The state health department threatens closure of Lakeshore Regional Entity, which coordinates behavioral health care for 30,000 recipients in West Michigan. Lakeshore’s board chair threatens suit, says state is to blame.
Ted Roelofs
Ted Roelofs of Kentwood, has written extensively on healthcare as well as prison and juvenile justice reform. Roelofs spent nearly three decades at the Grand Rapids Press where he covered politics, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, rural poverty and mental illness among the homeless. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin. Reach Ted at ted.roelofs@gmail.com
Posted inMichigan Government
If Whitmer’s road funding pitch fails, where is Michigan’s Plan B?
A Grand Rapids roads summit provided no clear answers on how Michigan’s Democratic governor and Republican-led Legislature might reach a deal that still raises the more than $2 billion need annually for a roads fix.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan is obese, unhealthy and dying young. And that's costing billions.
From Detroit to Clare, poor choices and limited access to health care have added up to lower lifetimes for many state residents, making health a gnawing but significant concern to those who live in Michigan and those leading it.
Posted inQuality of Life
As measles outbreak spreads, Michigan anti-vaxxer group hits Lansing
Michigan health officials say 39 residents have contracted the highly contagious disease. But groups opposed to mandatory vaccines are asking lawmakers to preserve their freedom on whether to vaccinate children.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan Commission: Fund courts so judges aren’t turned into fundraisers
Trial judges routinely impose significant court costs on guilty criminal defendants that go to help fund court operations. A state-appointed commission calls the practice corrupting and evidence of a broken system.
Posted inMichigan Government
Detroit isn’t alone. Car insurance sky-high throughout Michigan, data show
Look up average rates in your ZIP Code. Guaranteed, they are higher than the national average, adding grist to debate about reforming Michigan’s no-fault laws.
Posted inMichigan Government
Here’s how Michigan should spend Bloomberg’s $10 million to fight opioids
Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg invests $10 million for “high impact” solutions. Experts tell Bridge Magazine where investment would help most.
Posted inChildren & Families
Suicides, often linked to opioids, spike in rural Michigan and among young
A new study finds links between two grim causes of death, but also poses some proven ways to reduce rates
Posted inTalent & Education
A $18B debt is coming due, and it’s haunting small town Michigan
See how your town compares as a new state law tracking public pension and health care debt lays bare the financial woes of rural Michigan.
Posted inMichigan Government
Will Michigan cities keep vow to cut legacy debt? New law lacks teeth
Experts concede a new Michigan law on pension and retiree health debt has no real enforcement powers on communities that refuse to tackle this significant problem on their own.