Region IV Area Agency on Aging Part of National Team Selected as Winner in Federal Health at Home Challenge

St. Joseph-based agency brings Southwest Michigan into an eight-hub national consortium expanding in-home and community care for older adults on Medicare and Medicaid, powered by a shared electronic medical record with artificial intelligence

ST. JOSEPH, Mich., Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Region IV Area Agency on Aging (AAA) has been named part of a winning team in the federal Health at Home Challenge, a national competition run by the Administration for Community Living within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The National Consortium of Community Care Hubs for Health at Home — a network of eight community care hubs spanning eight states, led by the Oregon Wellness Network, with physician-owned CCH Medical Group as its healthcare partner — was one of ten winning teams selected nationwide. Region IV AAA anchors the consortium's Southwest Michigan market, the network's only Michigan hub.

The Challenge is designed to help older adults and people with disabilities who are covered by both Medicare and Medicaid stay healthy and independent at home — reducing hospital stays and lowering the total cost of care. Winning teams were chosen for their ability to deliver navigation, care coordination, care transitions, evidence-based health promotion programs such as fall prevention, and nutrition services at large scale.

The consortium's eight community care hubs and their markets are: the Oregon Wellness Network (statewide Oregon, lead hub); SARCOA / Community Care Solutions (southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle); CATCH Greater Houston and the Houston Health Department (greater Houston); the Western New York Integrated Care Collaborative (Western New York); TLC-Maryland (statewide Maryland); the Piedmont Triad Regional Council (North Carolina); and Region IV Area Agency on Aging (southwest Michigan). Together, the hubs aim to serve more than 100,000 Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries with chronic conditions.

What This Means for Southwest Michigan

For residents of Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties, the win accelerates a model Region IV has been building for five decades: a trusted network of community-based services connected directly to the healthcare system. Building on Region IV's established community-clinical integration partnership with Corewell Health, older adults across Southwest Michigan will see expanded help getting home safely after a hospital or nursing facility stay, care plans supported by nurses and community health workers, evidence-based fall prevention classes in their communities, and home-delivered nutrition support — in lakeshore, small-town, and rural communities alike.

Region IV will work alongside local health systems, accountable care organizations, primary care providers, and health plans to expand these innovative models across Southwest Michigan. Residents will be connected to support through pathways that include hospital-to-home transitions, primary care referrals, nursing home-to-community transitions, fall prevention initiatives, and programs that address depression, loneliness, and social isolation. By addressing both health-related social needs and clinical priorities, these efforts are expected to help residents spend more healthy days at home while contributing to improved quality outcomes, stronger HEDIS performance, reduced avoidable utilization, and lower total cost of care.

One Shared Record, Smarter Care

Through the national consortium, all eight member hubs operate on a single shared AthenaOne electronic medical record — a first for community-based care at this scale — with integrated artificial intelligence for population health analytics. The AI-supported platform helps care teams identify at-risk individuals earlier, guide community health workers in real time, and measure what matters most: more days at home and lower cost of care.

"Communities are strongest when the organizations people rely on every day work together to support health, independence, and quality of life. For more than 50 years, Region IV Area Agency on Aging has helped older adults and adults with disabilities remain in their homes and communities, and the Health at Home Challenge allows us to build on that foundation. This work builds on more than a decade of partnership with Corewell Health and a shared commitment to improving how people experience care and support in Southwest Michigan," said Christine Vanlandingham, CEO, Region IV Area Agency on Aging.

"Together, we are creating a coordinated system of support rather than a collection of separate services, making it easier for individuals, caregivers, healthcare providers, and community organizations to work toward shared goals. That means a better experience for residents, stronger partnerships across our region, improved quality outcomes, and better value for healthcare providers and health plans. Ultimately, success will be measured by helping more people spend more healthy days at home, connected to the people, places, and communities that matter most to them," Vanlandingham said.

The team now advances to Phase 2 of the Challenge (August 2026 – July 2027), implementing its strategy in Southwest Michigan and nationally. Up to five teams will be selected in summer 2027 to advance to the final scaling phase.

About Region IV Area Agency on Aging

Region IV Area Agency on Aging is a private, nonprofit organization based in St. Joseph, Michigan, serving older adults, adults with disabilities, and caregivers in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties for more than 50 years. The organization helps people remain healthy, independent, and connected to their communities through in-home and community-based services, care coordination, caregiver support, and health promotion programs. Region IV also serves as the backbone organization for the Southwest Michigan Community Care Hub, bringing together healthcare providers, community organizations, and public partners to create a more coordinated system of support across the region.

Region IV is a Member Community Care Hub of the National Consortium of Community Care Hubs for Health at Home, led by the Oregon Wellness Network, with the Oregon Association of Area Agencies on Aging and Disabilities (O4AD) serving as lead applicant. Region IV is a Member Community Care Hub of the National Consortium of Community Care Hubs for Health at Home, led by the Oregon Wellness Network with the Oregon Association of Area Agencies on Aging and Disabilities (O4AD) as lead applicant.

The Health at Home Challenge is administered by the Administration for Community Living. This announcement does not imply endorsement by ACL, HHS, or the federal government.

SOURCE Michigan Region IV Area Agency on Aging