MyMichigan Health opens new lab services facility in downtown Saginaw – MLive.com

Expansion of Health Services in Saginaw Aligns with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

MyMichigan Health has launched a new laboratory draw station at MyMichigan Health Park Riverfront in Saginaw. This initiative directly supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by enhancing community access to essential health services, strengthening local infrastructure, and fostering strategic partnerships for sustainable development.

Advancements in SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The new facility makes significant contributions to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all ages by directly addressing key targets within SDG 3.

1. Enhanced Access to Diagnostics: The station provides the Saginaw community with greater access to routine and specialty lab tests, a fundamental component of achieving universal health coverage (Target 3.8).
2. Improved Health Outcomes: By processing most specimens locally, the facility ensures rapid turnaround times, including outpatient STAT testing within two hours. This efficiency minimizes transport delays and supports timely medical intervention, contributing to better health outcomes.
3. Inclusive Service Delivery: The lab is accessible to all community members, not only existing MyMichigan patients. It accepts walk-ins with orders from any provider, thereby removing barriers and promoting equitable access to essential healthcare services.

Supporting Infrastructure, Sustainable Communities, and Partnerships (SDG 9, 11, & 17)

The project demonstrates a multi-faceted approach to sustainable development by integrating infrastructure development with community-focused goals and collaborative efforts.

• Resilient Infrastructure (SDG 9): The draw station represents an investment in quality, reliable, and resilient health infrastructure, which is crucial for supporting community well-being.
• Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11): Locating the facility in downtown Saginaw makes essential services more accessible to the urban population, contributing to the creation of inclusive, safe, and sustainable communities.
• Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17): A strategic partnership with the University of Michigan allows for the provision of more advanced testing, exemplifying the type of multi-stakeholder collaboration needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Facility and Operational Overview

Key details of the new service center are as follows:

• Location: 1015 S. Washington Ave., MyMichigan Health Park Riverfront, Saginaw, MI.
• Ownership: Owned and operated by MyMichigan Medical Center Saginaw.
• Operating Hours: 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday.
• Network: The site is one of more than 30 laboratory locations within the MyMichigan Health service area, indicating a broad commitment to regional health access.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are relevant to the article:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The article’s core subject is the expansion of health services through a new laboratory draw station. This directly relates to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being by improving access to diagnostics. The text states the new facility “offering testing options for patients” and provides “access to routine and specialty lab tests,” which are fundamental components of a functional healthcare system.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

  The establishment of a “new draw station at MyMichigan Health Park Riverfront” represents the development of critical health infrastructure. The partnership with the University of Michigan for “more advanced testing” points to innovation in service delivery. This new facility is part of a larger network of “more than 30 locations,” indicating a systematic effort to build a resilient and accessible healthcare infrastructure.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The new facility is located in “downtown Saginaw,” making essential services more accessible to the urban population. By improving access to healthcare facilities within the city, the initiative contributes to making communities more inclusive and ensuring residents have access to basic services.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article explicitly mentions a “partnership with University of Michigan’s” to make “more advanced testing” available. This collaboration between two health institutions exemplifies the multi-stakeholder partnerships needed to achieve sustainable development goals, in this case, enhancing the quality and scope of healthcare services.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including access to quality essential health-care services.

   The article demonstrates progress towards this target by describing the expansion of essential healthcare services. The new lab is open to all community members, not just existing patients, as it “accept[s] walk-ins with orders from any provider or facility.” This broadens access to quality diagnostic services for the entire community.

2. Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity for early warning, risk reduction and management of health risks.

   Efficient laboratory services are crucial for the early detection and management of health risks. The article highlights the lab’s capacity for “rapid turnaround times — including outpatient STAT testing within two hours,” which directly strengthens the local health system’s ability to respond quickly to patient health needs.

3. Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure… with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all.

   The new draw station is a piece of quality health infrastructure. Its integration into a network of over 30 locations shows the development of a reliable and resilient system. The policy of accepting all patients with a provider’s order underscores a focus on “equitable access for all.”

4. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships.

   The collaboration between MyMichigan Health and the University of Michigan is a direct example of this target. The “partnership with University of Michigan’s” leverages the strengths of both institutions to provide “more advanced testing,” thereby enhancing the overall service quality and achieving a common goal.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Number of service delivery points

   The article implies this indicator by stating the new lab “joins several other Saginaw-area lab sites and represents one of more than 30 locations across MyMichigan Health’s service area.” The total number of facilities is a direct measure of the health infrastructure’s scale.

2. Service processing time

   A specific, measurable indicator is mentioned: “rapid turnaround times — including outpatient STAT testing within two hours.” This metric can be used to track the efficiency and capacity of the health service, which is relevant to Target 3.d.

3. Accessibility of services

   The article implies an indicator related to service accessibility by noting that “Community members do not need to be current MyMichigan patients to access these services, as all locations accept walk-ins with orders from any provider or facility.” This policy can be measured to assess the level of universal access.

4. Number of strategic partnerships

   The text explicitly identifies a “partnership with University of Michigan’s.” The number and nature of such collaborations can serve as an indicator for progress towards Target 17.17, measuring the effort to build effective partnerships.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: mlive.com