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Michigan’s pediatric COVID cases are on the rise
COVID cases and hospitalizations continue to climb in Michigan. State health officials reported Wednesday that the case rate rose to 304.4 cases per million people. About 4.9% of emergency department visits were for COVID diagnoses over the past week, an increase over last week’s 4.1%. Case rates are highest among 10- to 19-year-olds; there are […]
‘There’s no safe level of lead exposure’
When TaNiccia Henry’s grandson, Lloyd, was 4 years old, his “feet turned dark and his hair stopped growing.” Henry, who lives in Detroit and is Lloyd’s primary caregiver, brought her grandson to be tested for lead. When the test came back, the numbers were staggering: Lloyd had a blood level of 28 micrograms per deciliter […]
With a new health equity project, Michigan doctors aren’t just writing prescriptions
By the time a patient is referred to the Greater Flint Health Coalition, a doctor or another health care professional has identified there’s something more than just their physical health that’s endangering the person’s health. It may be they don’t regularly have access to transportation to get to their medical appointments, or there’s not enough […]
‘Very scary for us’: Advocates worry Whitmer won’t veto bills privatizing mental health care
Two years ago, Republican lawmakers inserted a provision into the state budget that would have, in part, privatized Michigan’s public mental health system. Immediately, mental health providers and advocates called on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to veto the provision, saying it would cause sweeping damage to the care being provided to approximately 300,000 low-income Michiganders with […]
Conservative activist who ‘invented’ clash over ‘critical race theory’ leads Senate hearing
A conservative activist from Washington described as someone who “invented the conflict over critical race theory” was at Tuesday’s state Senate Education and Career Readiness Committee hearing supporting a bill banning Michigan schools from teaching a decades-old theory examining systemic racism. Christopher Rufo, who the New Yorker wrote “invented” the arguments over “critical race theory,” […]
Once lauded as heroes, health care workers are now spit on and ‘threatened every day at work’
When Tom Kelsch heads to his job as a registered nurse in Mercy Health Muskegon’s emergency department, he knows, almost without a doubt, that he’ll be threatened by a patient or their family that day. He knows he may see someone’s fist in his face, as has happened in the past, or have to endure […]
371 Michigan schools report COVID outbreaks
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) reported Monday that a total of 1,039,337 Michiganders have tested positive for COVID-19 and 21,139 have died from the virus — an additional 8,704 cases and 62 deaths since Friday. The new numbers combine Saturday’s, Sunday’s and Monday’s recorded cases and deaths, with an average of […]
Local health depts. ax school mask orders amid state budget confusion
A wave of local health departments across Michigan are rescinding their school mask mandates after Republicans inserted boilerplate language into the state budget that threatens to cut funding from health departments if they implement mask orders for children. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said while signing the Fiscal Year 2022 budget this week that the GOP language […]
U.P. health dept. ‘regretfully’ rescinds school mask mandate
An Upper Peninsula health department announced Friday that it “regretfully” rescinded a school mask mandate nine days after implementing the measure meant to fight the spread of COVID-19. Officials said they feared keeping the order would result in the department losing future state funding. Dickinson-Iron District Health Department (DIDHD) officials said they issued the mask […]
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun to step down as Michigan’s chief medical executive
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun will leave her post as the state’s top doctor next week after more than a year and a half of leading Michigan’s ongoing battle against COVID-19, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced in a news release Friday afternoon. Khaldun, the chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at the Michigan Department of Health […]
Foster care grads needed lawmakers’ help during COVID. That didn’t come until the last minute.
Michael Davis-Thomas has big plans. The 24-year-old from Bay City wants to run for office — at first, for the state House or Senate and, ultimately, for president. But before he can fully dedicate himself to a life in politics, Davis-Thomas has to figure out how he’s going to afford the $2,000 he needs to […]
After threats to Kent Co. health director, GOP officials won’t back statement condemning violence
After Kent County Health Department director Adam London detailed threats and acts of violence against him following his schools mask mandate, Kent County Board of Commissioners members denounced the aggression — but would not unanimously agree to sign a statement saying as much during their Thursday meeting. As first reported by the Michigan Advance this […]