Lawmakers eye expansion of program that pays student debt of medical professionals who practice in underserved areas, as the Michigan doctor shortage intensifies.
Robin Erb
Robin Erb covers health care and aging for Bridge Michigan, focusing on a state that is aging faster than most. She has led investigations tracking opioid settlement money and health care worker shortages, and previously spent six years at the Detroit Free Press covering the Affordable Care Act and Michigan's Medicaid expansion. She holds a master's degree from Lourdes University in Toledo.
Robin and her husband raised two children in southeast Michigan — and have failed miserably at training their Beagle-Bassets.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
A woman, a tick, and the fight in Michigan over Lyme disease
Exhaustion, depression and pain are made worse when doctors don’t listen, patients say. Lansing bills aim to help, but the campaign faces skepticism from the medical establishment and one surprising group.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Delays, confusion as Michigan preps for new Medicaid work rules
Thousands of Michiganders could lose health coverage after Jan. 1 if they can’t prove work efforts. State says it will have a call center open on Day 1, but advocates worry some people will be left behind.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Oversight board flags ‘deterioration of care’ at Detroit Medical Center
Nearly 10 years after Detroit hospital system is sold to for-profit company, a volunteer group of overseers is raising concerns about its patient care and transparency.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
How toxic is PFAS? Exposed residents slow to aid research in Michigan
In Kent County, the state hopes blood tests of PFAS contaminated households could inform health decisions. But only half of eligible residents seem willing, casting into doubt Michigan’s role in a larger, federal study.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Amid PFAS nightmare, unlikely activists are born in Michigan
Once strangers who sought privacy and quiet, PFAS has forced unexpected alliances in northern Kent County. This week, one group took their stories to Boston, fueled by a love of community.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
See if your child is eligible for free Michigan dental care from Medicaid
Many of Michigan’s poor children and adults have gone years without dental care, losing teeth and risking serious health problems. Here is how to find free help for your child’s oral health.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan offers free dental care to poor kids; more than 400,000 don’t use it
Nearly half the state’s poor young people don’t take advantage of the Medicaid program, compromising their health. Explanations are complicated. But the problem is fixable.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan lawmaker: Require dental screenings for school children
A West Michigan representative said he originally dismissed the need for such a law. Then he noticed his own daughter’s teeth.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
High blood pressure is rampant in Michigan. Better data may lead to a cure.
An ambitious effort from Wayne State University correlates blood pressure and demographic data. The findings are surprising, and could hold a key to reducing preventable deaths in Michigan.