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The Muskegon SHIP

Funded by the National Institute of Health, the Muskegon SHIP (Sustainable Health Investment Partnership) is a multi-year program that will have a positive impact on the people of Muskegon. The program seeks to improve community health, provide economic mobility for workers and their families, and support employers by reducing absenteeism and turnover.

Community Partnerships

The first phase of this Sustainable Health Investment Partnership involves convening a Think Tank of community partners. Together, this group will work to design, implement, and evaluate a countywide wellness plan.

Cross-Sector Collaboration

Think Tank members represent employers, health providers, residents, social care partners, faith partners, and government and policy partners. The Think Tank will address affordable health care access, child care, and transportation.

Multi-Year Program

The Muskegon SHIP program began in 2024, but is a multi-year program with several phases, beginning with research and review of existing data. In October 2025, we will launch public enrollment into the SHIP.

SHIP Program Overview

  • Review existing literature and data
  • Develop strong community partnerships
  • Research and learning about the needs of the community through surveys, focus groups, and forums
  • Implement a wellness plan (based on learnings & research)

The SHIP partners with two research organizations to assess impact: the Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI) will evaluate health improvement impacts, and the W.E. UpJohn Institute for Employment Research will assess economic and employment impacts.

The Muskegon SHIP is supported by a groundbreaking National Institutes of Health (NIH) ComPASS award. Access Health is one of only 25 organizations nationwide to receive this award, highlighting Muskegon’s potential as a national model for addressing health and economic mobility challenges through innovation and collaboration.

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We acknowledge support by the Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (ComPASS) Program. (ComPASS website)

This research was, in part, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under other transactions number 1OT2ODXXXXXX-01 (Community-Led, Health Equity Structural Intervention Initiative (OT2), with reference to OTA-22-007).

The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing official policies, either expressed or implied, of the NIH.