FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2, 2020
Contact: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112

LANSING, MICH. In an effort to more closely align with federal data collection efforts, the Michigan Department of Health and Human services (MDHHS) is changing its nursing facility reporting from daily to weekly on Michigan.gov/Coronavirus. In addition to the shift to weekly reporting, MDHHS will be publishing additional data fields as well as expanding public reporting to include Adult Foster Care and Home for the Aged facilities with bed capacity of 13 or greater, about 900 additional facilities.

These changes will be accompanied by increased validation efforts to ensure data accuracy. New fields being included in addition to cumulative cases and deaths about patients and staff are new cases and deaths among both residents and staff.

“In an effort to ensure the health and safety of our most vulnerable Michiganders, we have been working closely with long-term care facilities across the state to provide more robust data in this weekly report,” said Robert Gordon, MDHHS. “Residents and family members should understand that the presence of COVID-19 at a facility is not alone an indicator that a facility isn’t following proper procedures. Families should always feel free to ask questions of the facility where their loved one resides, and if not satisfied, contact their local ombudsman.”

Questions that families might ask a care facility include:

• What are you doing currently to protect residents from COVID-19?
• What precautions do you take when you do identify a person who is symptomatic of COVID-19?
• How are families kept apprised of changes related to your infection control policies?

This information is being posted on the website today and each Monday going forward.

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.