Monthly Archives: July 2017

Despite overwhelming grassroots pressure, the U.S. Senate continues to flirt with health care legislation that could have disastrous consequences. The latest plan being considered, the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), could have resulted in 22 million Americans losing their coverage by 2026, but lacked the necessary votes to pass and effectively sent Senate leadership back…

Primary care physicians play a key role in caring for patients with chronic pain. But many clinicians — and insurers — fail to emphasize the value of nonopioid alternatives. Full Story

The number of total drug overdose deaths in Michigan increased by 18 percent in 2016 and the majority of overdoses were related to opioids, according to new provisional data announced today by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. As part of the efforts to reverse this trend, MDHHS has launched a media campaign…

Schedule required health visits early: Children entering licensed childcare programs, preschool, kindergarten or seventh grade, or who are new to a school district, must have up-to-date immunizations records or waivers before entering school in the fall. Hearing and vision screenings are also required for children starting preschool or kindergarten. Call Washtenaw County Public Health at…

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and local public health officials are continuing to investigate an outbreak of hepatitis A cases in the city of Detroit, and Macomb, Oakland, Wayne, and St. Clair counties. From August 1, 2016 to June 26, 2017, there have been nearly 190 cases of confirmed hepatitis A…

  By Craig Musgrave, CIO, The Doctors Company On May 12, 2017, the world's biggest ransomware attack nearly crippled Britain's public health system and forced doctors to turn patients away. The WannaCry worm, which experts believe to have come from U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) hacking tools released by Wikileaks, spread quickly to companies and…

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is encouraging local organizations across the state to apply for $15 million in Victim of Crime Act (VOCA) grants to provide services to crime victims. Funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, these awards will help expand and enhance services by supporting the response to immediate…

Firefighters Protect You & Your Home The threat of fire in our homes or small businesses is a nightmare that we all share. Losing your cherished belongings like photo albums or family keepsakes, or worse your pet, your livelihood—and in the most heartbreaking case, the lives of loved ones—is devastating. We rely on firefighters to…