Family Support Network

Providing Assistance to Michigan Medicine Front Line Workers Battling COVID-19

The Internal Medicine Family Support Network is a website that connects community volunteers who want to provide Michigan Medicine healthcare heroes on the front lines battling COVID-19 relief from basic daily needs and other tasks like grocery shopping, child care, tutoring, and dog walking. 

Developed through a collaboration between the Department of Internal Medicine Office of Diversity, Equity, and Well-Being and the U-M Department of Industrial Operations and Engineering (IOE), the site is for individuals who want to offer their assistance and for Internal Medicine faculty and staff to request help.

Amy Cohn, PhD, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, spearheaded the initiative with the help of Elizabeth Fisher, Rodd Capps, William Pozehl - all with the U-M Department of Industrial Operations and Engineering. In addition, students with the U-M Center for Healthcare Engineering and Patient Safety (CHEPS) helped with testing the website.  

“We’re eager to help our Michigan Medicine colleagues who are putting themselves on the front lines in ways that most of us don’t have to,” said Amy Cohn, PhD.

Michael Lukela, MD, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and Associate Vice Chair for the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Well-Being is incredibly grateful to Dr. Cohn and her team's assistance during this very difficult time.

"In spite of being pulled in multiple directions to support other important needs for our health system, she did not even pause when I reached out. In less than one week, CHEPS assembled a team, developed a website to meet our needs, and continues to provide ongoing technical support for the site," said Dr. Lukela. "These multi-disciplinary collaborations and the willingness to support others highlight the people that make our University so special."

Please share the link with those in your family/local community who may be interested in offering their help to the Internal Medicine community at Michigan Medicine!

For any questions, please email [email protected].