Proponents of a Michigan constitutional protections for abortion vowed existing limits remain in place. That doesn’t preclude a Democrat-led Legislature from eventually changing them.
Michigan Health Watch
In-depth reporting on the intersection between public policy and important health topics ‒ such as insurance coverage, hospital admissions, opioid abuse, access to care, medical research and the business of health care ‒ that impact nearly every Michigan resident.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan hospitals lost 1,700 beds from staff shortages, seek more money
Over the past year, healthcare is one of many industries eyeballing federal relief dollars. Michigan hospital leaders say funds will bolster staff and protect health care and local economies.
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Michigan takes steps to boost bed capacity for kids in mental health crisis
Michigan has lost hundreds of mental health treatment beds for kids in the juvenile justice and foster care systems due to staff shortages. Officials hope to boost staffing by offering steadier funding to residential treatment centers.
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Michigan’s pandemic baby bump over: 2022 births sliding again
Preliminary data through June appears to show that any increase in Michigan births following COVID stay-at-home orders was just a blip. In a state aging faster than most, lagging birth rates present another challenge to its economic future.
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Give thanks: No fall wave of COVID in Michigan
Cases have declined steeply and hospitalizations are dipping, but the virus is still killing more than 500 people per month.
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As RSV packs Michigan hospitals, a new need emerges: baby cribs
Hospital-grade infant cribs can be rented temporarily for surges, but now an entire nation of hospitals is scrambling, with some local vendors out of supplies. Hospitals are also running short of specialized tubing.
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A Texas lawsuit could stifle Michigan access to the abortion pill
Just when Michigan voters thought abortion rights were secure, a federal lawsuit filed in Texas by an anti-abortion coalition could curtail, at least temporarily, a medication used in 50 percent of procedures.
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1-in-7 parents haven’t talked with child’s doc about vaccines for two years
Michigan researchers wanted to find out more about vaccine conversations between doctors and parents. Too often, those conversations aren’t happening across the United States.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Staffing woes foil Michigan efforts to keep residents out of nursing homes
The popular MI Choice program, which keeps low-income seniors and disabled residents in their homes, now has 4,000 open positions as state agencies struggle to hire direct-care staffers, even after offering higher pay.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan doctor helps shine national focus on race bias in pulse oximeters
Dark skin can throw off oxygen level readings on a ubiquitous medical tool. Landmark research by a U-M team found that low oxygen levels are more likely to go undetected in Black patients, with dangerous consequences.