About The Consultants
The Power of Understanding is is Michigan Health Council's tested approach to health literacy that focuses on organizational change and provider education. Learn more about our team below.
Melanie Brim
CEO, Michigan Health Council
Melanie Brim currently serves as the President and CEO of the Michigan Health Council. She previously served as the Senior Deputy Director of the Public Health Administration/State Health Officer at the Michigan Department of Community Health. Melanie has worked in a variety of health care settings, including acute care, long-term care, community health care, mental health care, and physician practice management. She also provided executive leadership for a federal planning grant to accelerate the transformation of healthcare delivery and payment systems in Michigan.
Nancy Combs, M.A.
Principal, Nancy Combs Communications
Nancy is a skilled communicator whose expertise spans health literacy, program development, training and facilitation, writing/editing, and community partnerships. After a long career at Henry Ford Health where she last served as director of community health integration, she started her own health communications firm in 2020. Current and recent clients include Michigan Health Council, PACE Southeast Michigan, the American Hospital Association (Hippos Health) and Urban Aging News. She holds an M.A. from Yale Divinity School and a B.A. from Converse College. Contact her at nancy@nancycombscommunications.com or (313) 549-2562.
PACE Southeast Michigan was honored to be a partner in The Power of Understanding. Health literacy is crucial to the work of PACE Southeast Michigan in caring for chronically ill older adults and supporting their wish to stay in the homes and communities they love. Participating in The Power of Understanding led to new transformative opportunities for PACE Southeast Michigan to become a health-literate organization. Overall, this innovative project led to improved health outcomes for PACE Southeast Michigan participants and renewed staff engagement around health literacy. PACE Southeast Michigan is excited to see how The Power of Understanding supports the health of those in Michigan and beyond.
Laurie Arora, MBA
Vice President, Public Affairs, Philanthropy, and Organizational Development at PACE Southeast Michigan
Get Started
To schedule a free consultation, please click the button below to complete an interest form. Or, contact Michigan Health Council at healthliteracy@mhc.org or 517-908-8223.