Detroit

Bankruptcy and Healthcare

When Detroit filed for bankruptcy in 2013, the city’s healthcare costs were a contributing factor to its financial struggles. We dove into the everyday lives of those who were affected deeply.” right below the title of “Detroit Bankruptcy and healthcare.

An outdoor art installation about the state of health care in Detroit
A Detroit resident prays in a worship center in downtown Detroit.
A couple watches a multi-alarm commercial building fire in the west side of Detroit. Lieutenant Gerard Funderberg of the Detroit Fire Department declared the fire a Hazmat Level 3 situation. As a precautionary measure, the Lieutenant asked the residents that live close by to keep their windows and doors closed.
A woman tries to convince a heavily intoxicated man who was standing outside the Neighborhood Service Organization (NSO) to go inside and sober up.
An abandoned stuffed bear is found beside a used syringe amongst the rubble of the dilapidated Packard Plant.
The act of 'laying on of hands' is healing purportedly through spiritual means. Followers believe that a person can be healed by their religious faith through rituals that stimulate the divine toward correcting illness, dis-ease, and disability.
A pregnant lady explains how living in the shelter is especially difficult because her medication is often stolen from her bag that sits on the chair beside her. It is also difficult for her to find transportation to and from her doctor's appointments.
A woman had surgery at a local hospital to have an abscess from her right arm drained which left her with an open wound packed with Iodoform gauze. Iodoform gauze is commonly used to pack wounds and facilitate wound healing. She came to the shelter to request a sterile environment to change her bandages. The NSO also provided pain medication that was more affordable than the medication that the hospital physician had prescribed. Packing changes are normally administered by a doctor or by a home visiting nurse. It is a complex process that requires that the gauze be carefully removed using sterile implements and replaced with the proper packing materials. It is extremely difficult and unsafe for a non-medical professional to do this alone.
A man in a wheelchair was picked up from a local homeless shelter and brought to an outdoor ministry that provides music, food, spiritual counseling, and clothing for those in need. Steve Upshure is the current pastor of Peacemakers International Church.
A homeless lady is given medication for water retention in her ankles due to having to sleep sitting up in a metal chair. The center uses chairs instead of cots to maximize their capacity.