PRESCRIPTION FOR CHANGE:
UTMB HEALTH POLICY FORUM
State and Local Efforts to Close
the Gaps
between Public and Private Insurance Coverage:
The Three-Share Plan
Vondie Woodbury
Director of the Muskegon Community Health Project
Muskegon, Mich.
Presented Sept. 23, 2003
Vondie Moore Woodbury
 Vondie
Moore Woodbury is a native of Muskegon, Michigan. She has been Director of
the Muskegon Community Health Project since October 1995. Under her
direction, the Health Project has initiated a health coverage program for
400 uninsured small businesses (Access Health), undertaken local management
of health care for over 2,000 indigent community members (Muskegon Care) and
has implemented a variety of community-based health improvement programs.
These programs include a dental initiative to increase access for
low-income children; a countywide diabetes screening effort that encompassed
8,000 community members; a mentoring program for African American youth;
and, a new CDC supported initiative aimed at reducing the inappropriate use
of antibiotics in treating viral infections. A core mission of the Health
Project is the utilization of Community Health Assessment and Behavioral
Risk Factor data in health improvement strategies.
Ms. Moore Woodbury has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from
Grand Valley State University and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration
from Western Michigan University. She has additional postgraduate training
in economic development with the University of Michigan.
Prior to joining the Health Project, Ms. Moore Woodbury spent 14 years on
the staff of former U.S. Senator Donald Riegle. She served as statewide
Campaign Manager for Riegle’s 1988 Michigan Campaign. Ms. Moore Woodbury
assumed the role of State Director for Riegle’s Michigan operation in 1989.
Ms. Moore Woodbury has also worked as a lobbyist on children’s issues
with the Michigan Legislature, two years as a policy analyst with former
Michigan Governor Milliken’s administration working on juvenile code reform
and, 5 years as a GED teacher in the Orchard View Community Schools system.
Ms. Moore Woodbury is co-author of “Out of the Box and Over the Barriers”
a book describing Muskegon’s community driven process to develop its own
health plan.
Currently, Ms. Moore Woodbury is a founding member of Communities Joined
in Action a new national organization to support communities addressing
access to care issues and, the Michigan Access Coalition, a statewide effort
to strengthen public knowledge and support for projects aimed at improving
medical access. She is Chairman of the Michigan 4C Association Board of
Directors– Michigan’s statewide Resource and Referral Network linking child
care providers and families. She is also President of Community Health
Ventures, a for-profit subsidiary of the Muskegon Community Health Project.
Health Ventures is currently spearheading a national lobbying effort to
build federal support for three-share health coverage efforts like Access
Health.
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