October 13, 2022
Bi-Weekly Executive Newsletter
Dear Friends,
Last week, I was giving a group of residents an update on what’s been happening in Oakland County in the last year and I was asked about our Health 360 program, which provides health care and so much more to county residents.
And it got me thinking about the approach we take to providing services in Oakland County.
It’s a holistic approach that looks at the entire individual, not just their health needs.
We don’t just give flu shots or COVID vaccines, hearing or vision tests to the families who visit our health departments in Pontiac and Southfield.
First and foremost, it’s about health care, especially for those who are uninsured or underinsured. We work with Honor Community Health, a healthcare organization that’s deeply embedded in underserved communities in Oakland County, to provide that service at our clinics as well as our truly devoted public health nurses and medical professionals.
It’s also about access to quality vision and dental and mental health care, but it doesn’t stop there either.
Through some of our departments, along with a partnership with the Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency, we also offer wraparound services that help with the daily necessities of life. We can’t achieve our goal of having healthy residents in Oakland County, if we ignore other factors that contribute to the well-being of those who call Oakland County home.
If one of our residents is hungry or experiencing homelessness, we can provide emergency food assistance and resources for temporary or permanent shelter. If a person has their electricity or heat shut off, OLSHA can help them navigate the bureaucracy to get the power back on.
If a veteran is having a hard time getting the benefits they’ve earned through their service to our country, our Veterans’ Department is there to help them with resources, even a ride to the VA Hospital.
It’s the same philosophy that guides our Workforce Development initiatives. For so many, the daily challenges of life throw a roadblock in a person’s ability to get a degree or the training they need to forge a successful career path.
So it’s not just about giving scholarships or career counseling. It’s about making childcare more affordable so a mother or father can get back to school or training, figuring out how to provide the transportation a student needs to make it to their classes, or paying for fees and books or work clothes and equipment.
The holistic approach recognizes that the whole person may need help, not just health care or help with an updated resume.
To learn more about the programs and services we provide, go to oakgov.com
With gratitude,
Dave Coulter Oakland County Executive
Transit on the ballot Nov. 8
The Oakland Transit Millage – 0.95 mills - is coming up on Nov. 8 and will provide funding for not just the SMART bus system, but to the Western Oakland Transportation Authority, the North Oakland Transportation Authority and the Older Person’s Commission in the Rochester area.
That means that existing service will be maintained and can expand so even more people can get rides. Did you know that between WOTA, NOTA and OPC, nearly 90,000 people, including seniors, students, veterans and people with disabilities, got rides in 2021 to healthcare appointments, school, shopping and other essential destinations.
And SMART is still providing millions of rides each year to people in Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties.
The funding that is slated for the SMART bus system, will allow them to expand to major employment centers like Novi and provide routes and on-demand connector services to areas that aren’t being served now.
This is a ballot initiative that will be on all the ballots in Oakland County on Nov. 8, not just the communities that are serviced today by SMART and those other local transit agencies, but all of Oakland’s communities will contribute to and benefit from public transportation with this Oakland Transit Millage. The money generated in Oakland will be fully transparent and administered, distributed and audited by Oakland County. The funding will stay in Oakland to provide transportation options for the county’s residents and businesses.
To learn more about the Oakland Transit Millage, go to oakgov.com/OaklandTransit.
County Executive Coulter attends White House briefing
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter was at the White House in Washington DC this week for a briefing and roundtable discussion on the work that is being done to support communities and their residents and businesses.
Coulter and Board of Commissioners Chairman Dave Woodward were among several dozen Michigan elected officials and community leaders to participate in the “Communities in Action: Building a Better Michigan” forum.
Coulter highlighted the work the County is doing with federal funding through the American Rescue Plan.
“It was imperative during and in the aftermath of the pandemic for us to have a response that supported the immediate needs of our residents and businesses and created an economic recovery that was quick and sustainable for the future,” he said. “With the support of the Biden Administration programs, we were able to focus on key areas like emergency food and housing assistance, improving and expanding access to health care, including critically needed mental health services, workforce development and small business support.”
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