The Michigan Opioids Task Force announced a Request for Proposal (RFP) in January for a consultant to develop and lead a new Racial Equity Workgroup within the task force. The consultant will mainly work to incorporate community voices into the decision making process of the task force and to provide on the ground accounts of … Read more
Today, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced that the federal government has granted Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s request for additional staffing assistance at a sixth Michigan hospital, Sparrow Hospital in Lansing. Under the agreement, the federal government will send up to a 25-person medical team to support Sparrow Hospital’s doctors and nurses … Read more
Heavy flooding last July in the metro Detroit area not only damaged homes, businesses and infrastructure, it also took an emotional toll on residents, many of whom were already struggling with pandemic-related challenges. Now, federal grant funding awarded to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and its Detroit-area partners will help provide … Read more
In President Joe Biden’s Tuesday announcement on new COVID-19 actions, he included plans to send emergency response teams of over 100 clinical professionals and paramedics immediately to Michigan and five other states. Ruthanne Sudderth, senior vice president of public affairs and communications at the Michigan Health and Hospital Association, says she expects these professionals to … Read more
As Michigan’s 2021 legislative session comes to a close, the legislature and Governor Gretchen Whitmer are still making efforts to improve and augment the health care workforce in Michigan. These measures continue the theme of providing financial and programmatic support to assist the health care workforce due to significant shortages brought on by the COVID-19 … Read more
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday! This week’s newsletter includes a conversation with Rep. Mary Whiteford on her policy priorities, our recent “5 Slides We’re Watching ” video on the cost of new medicines, and an interview with a health care lobbyist about some of the main themes they’ve seen around health policy … Read more
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recently issued two Request for Proposals (RFPs) to improve the juvenile justice system in Michigan. The RFPs aim to implement programs to prevent delinquency related to mental health and to reduce racial and ethnic disparities (RED) in the system. Melinda Fandel, juvenile justice specialist … Read more
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has expanded the Opioid Health Home (OHH) initiative to more Michigan counties to provide intensive care management and care coordination services for Medicaid beneficiaries with an opioid use disorder (OUD). The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently approved Michigan’s State Plan Amendment (SPA) … Read more
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is partnering with 22 community testing sites and clinics to offer COVID-19 vaccines to minority and marginalized populations. This partnership is in response to continued racial barriers to testing and vaccines statewide. Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at … Read more
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) issued updated COVID-19 guidelines for schools to reduce disruptions to in-person learning and prevent infection in schools, especially among students under 12-years-old who are not yet eligible to receive a vaccination. The updated guidance follows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for returning to … Read more