Cons and conspiracies abound in Michigan as residents brace for coronavirus. Now would also be a good time to tell you not to drink bleach.
Robin Erb
Robin Erb covers a range of health issues in Michigan, including the industry of aging and the issues facing older residents in Michigan, a state that is aging faster than most others. She joined Bridge in 2019 and has led investigations that tracked millions of dollars in opioid settlement money and explored severe worker shortages in health care that threaten lives and the state's economy. She chronicled the shock and grief of Michigan families in COVID’s wake, as well as state policy decisions and the triumphs of medical breakthroughs. Robin previously spent six years covering health at the Detroit Free Press, documenting the battle over, and the eventual passage of, the Affordable Care Act and Michigan's Medicaid expansion. She studied communications and political science at Miami University and has a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Lourdes University (Toledo, Ohio). She and her husband raised two wonderful children — but have failed miserably at training their Beagle-Bassets — in southeast Michigan. Reach her at rerb@bridgemi.com.
Posted inMichigan Government
Judge blocks Michigan’s Medicaid work rules in victory for Gretchen Whitmer
A federal judge’s decision to halt the Medicaid work law in Michigan follows the suspension of such laws elsewhere. Tens of thousands of residents had failed to follow its reporting requirements
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
State 'may not have' needed supplies if coronavirus spreads in Michigan
The state’s top doctor says Michigan has enough supplies “for now,” but is limited in specialized masks and other items if coronavirus hits. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer activates emergency center in “abundance of caution.”
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan schools scramble to plan for a potential coronavirus outbreak
Would schools close for weeks at a time? Would lessons be online? What if a student travels overseas? Michigan districts are creating protocols on the fly to address a possible outbreak.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
How to prepare for coronavirus in Michigan. Step 1: Breathe
Health experts say the COVID-19 coronavirus is on its way. As hospitals and health systems prepare, simple steps can help protect you and your loved ones.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
As U.S. braces for coronavirus, Detroit hospital sets up 5 patient rooms
A CDC official said the virus’s spread to the United States is inevitable, which is why Michigan officials are preparing as they battle flu cases. In one Detroit hospital ‘negative pressure rooms’ await patients.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Gretchen Whitmer asks to stop Michigan Medicaid work rules; 80,000 at risk
80,000 Michiganders who must report to work — or prove to the state why they can’t — have until Saturday to file reports, according to the governor’s office. The state GOP stands behind the work rules.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
For weary Michigan seniors, a retirement in name only
Kicking back is not an option for a growing number of residents over 60, who increasingly find themselves caring for very old parents or very young grandchildren. “We’re getting old and we’re not dying.”
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
More Michigan grandparents are raising grandkids. Two bills may help them.
An estimated 120,000 Michiganders age 60 or older are taking on the round-the-clock job of parenting children or teens, double rates of a generation ago. Help may finally be on the way.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan debates future of kratom, an herbal remedy linked to 9 state deaths
Made from a tree in Southeast Asia, kratom is promoted for pain relief and as an energy booster. Some say it helps kick opioid addiction. But health officials warn of another, more dangerous side.