-share health benefit funded by the employer, employee and the community. It also addresses the psycho-social determinants of health for individuals and the overall community.
Access Health gave an ever changing and consolidating health care system in Muskegon a vehicle in which to cooperate for the benefit of the community, according to longtime hospital administrator Roger Spoelman.
In a short period of time, Katie has become a fierce advocate for the Access Health mission and programs.
Cheryl Schneider has been many things to Access Health over its 25 years, but few have been such a strong evangelist for an agency that has brought affordable healthcare to the uninsured in Muskegon and so much more.
Linda Bailey calls her work leading Access Health as its second board president the proudest of her nursing and healthcare administration career.
The fact that Dr. Byron Varnado is the medical director of Access Health is apropos in that the family physician was born and raised in Muskegon and now serves the 25-year-old community agency.
Dr. Rem Sprague came to Muskegon in 1981 as an internal medicine physician working through 1996 with a hospital physician’s network until he became chief medical officer of what was then Mercy Hospital.
Access Health Board President Don Shampine came to the agency’s leadership with a health insurance industry background. He has grown to appreciate the way Access Health is “disruptive of the status quo.”
As its only executive director for the 25 years of Access Health, Jeff Fortenbacher has provided the community-based healthcare agency’s vision, inspiration and has been the driving force of a successful team the past quarter century.
If Access Health Executive Director Jeff Fortenbacher raised the agency for its first 25 years, Vondie Woodbury definitely birthed that child beginning in 1995 with a W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant to the Community Foundation for Muskegon County.
In more recent years, Access Health has looked to impacting the whole community by promoting community health and wellbeing through grassroot initiatives:
Access Health’s journey toward providing affordable, quality, health coverage is rooted in community collaboration and local partnerships. The Access Health coverage plan was launched in 1999, providing health coverage to small and mid-sized businesses that were priced out of traditional commercial coverage.
The work began years before the launch. In 1996, the Muskegon County Community Foundation secured a W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant to explore ways to address uninsurance in the county. With 9-11% of the population lacking health coverage, a group of 40 community members set out to find solutions. By 1997, they had designed a coverage model through partnerships with local hospitals, health providers, businesses, and advocacy groups, ensuring that the plan reflected the community’s needs.
Their collaborative efforts culminated in the 1999 launch, providing affordable, innovative health coverage that continues to serve the community today.
Access Health’s care management goes far beyond traditional methods, focusing on building deep, relationship-based supports to support members in addressing barriers within all domains of health: physical, occupational, family/social, financial, mental / emotional, environments, spiritual, and intellectual. Our approach isn’t just about improving immediate health outcomes—it’s about addressing the underlying factors that impact long-term well-being.
In 1999, we began providing relationship-based care management within the Access Health plan and the Muskegon Care coverage model. In 2003, we introduced the “Whole Person” care model, and by 2006, we launched the “C3” (Choice, Challenge, Change) program, which focused on setting personalized, measurable health goals. This evolved into the Continuous Health Improvement (CHI) model we use today, emphasizing long-term success through data and metrics.
In 2013, we expanded CHI into the workplace with our Corporate Wellness program, helping businesses promote employee health while managing healthcare costs. By 2018, we further advanced care management with the Comprehensive Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), incorporating Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) to help members set and achieve personalized health goals.
Access Health’s approach to community-driven health coverage has set the standard for sustainable, scalable solutions. The Access Health model has been replicated across states and programs, proving that local partnerships and innovative care management can transform healthcare systems.
In 2002, Access Health led the development of the Michigan Association of County Health Plans, aligning county plans and proving that care management could improve health outcomes without increasing costs – leveraging lessons learned embedding care management with Access Health coverage and Muskegon Care Plan, reducing costs by 36% through care management. This success laid the groundwork for larger initiatives
In 2009, our multi-share model gained national attention when HRSA asked us to help create a $70 million program to replicate it in four states, showcasing its scalability. Communities in Texas, Oregon, Colorado, and Minnesota adopted the approach.
We expanded coverage to Kent County in 2011 and, in 2014, became the first plan in the nation to achieve Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) certification, meeting ACA standards while providing affordable care for low-wage workers. In 2021, the state launched the Tri-Share Child Care program, modeled on our multi-share approach, scaling it statewide after a successful pilot in Muskegon.
Access Health has played a crucial role in supporting local, community-driven initiatives aimed at reducing disparities and improving access to care in Muskegon County. By supporting grassroots community-led efforts, we provided critical support to organizations and other groups as they work to build sustainable programs that address the specific needs of underserved populations.
In 2018, Access Health became the fiduciary for Volunteer for Dental, supporting efforts to provide dental care for underserved residents through volunteer-driven services. By 2022, we helped launch the Health Equity Council, a community-led initiative focused on reducing health disparities within BIPOC communities. That same year, we supported the How You Birth Doula Hu – which works to reduce maternal health disparities for BIPOC families by building a community-based doula workforce – and also convened a workgroup to explore opportunities to address food insecurity.
In 2023, Access Health secured a three-year BUILD Health grant to support the Blueprint Project, a community-led effort to create a hub offering wraparound services and resources aimed at improving physical, mental, and financial well-being for residents.
Access Health understands that lasting health improvements happen when communities take the lead in shaping solutions. That’s why we’ve scaled our care model to tackle both personal and systemic challenges through collaboration with local partners.
In 2019, we launched the first Resilience Zone in Muskegon Heights, partnering with residents to close gaps in care and strengthen community health. Our CHI Health Coach Partnership provided personalized coaching to individuals, helping them navigate health challenges within this larger community effort. We co-created the Muskegon Community Information Exchange (CIE) with our partners because the best solutions are community-driven. This collaboration ensures the CIE meets local needs, integrating health and social services to strengthen the entire community.
Recognizing the importance of community-led action, we supported the continuation of Livability Lab, recognizing its value in uniting residents and grassroots organizations and community address barriers to improved health.
As Access Health celebrates 25 years of groundbreaking work, we’re not slowing down. The last quarter-century has shown us that true health comes from addressing both personal and community-level challenges. Now, we’re setting the stage for an even more impactful future.
In 2022, our partnership with UnDue Medical Debt wiped out $25 million in medical debt for Muskegon families. But we’re not stopping there—our focus is on tackling the root causes to ensure lasting financial security.
In 2023, the NIH ComPASS award validated our commitment to community-led solutions. Through the Muskegon SHIP project, we’re working with partners to help local workers overcome the benefits cliff, creating pathways to health and economic stability.
In 2024, the co-created Muskegon CIE launched, connecting health and social services in a way that reflects community needs and priorities.
The next 25 years promise even greater impact, innovation, and collaboration as we continue building a healthier, more resilient Muskegon.