April Henne came to the dental clinic at the Saginaw Public Health Center when she was a child. Now she brings her kids. The clinic serves uninsured kids in Saginaw County. The cost: a donation.
"I don't have really good insurance to go just anywhere, but even if I did I would want to come here because of the quality of care," Henne says.
The dental clinic is a unique program. The Saginaw Public Health Center and Saginaw Department of Public Health also offer numerous services you can find at most county health departments.
Services include family planning, preventative health care, and immunizations.
The cost for many services in Saginaw county is based on your income. Health department leaders say even if you have insurance, you could save money by utilizing care at your local health department.
Saginaw County Health Department spokesperson Kathy Meyer says its something many people don't think of, "I think DPH is invisible in many communities because people are so accustomed to going to primary care physicians."
Patients using programs, like Susan Fischer say more people should check out what resources are available.
She became disabled due to foot problems caused by diabetes. She says the Saginaw Department of Public Health saved her life, "I'm tooling around now thanks to a program that helped me get my medications. There are people to help you. You may have to make some calls, talk to people at the health department, but there are people to help you."
