COVID-19 Vaccine Information, Benefits, and How it Works

COVID-19 Vaccines Have Arrived: What You Need to Know

10 things you should know about vaccine development

Find out the 10 things you need to know about how vaccines are developed.

Get even more information on COVID-19 and related resources on the State of Michigan’s Website.

“We want all Michiganders to get the facts about this safe and effective vaccine and the steps that were taken to develop it,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “I am grateful and proud to have gotten both doses of my vaccine and I urge Michiganders to make and plan and get vaccinated when it is their turn. This is the way forward out of the pandemic and our chance to return to a sense of normalcy.”

COVID-19 Guidance: Know the Facts

Isolation vs Quarantine: What’s the Difference?

What is ISOLATION?

At least 10 days of staying home
and away from others
WHEN YOU’RE POSITIVE FOR COVID-19

  • Stay home except for medical care.
  • Isolate yourself from others in your household if possible (it impacts their quarantine time)
  • Notify your healthcare provider ASAP (they don’t always received test results).
  • Let your employer or school know you have COVID-19.
  • You may not get a call from the health department, so fill out the Saginaw County Health Department self-reporting form
  • Notify close contacts so they can start to quarantine themselves.
  • Only resume normal activities when the following have happened:
    • 10 days have passed since symptoms start or when you got tested if asymptomatic
    • Fever free for 24 hours
    • Symptoms improve

What is QUARANTINE?

Staying home and away
from others for 14 days
AFTER EXPOSURE TO COVID-19

  • Determine when you last came into close contact (within 6 feet for 15 minutes) with COVID+ person when they were contagious (anywhere from 48 hours before their symptoms developed or their test came back positive through their isolation period)
  • Quarantine 14 days since that last contact.
  • If the contact is with someone in your household who hasn’t isolated from you, your quarantine will be 24 days – the 10 days of their isolation and the following 14 days.
  • Monitor yourself for symptoms and consider testing.
  • DO NOT use a negative test result to get out of quarantine.
  • Stay home through the 14th day to make sure you don’t develop COVID-19 at any time during its incubation period and spread it to others.

COVID-19 Positive or Exposed: When can I be around others again?

Scenario 1: Close Contact and Quarantine

Sasha’s partner gets sick on Monday and isolates in a separate room. Sasha feels well, but she was in close contact with her partner until Monday so she needs to quarantine for 14 days.

Sasha never has symptoms. Quarantine ends after day 14.

 

COVID-19: Scenario 1

Scenario 2: Isolation with Lingering Symptoms

Alberto gets sick on Wednesday and has a fever and cough for ten days. He cannot end isolation until it’s been ten days and he’s fever-free for 24 hours.

Aleberto isolates the ten days plus one extra day.

 

COVID-19: Scenario 2

Scenario 3: Isolation with Brief Illness

Bill gets sick on Thursday. He feels better and his fever ends on Monday. Even though he seems well earlier, he still must isolate for a full ten days since his symptoms started.

Bill’s isolation ends after ten days.

 

COVID-19: Scenario 3

Scenario 4: Asymptomatic Case

Amy’s co-worker tested positive for COVID-19. Amy began to quarantine and decided to get tested after 5 days even
though she never felt sick. Her test comes back positive. The positive test starts isolation since Amy is asymptomatic.

The positive test result starts isolation since Amy is asymptomatic.

 

COVID-19: Scenario 4

Scenario 5: Household Quarantine and Isolation

Tom’s son, Jake, was exposed at school. Jake quarantines for 4 days and gets sick. Now, Jake isolates and Tom quarantines. Tom cares for Jake. He is exposed until Jake’s isolation ends.

Tom’s quarantine starts as soon as Jake gets sick, but the 14 day count starts after Tom’s last exposure to Jake.

 

COVID-19: Scenario 5

Source:

Saginaw County Health Department
1600 N. Michigan Avenue
Saginaw, MI 48602
Phone: 989.758.3828

We All Have a Roll in Limiting the Spread of COVID-19: Help Flatten the Curve

COVID-19 in the Great Lakes Bay Region

Along with local hospitals and health departments, we are urging you to recognize that we all have a role in limiting the spread of COVID-19 and need to help flatten the curve. Click here to register to receive your vaccine.

Please treat this virus seriously and take the necessary steps to keep yourself, those around you and our community healthy. 

Please that the following actions:

COVID-19 Education symbols
  • Wear a face covering
  • Maintain social distancing of 6 feet
  • Avoid gatherings
  • Limit holiday activities to immediate family
  • Monitor your health daily for symptoms of COVID-19
  • Maintain routine healthcare requirements
  • Wash your hands with soap and water
  • Avoid touching your face
  • Clean and disinfect frequently used surfaces

Experiencing symptoms of COVID-19?

Symptoms of COVID-19
  • Contact your primary physician or seek testing
  • Quarantine for 10 days and until symptoms subside

Stay up to date on COVID-19:

Stay up to date on COVID-19 news

Please seek medical attention Please seek medical attention if you have symptoms of heart attack, stroke, or any condition which requires emergency care, including issues pertaining depression.

 

Great Lakes Bay Region and Michigan Health Improvement Alliance

A Huge Thank You to All of Our Volunteers!

We salute the volunteers who have helped us provide COVID-19 testing across the region since March. Area university students have been on the front lines with our staff at popup testing events and our daily testing sites in Saginaw and Bay City. They include dedicated volunteers Angelique Wooley and Matt Bartels from Saginaw Valley State University. Each of these students is studying healthcare and donated dozens of hours of their time this summer. Thank you to all our volunteers!

Matt Bartels in the field

“Due to the virus, SVSU nursing students were unable to have our internship this summer. I was searching for a way to grow my knowledge base and skills,”said Matt Bartels, who volunteered at popup events, daily testing sites and with the migrant farm worker team. “I also had been looking for a way to utilize my healthcare experience to help the local community in light of everything occurring with the virus. 

“I started at the first popup event in Buena Vista Township. I took notice of the care, concern, and extraordinary work-ethic that the GLBHC staff showed throughout the entire event.”

Ang Wooley and team

Ang Wooley and team

 

“I wanted to volunteer to gain experience from a historical event but to also make an impact in my community. My experience as a COVID-19 screener pushed my limits and solidified my decision to continue in the medical field. It was a truly unique opportunity that I will always remember with pride.” – Angelique Wooley, student volunteer

2020 A Year of Hope: Great Lakes Bay Health Centers 5th Annual Changing Lives Fundraiser

Donate Here ButtonFundraiser 2020: Changing Lives Invitation


Our 5th Annual Changing Lives Fundraiser:
“2020 A Year of Hope”

Thursday, Nov. 19, Virtual Event

Join us at 12 noon or 7pm

to stream our online event, featuring

  • Host Dr. Waheed Akbar
  • Patient Stories
  • Healthcare Heroes
  • Vision for the Future with Dr. Brenda Coughlin,
    GLBHC President and CEO
  • Dwayne Parker, GLBHC Board member

Register to join the fundraising event

The event is virtual this year, but the needs of the people you will help are very real – through the support of safety equipment, telehealth services, community COVID testing, expanding behavioral health needs and more.

We can come together now to bring healing to our communities.


Unable to make the virtual event but still want to donate? Downloadable pledge form and send it in!

COVID Health & Seasonal Flu Updates and Resources

Seasonal Flu Update

Fall is just around the corner. Great Lakes Bay Health Centers is here to help you schedule your appointment to get your flu vaccine. It is more important than ever. An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to help protect you, your family and our community against the flu.

Seasonal Flu Update

COVID -19: Coping with All This Stress

covid-19 coping with stress during a pandemic

YOU Can Help Stop COVID-19

stop the spread of covid-19 by washing your hands and wearing a mask

USTED puede ayudar a detener COVID-19

dejar de difundir covid-19

10 things you can do to manage your health at home

how to manage your health at home while quarantining

2020 Census

Saginaw community foundation logoBay Area Community Foundation logo

Now more than ever, we need to ensure that everyone in our community is counted in the 2020 Census. Funding for healthcare that supports centers like ours is one of the largest parts of Census-directed funding. The count also helps researchers predict disease rates during a pandemic like COVID-19. 

The Census is designed for people to respond on their own, which means that you can respond right now in the comfort of your home. 
Follow this link to fill out the form in about 10 minutes. You also call 844-330-2020 to respond by phone.

Take the Michigan Census

2020 census it's important to be counted

be a superhero with the gift of giving

Road to Recovery

Just like you, we are looking forward to a recovery out of this crisis – even as we wonder what that future will look like for businesses, families, healthcare and communities. The future of health has changed and will take even more resources. Our centers will see increased demand for essential primary care services, dental and behavioral health care. We must be ready to meet the needs of patients who have had to delay routine care. We anticipate a surge in mental health needs across the region, and we are already planning about how to help meet these needs. Healthcare will need to be more mobile, more virtual, more flexible and more accessible. This is who we are and what we do. We change lives because we care.

You can help save and change lives now:

Our patients and our centers continue to face challenges.

Please consider a new gift, adding to your pledge or making an early gift toward your pledge. We are experiencing a loss in revenue with fewer patients able to come for visits, along with increased expenses at testing sites. Thank you for the meals for staff, protective equipment and funds from new donors, vendors and sustaining donors.

Donate online at  www.greatlakesbayhealthcenters.org/donate or contact Jill Armentrout to find out about other ways to give. Mail checks to Changing Lives, 501 Lapeer, Saginaw MI 48607

Meeting needs now:

Our communities are depending on us to provide emergency dental care which very few other dentists are offering at this time; counseling during a time when anxiety, depression, and difficulty with relationships are rampant; providing nutrition assistance and aid when stress and lack of funds often leads to unhealthy diet choices; and medical care and every other service that we provide that is even harder to come by than normal. Our vans are delivering critical medications from our pharmacies. Providers have done more than 5,000 telehealth visits. Patients are so happy that we are here to answer the phone and just listen to them.

COVID sample collection sites:

We continue to take a lead in community testing with three drive-through sample collection sites in parking lots at our centers in Saginaw, Bad Axe and Bay City. Telehealth screenings allow us to offer tests to anyone with symptoms. We’ve collected more than 450 samples for testing and results are coming faster. Call our hotline at (989) 293-3492 for more information.

Stay well and stay safe. We are here for our communities and know our donors will be here to help us accomplish our mission together.

Heros Work Here sticky note art

GLBHC Dental Sites

Here at Great Lakes Bay Health Centers, we understand that it can be a challenge for patients in our community to find a dentist to treat their emergent dental needs and pain.  Though we have suspended all of our regularly scheduled non-emergent treatment and preventive care, Great Lakes Bay Health Centers dental clinics are open to treat patients experiencing pain, swelling, bleeding, or other emergent dental problems.  In order to maintain a safe environment for all staff and patients, please call to schedule an appointment so we can make the safest arrangements to see you.  Please see the following list of our locations:

GLBHC Dental Sites:

GLBHC Bayside                         3884 Monitor Rd, Bay City, MI 48706                                     989.922.5650

GLBHC Imlay City                     6800 Newark Rd STE 400, Imlay City, MI 48444                810.721.7453

GLBHC Shiawassee                  200 Caledonia, Owosso, MI 48867                                            989.720.4188

GLBHC Thumb Area                876 N Van Dyke Rd., Bad Axe, MI 48413                                  989.331.0555

GLBHC Warren Avenue          321 N Warren Avenue, Saginaw, MI 48607                               989.754.7771

Essential care – protecting health in this crisis

Great Lakes Bay Health Centers continue to serve as a vital part of our community’s health care safety net during this emergency. By maintaining our ability to treat patients, we can help relieve some of the congestion of patients seeking treatment at our local hospitals.

Although the number of patients we are seeing is reduced, we are still caring for thousands of vulnerable people across the region who need our support to manage chronic illnesses such as diabetes and asthma; to maintain healthy pregnancies or take care of new babies; to receive necessary dental treatment and to continue behavioral health counseling in this stressful time. We can listen to them, address their fears and help them stay home.

Many of our care providers are using telehealth options to conduct virtual visits and counseling with hundreds of patients. Some services are temporarily unavailable so we can protect our staff and patients as much as possible.

Great Lakes Bay Health Centers mobile essential care workers

We are partnering with the Saginaw County Health Department to provide drive-through Covid-19 sample collection for testing in the parking lot of our downtown Saginaw Administrative offices. This started March 24 with staff set up with a tent and our dental bus. We also have volunteer students from CMU Medical School assisting with logistics.
Anyone from the community is able to get a sample taken at the site but must have a lab order from a provider. We are working with Quest labs to test the samples. Demand for the service continues to build and the site will be open from 9 am to 3 pm weekdays. Soon we will be able to use telehealth to screen people who don’t have a doctor but are struggling with symptoms. We also are working to expand to other counties.

Care providers and all staff at Great Lakes Bay Health Centers are stepping up tremendously to keep centers operating safely for themselves and patients. We are following the guidelines of the CDC and the Governor’s orders. They are on the front lines of the crisis. Sometimes that means bringing in staff at 8 pm on a Sunday to prepare and set up for operations under new conditions. As one manager said: “We will continue to work together as a team and get through this safely one day at a time.”

How can I help?

Patients need your support: We so appreciate your support of our mission to change lives – and to save lives. This is a very challenging time for everyone. It puts unique pressures on our healthcare system. This emergency is putting our health centers at risk because we are not able to see as many regular patients, and we are facing unanticipated costs. Please consider making a donation now at greatlakesbayhealthcenters.org/donate

Please contact Jill Armentrout at jarmentrout@glbhealth.org
or (989) 759-6479 if you have other questions or thoughts.

Stay Home and Stay Safe

 

 

Think you missed the Great American Smokeout? Think again

You can still add a smoke-free day to your holiday wish list for yourself

 

You’ve probably heard the term “nobody likes a quitter.” On Nov. 21 of every year, however, being a quitter makes you a winner.

The Great American Smokeout, a program hosted by the American Cancer Society, or ACS, has been encouraging smokers for more than 40 years to drop the habit for just one day. After one tobacco-free day, smokers can take the next step and kick the habit for good. Thousands of people participated in this year’s Great American Smokeout.

Think you missed your chance? Never fear; it’s the most wonderful time of the year … to make a resolution to take a step toward better health, for you and the loved ones you’ll be gathering with over the coming weeks.

Did you know?

According to the ACS, about 37.8 million Americans smoke cigarettes. About half of all Americans who keep smoking will die because of their smoking, the society reports. Each year more than 480,000 people in the United States die from illnesses caused by smoking. This means smoking causes about 1 out of 5 deaths in the United States each year.

Don’t feel bad if you’re having a tough time giving up the habit. Giving up cigarettes, cigars or hookahs is not easy. According to Medical News Today, nicotine is as difficult as giving up heroin. The Mayo Clinic explains nicotine dependence this way: “Nicotine produces physical and mood-altering effects in your brain that are temporarily pleasing. These effects make you want to use tobacco and lead to dependence.”

It can be a tough habit to break, but the ACS gives smokers tips on how to quit for just one day, which could lead to a smoke-free lifetime.

If you’ve decided to quit using tobacco – and that is a very personal decision – experts say you should set a date for quitting, make a plan and stick to that plan. Here are some tips:

  • Pick the date and mark it on your calendar.
  • Tell friends and family about your quit day.
  • Get rid of all the cigarettes and ashtrays in your home, car and at work.
  • Stock up on oral substitutes – sugarless gum, carrot sticks, hard candy, cinnamon sticks, coffee stirrers, straws and/or toothpicks.
  • Decide on a plan. Will you use nicotine replacement therapy (gum and patches) or other medicines? Will you attend a stop-smoking class? If so, sign up now.
  • Practice saying, “No, thank you. I don’t smoke.”
  • Set up a support system. This could be a group program or a friend or family member who has successfully quit and is willing to help you.
  • Ask family and friends who still smoke not to smoke around you, and not to leave cigarettes out where you can see them.
  • If you are using bupropion or varenicline, take your dose each day leading up to your quit day.
  • Think about your past attempts to quit. Try to figure out what worked and what didn’t.

You’re not alone

Although kicking the smoking habit is hard, it’s not impossible. According to a recent Healthline article, 40% of former smokers who succeeded in quitting attributed their success to having a support system in place. On top of friends or family, here are some additional resources you could consider:

This website is for a Health Center Program grantee under 42. U.S.C. 254b, and a deemed Public Health Service employee under 42 U.S.C. 233 (g) – (n). This organization is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant #H80CS00689 titled Health Center Cluster for $7,161,610 with about 88% funded with nongovernmental sources. This information or content and conclusions are those of Great Lakes Bay Health Centers and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. We are an equal opportunity provider and employer. GLBHC participates in the Federal program 340B Drug Pricing Program. All GLBHC patients may exercise his or her freedom to choose a pharmacy provider.

Copyright 2023, Great Lakes Bay Health Centers