The waiting room at the American Medical Missionary Care clinic at 1320 N. Michigan in Saginaw is a busy place on a Friday afternoon. Patients -- old and young, black and white -- crowd around a large television and chat over the sound of a talk show.

They are waiting to see Dr. Chidozie J. Ononuju, who runs four medical clinics in Saginaw and Flint, along with a home visit service and outreach to residents at Saginaw senior housing complexes.

Ononuju estimates 70 percent of his patients have health insurance, many with Medicaid or Medicare, while he charges fees on a sliding scale to 20 percent of his patients and gives free care to the remaining 10 percent.

"We treat everyone, with or without insurance. I don't receive any grants. We are breaking even and then we give back.

"I work from 7 a.m. to about 10 p.m. many days and go to Flint on Thursdays. Coming from Africa, I believe in family and giving. We have to   more »

Thirteen-year-old Sparkyl Williams plopped to the ground with exhaustion after stepping off the stage in Southeast High School’s auditorium Saturday night. “Oh, my feet hurt. I’m out of breath,” she panted excitedly. After a nearly 12-minute routine of stepping and hip-hop dancing, Sparkyl’s feet certainly deserved a rest. Step dancers use all their bodies as instruments to produce rhythms and sounds through footsteps, clapping and words.

Six teams competed, coming from as far south as Alton and north as Rockford, organizers said.

The competition capped off a daylong series of “edutainment” that highlighted stepping and HIV/AIDS prevention.

Kimberly Moore of the Network Group, which produces and promotes entertainment that combines health education with artistic expression, spearheaded the event to highlight the heritage of stepping in black fraternities and sororities.   more »