The Center for Better Health and Wellness, established in October 2020 with funding from the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities, is located at 100 W. Main Street in Benton Harbor. Open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Center offers a variety of services that includes health screenings and education, personal protective equipment (PPE), mental health, social navigation services, and other forms of support at a location easily accessible to residents of Benton Harbor and Benton Heights.
Coping with COVID
The population health department strives to help meet the health and wellness needs of our community including coping with COVID. As we emerge from this pandemic, the Population Health team is committed to helping the communities served by Lakeland that have been hit hardest by COVID-19 not only to rebound, but to come back stronger. Our team will work hard to improve the social conditions of these communities by focusing on their access to quality food, housing, education, jobs, transportation, and health care.
Understanding Health Inequities in Southwest Michigan
The Berrien County Department of Health found that the differences in mortality rates are closely associated with poverty, poor education and, significantly, race. In other words, people with low income and education and people who are African American are at higher risk for early mortality in Berrien County. According to the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), in Berrien County, there are significant differences in the death rates. The CHNA estimates that Black people in Berrien County die at rates that are more than 30% higher than whites. Learn more about how psychological trauma, such as exposure to racism, impacts health and the health.