MOLINA HEALTHCARE OF MICHIGAN HONORS
THIS YEAR’S COMMUNITY CHAMPION AWARD WINNERS

MUSKEGON, Michigan – May 11, 2009 – Molina Healthcare of Michigan recently recognized nine unsung heroes at is third annual Community Champions Awards, including Tom Lufkin, CEO of Muskegon Family Care.  The awards dinner included entertainment, which was provided by a children’s jazz group, and an art gallery showcasing students’ work from the College of Creative Studies.

Lufkin won the Healthcare Professional Award for his outstanding work leading Muskegon Family Care, a Federally-Qualified Health Center that strives to promote the physical, emotional and spiritual health of families through its health care and support services. 

During his first year, Lufkin brought the Center out of a $700,000 deficit to a $300,000 profit and helped double the number of patient visits.  Under his leadership, Muskegon Family Care also implemented the Electronic Medical Records system and raised $1.7 million to design and build a $4 million medical building.

“We’re proud to call Tom a 2009 Community Champion,” said Jesse Thomas, president of Molina Healthcare of Michigan.  “His leadership has produced great results that positively affect our community.”

Established to honor the memory of Dr. Molina, our Community Champions program spotlights the good deeds of everyday heroes in their communities.  The 2009 winners were recognized in several categories: advocacy/civic leadership, education, faith-based organization, health care media, health care professional, student/youth, support group/service club and our first posthumous award for exemplary community advocate.  Each winner also received a $1000 grant to give to a deserving nonprofit organization as part of his/her award.   Lufkin designated his award to Lakeshore Health Network, a Physician Hospital Organization partnership between the Muskegon Area Physicians Association and Mercy Health Partners.

About Mercy Health Partners
Mercy Health Partners is a teaching hospital and the second largest health system in West Michigan with over 4,000 associates, and some 21,000 inpatient discharges and 137,000 emergency/urgent care visits annually. The system has four hospitals and 375 physicians and offers a number of exclusive specialty physician care services for the region.
About Molina Healthcare