CHAMBER

Ferndale Welcomes the Launch of S.O.A.R.

Our local Chamber of Commerce has a rich history. It was originally established in 1918, at which time it was called The Board of Commerce.

Nearly two decades later, in 1936, the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce (later FACC) was born. Founded by business and community leaders with the vision of promoting business growth, by 1972, the FACC sponsored its first Fall Festival on West Nine Mile.

Despite challenges, the Chamber sustained itself by inviting neighborhood clubs and organizations to join for a small fee of $25. This money was used to purchase the marquee that still stands proudly on the corner of Woodward and Nine Mile and serves as a way to alert residents to local happenings. The purpose of the Chamber is to give local businesses the opportunity to collaborate with each other to promote and improve area commerce. And, in connecting members by way of various events held throughout the year, the Chamber increases visibility for its members’ products and services.

Joy Wells joined the FACC in 2019 as its Executive Director, overseeing more than 300 members. From the get-go, she wanted to go even bigger and used her passion for public service to expand the Chamber’s reach. Wells led an endeavor to unite Ferndale with the surrounding communities of Oak Park and Hazel Park as a way to bring back the vitality of the entire area, despite complications that arose amid the pandemic. “I saw such a great opportunity to spearhead a large, impactful strategic endeavor that only took a year to accomplish,” said Wells, with 15 years of operations and project management experience prior to FACC.

AS A RESULT OF THESE EFFORTS, AND IN COLLABORATION WITH its Oak Park Alliance and City officials in Hazel Park, this year the FACC relaunched as the South Oakland Area Regional Chamber of Commerce (SOAR). Wells is staying on as the organization’s President, and the vision of the new collaboration is to make the region “the community of choice to work, live, learn, and grow.” Wells and the other board members are determined to foster prosperity in the postpandemic state. The expansion of the Ferndale Chamber’s reach allows for a unique opportunity for current members to connect with Oak Park and Hazel Park and foster business growth in all three cities simultaneously. Because residents tend to frequent businesses in all three municipalities, it just made sense.

Working closely with the county, cities and government officials to support its mission, SOAR allows representatives in these communities a platform to come together and lift each other up in the process. SOAR’s website proudly boasts, “When communities unite, everyone wins!” The Board believes the new structure will increase the power in numbers, the power of advocacy, and the powers of the Chamber itself.” Some of the many benefits members enjoy include access to business networking, government, city and local hubs of business resources, advocacy and economic development, and volunteering and community support. The Chamber is currently accepting additional applicants throughout the region.

WELLS EXPLAINED. “DURING THE PANDEMIC CRISIS, WE HAVE OPENED OUR DOORS to all businesses and communities while we navigate through the current state of affairs.” She added, “We are in a pilot year of our regional launch and further learning the needs of our growing communities. We are revamping our membership and sponsorship programming.” Businesses who join SOAR in its first year will be in a unique position of helping to define its future, and several activities are already underway. These events are free of charge and open to both members and non members.

Most of 2021’s events are centered around SOAR’s mission of economic growth despite the crisis and defining its new structure. “We have an events committee that goes through a brainstorming process. We then create them in a test environment, troubleshoot, and publicize,” Wells said, explaining how new ideas are generated and rolled out. She added, “We are still learning the needs of the communities and understanding the business landscapes.” n

For updates and new website launch information, follow South Oakland Area Regional Chamber of Commerce on Facebook. Businesses interested in growth opportunities, community engagement, and prosperity, are welcome to join through SOAR’s website, southoaklandarearegionalcc.org, or by emailing Wells directly at joy@soar-cc.org. To receive SOAR’s weekly newsletter, email joy@ferndalechamber.com, And for more information on current and future events, contact mia@quickcheckbooksllc.com.

By Sara E. Teller

S O U T H O A K L A N D A R E A R E G I O N A L C h a m ber O f C o m m e r c e

Dr. Paul Benson

Be Well Medical Center

AS FOUNDER, OWNER, AND MEDICAL DIRECTOR, Dr. Paul Benson sets the tone for the Be Well Medical Center. The practice reflects the philosophy that Dr. Benson has developed over the course of 40 years dedicated to his profession and his patients.

Family Practice Sexual Health

As a family medicine practice, Be Well Medical Center provides primary medical care for people of all ages, treating many common conditions from diabetes to high blood pressure, while also maintaining relationships with other health care providers and facilities for people who need more specialized care. Dr. Benson refers to his practice as “your neighborhood medical center with a heart,” because he is committed to the principle that while ideal patient care requires keeping up with the latest relevant advances in medical knowledge, treatments, and technology, it also requires never losing sight of the human side of medicine. A family practitioner especially — who often maintains lifelong relationships with patients, in some cases across multiple generations in a family — needs to manifest virtues including patience, being a good listener, and compassion in order to provide the best care. Be Well Medical Center offers evening hours four days a week, as well as some Saturday hours for patients’ convenience. Their staff of health care providers and support staff are all highly capable and have been trained by Dr. Benson to reflect his practice’s philosophy. Helping people live healthier lifestyles, and preventing health problems rather than waiting for them to arise before addressing them, requires good communication between doctor and patient. To facilitate this, Dr. Benson contends, a family practice must create an atmosphere of honesty and trust, where people feel comfortable speaking frankly, asking and answering questions, providing information, admitting concerns and fears, etc., even when it comes to personal and potentially sensitive aspects of their life and health. If there is something that sets Dr. Benson and Be Well Medical Center apart from many other family practices, it is his conviction—informed by decades of experience—that sexual health is an under-appreciated and underemphasized aspect of health care. As defined by the World Health Organization, “Sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being in relation to sexuality; not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity. Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, [and] the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination, and violence.” A family doctor, Dr. Benson contends, must not regard addressing the sexual health of his or her patients as optional or as of minor importance. Not when we live in a time when—just to mention a few relevant and concerning points—there are more than 110 million sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) in this country, the lifetime risk of contracting HIV for African American men who have sex with men is approximately 50%, the long-declining rates of gonorrhea and syphilis have in recent years reversed direction and risen, approximately half of all new STIs each year occur among people 24 years of age and younger, and studies show that people tend to drastically underestimate their likelihood of contracting HIV.

Addressing sexual health with one’s patients has multiple components: sexual history discussions, sex education, and STI testing. Dr. Benson maintains that if you are the physician responsible for providing a person’s primary medical care, taking your patient’s sexual history should be as much a routine part of your job as taking their blood pressure or asking about their allergies. A sexual history should be taken on a new patient’s initial visit, whenever the patient receives a routine preventive exam, and whenever there are indications of an STI. A discussion of sexual health should include educating the patient with current information regarding HIV and other STIs and their prevention, including addressing appropriate condom use with any sexually active patient. Individuals deemed at risk for STIs should be encouraged to get tested regularly, every 3 to 6 months depending on the degree and nature of the risk. Sexual health is a matter close to Dr. Benson’s heart. He has been on the forefront in the battle against HIV since before the terms “HIV” and “AIDS” even existed. He has seen far too many lives damaged and lives lost as a result of inadequate communication, education, and understanding of risk concerning sexual matters. In addition to Dr. Paul Benson being board-certified in Family Medicine, he is accredited as an HIV Specialist by the American Academy of HIV Medicine. Dr. Benson has published extensively in medical journals, has been the principal investigator for many therapeutic drug trials in the HIV field, and is 1964 Eleven Mile Rd a national speaker on many Berkley, MI 48072 health-related issues. He has served as President of the St. John Oakland Physicians Organization, as well as of the local Berkley Rotary Club. Dr. Benson’s pledge to the community is that Be Well Medical Center will always be open and welcoming to those of all races, genders, ages, orientations, etc. All people who walk in the door are respected, valued, and accepted as deserving of individualized care. n