NOVI, Mich., May 1, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Trinity Health today announced that Aiisya Williamson has been named Executive Director of Mercy Primary Care Center in Detroit, a free or low-cost provider of medical services to adults who do not have private health insurance and do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid. In this role, Williamson will provide strategic leadership for program advocacy, operations management, community relations and budgetary oversight.
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Mercy Primary Care Center provides a full range of primary care services, regardless of a patient's ability to pay, including management of acute and chronic diseases; preventive care; health education; X-ray and mammography; physicals; blood tests; basic gynecological care; and social services. In 2005, the center recorded more than 6,200 patient encounters.
Mercy Primary Care Center is funded almost entirely through Trinity Health, the fourth-largest Catholic health system in the United States and the largest health care employer in Michigan.
"Aiisya brings a wealth of experience and a relentless dedication to the improvement of the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of health care for the uninsured," said Marsha Casey, President, Michigan Regional Ministries, Trinity Health. "The expertise she brings will help Mercy Primary Care Center continue its work as a critical safety net to people who lack affordable access to care."
As executive director, Williamson hopes to expand the center's operations to meet the growing needs of the uninsured and develop a dental program to diminish the wide disparity in access to care in the center's surrounding community.
"Leading a community focused health care center has always been a dream of mine," Williamson said. "While this role is challenging, it is also very invigorating. It feels great achieving a personal goal while at the same time, knowing that I can make a difference in people's lives."
Prior to joining Mercy Primary Care Center, Williamson was a senior planning analyst at Trinity Health, where one of her first assignments in 2000 was to provide strategic planning support in the establishment of Mercy Primary Care Center as a continuing mission of Trinity Health.
Williamson earned her bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Michigan and a master's degree in health services administration from U-M's School of Public Health. She is an active member of the National Association of Health Service Executives (NAHSE), as well as the Michigan Society of Healthcare Planning and Marketing (MSHPM). Williamson chairs the Infant Mortality Steering Committee, an organization dedicated to reducing the rate of infant deaths in metropolitan Detroit.
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