I am excited to join the Michigan Value Collaborative (MVC) as Communications Specialist. This new position will help highlight MVC’s success stories, support MVC member events and engagement activities, and promote MVC services throughout the state of Michigan. I look forward to getting to know MVC members and hearing their feedback in the coming months.

I have worked in communications in various capacities over the past 10 years, and as a result my writing has been published in academic journals, newspapers, magazines, and K-12 curricula. I started out in journalism as a sports writer, copy editor, and then managing editor of a regional newspaper, during which I earned writing awards from the Michigan Press Association and the Society of Professional Journalists. My time as a journalist allowed me to write about a wide range of topics, from city government and local business to high school sports and crime.

When I left journalism for a position at the University of Michigan, I continued to provide broad communications support to administrative offices and research labs. Through this work I developed a strong interest in programs that sought to improve the long-term health of people and places. As a result, I also enrolled as a dual-degree master’s student in public health and environmental science. I have three degrees from the University of Michigan in total, including a Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology, a Master of Science in Environmental Psychology, and a Master of Public Health (MPH).

Following the completion of my MPH program, I spent several years in the field working for primary prevention programs. I worked for a hospital-based farm in the St. Joseph Mercy/Trinity Health network, and then with Michigan Medicine’s Project Healthy Schools program. Implementing interventions in the field helped me to see first-hand the impact that such programs can have on a population or institution. Now I am truly excited to support the mission and vision of the MVC as I return to communications full-time. I know there are tremendous untold stories about the impact of MVC’s efforts on Michigan hospitals and patients. If you have a story to tell or a question to ask, please reach out to me at janaemil@med.umich.edu. I would love to hear from you!