- Ingham County Board of Commissioners work together with the Ingham County Health Department.
- Todd Tennis, who serves on both boards, says locations may be consolidated.
- Video shows neighbors outside of Forest Community Health Center explaining how crucial these facilities are.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
"Facilities like this need to stay open," said Eddie Martin Duncan.
Neighbors like Duncan say without Ingham County Health Centers, they wouldn’t get the care they need.
"People that are less fortunate need that help."
The county health department has provided care for over 60,000 patients across its locations in 2024. But that help is now at risk.
In September, the Ingham County Community Health Centers Board voted to end clinical services at the New Hope Community Health Center. The reason? A $4.2 million budget deficit.
Commissioner and Health Board Liaison Todd Tennis says patient turnout hasn’t recovered since the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the shortfall—and a tough decision.
"The county had to make a choice: do we pay the shortfall and make the health centers whole, or do we let them close? Because that was really the only other option," said Tennis.
The documents I obtained show that the health department is working on a new plan.
"We may have to lay off some staff—we're trying to avoid it. We may also try to consolidate locations," Tennis said.
Tennis says if the plan doesn’t succeed, health centers could close—a reality some neighbors hope they’ll never face.
"It's so crucial that these places stay open because they go out of their way to help the underdogs, the people struggling, people that need help," said Duncan.
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