State to Expand Medicaid Coverage for Moms & Babies

by Becky Andrus | May 2, 2022 | Regional News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 2, 2022

Gov. Whitmer Announces State to Expand Medicaid Coverage for Moms & Babies

New approval expands coverage to full 12-month postpartum period, a key competent of Governor Whitmer’s Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies initiative

LANSING, Mich. – Coinciding with the beginning of Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month, Governor Gretchen Whitmer today announced that the state’s request to expand Medicaid coverage for a full 12-month postpartum period to ensure the health and well-being of moms and babies across Michigan had been approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This expansion is a critical component to the governor’s Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies initiative.

“As a mom of two, I know firsthand how vital it is for every mom to have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare to care for herself and her new baby,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “By extending these critical, 12-month postpartum benefits, we can improve long-term outcomes for moms and babies and close health disparities. We will continue working together to ensure every family can thrive with access to behavioral health services, screenings, and treatments to lead healthy and successful lives.”

“I have long supported legislation to make this extension of postpartum care permanent, and I am so grateful to have an ally in this fight in Governor Whitmer,” Sen. Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) said. “New moms and their health care providers agree that current standards of postpartum care are antiquated, especially in communities where health disparities exist. This is a huge step towards ensuring every new mom gets the care and support she needs, and we know healthy moms have healthy babies, laying the foundation for a healthy life.”

Under existing requirements, many Medicaid enrollees receive coverage through the end of the month in which their 60-day postpartum period ends. Maintaining Medicaid coverage for a full year provides access to critical health and dental services during the first year after pregnancy, which can help to address persistent health disparities. The approximately $20 million budgeted for this expansion will benefit an estimated 35,000 pregnant and postpartum people in Michigan annually.

“Being able to ensure continuity of care for Michigan moms and babies is critical to reducing preventable deaths and will lead to better long-term health outcomes for new parents and newborns,” said Elizabeth Hertel, Director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. “Extending Medicaid postpartum coverage will assist the state in its continued efforts to improve access to care for all Michigan families and equitable health outcomes.”

This extension promotes access to critical behavioral health services that can reduce pregnancy-related deaths and severe maternal morbidity and improve continuity of care for chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiac conditions, substance use disorder and depression. Extending postpartum eligibility will provide increased opportunities for beneficiaries to complete postpartum depression screening and receive referrals to services and supports for needed treatment. Beneficiaries will have similar access to supports and treatment for substance use disorder conditions if needed as well.

Access to high quality health care services is a critical component of statewide efforts in addressing maternal morbidity and mortality rates in Michigan. As of January 2018, Michigan’s Maternal Mortality Surveillance (MMMS) Committee found that approximately 50% of maternal deaths in Michigan were preventable.

One of the possible prevention measures identified by the MMMS committee is access to family planning and other medical health care services. Additionally, among pregnancy-related deaths in Michigan the committee found persistent racial disparities.

Current Medicaid recipients do not need to take any actions to receive the extended coverage. It will be extended automatically to 12 months past their reported delivery date.

To apply for Medicaid or other medical assistance programs, go to Michigan.Gov/MIBridges.

MDOT: Surprises on traffic safety messages

by Becky Andrus | Apr 28, 2022 | Transportation

New research yields surprises on traffic safety messages

On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, conversations with two academics studying the effect of safety messages on driver behavior.

Listen now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374205/10520849-new-research-yields-surprises-on-traffic-safety-messages

First, Joshua Madsen, a professor of accounting and behavioral economics at the University of Minnesota, talks about a research report he co-authored — and highlighted in the Journal Science — that examined whether highway signs displaying traffic deaths reduce crashes.

In the second segment, Jerry Ullman, a senior research engineer at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, talks about a perspective he wrote to accompany the story in Science.

Madsen explains how he first encountered the messages while driving in Illinois and was struck by the starkness of the numbers. He wondered about context and how the numbers were derived.

As outlined in the story:

“Researchers focused on Texas, which consistently displayed the messages for one week every month on 880 signs across the state’s highways. Researchers gathered data on all traffic crashes that happened on affected roads between 2010 and 2017. They compared crashes that occurred in weeks when fatality stats were displayed with those that happened during the rest of the month, taking care to compare only the accidents that happened at the same hour and on the same day of the week. They also controlled for weather and for holidays, which can independently affect the number of crashes.”

While conceding the difficulty of researching these topics, determining cause and affect and discerning what and when messages can influence behavior, Madsen cites one initiative with resonance: placing the wreckage of vehicles, which had been driven by a teenager, at rest areas.

During his segment, Ullman talks about whether the effect of higher fatality numbers is plausible and questioned whether drivers are really processing larger and smaller death rates differently. He says he would like to see more research on the cause of the increase.

Ullman also talks about the importance of message design and other research on how optimism bias informs our judgment.

Podcast player photo: MDOT Dynamic Message Sign board displaying a safety message.

First portrait: Joshua Madsen, a professor of accounting and behavioral economics at the University of Minnesota.

Second portrait: Jerry Ullman, a senior research engineer at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.

Listen now at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374205.

Stay connected by subscribing to Talking Michigan Transportation e-mail updates.

Elder Abuse Task Force Hosting Symposium

by Becky Andrus | Apr 28, 2022 | Regional News

Media contact:
Lynsey Mukomel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, April 28, 2022

Elder Abuse Task Force Hosting Symposium Next Week, Registration Remains Open

LANSING – The Elder Abuse Task Force (EATF) will host the first of two virtual symposiums next week to highlight topics relevant to protecting Michigan’s seniors and answer questions from attendees.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel will open the public event. Those interested in participating can learn more by visiting the registration page online.

“The EATF continues to pursue important advocacy on behalf of our state’s elderly population,” Nessel said. “I encourage those interested in learning more about the task force’s impact and vital resources to attend this symposium.”

Scheduled topics include:

Resources for Members of the Public Interested in Protecting Older
Adults Adult Protective Services (APS) 101 Basic Understanding
How Can the Michigan Long Term Care Ombudsman Program Help?
To Avoid Guardianships and Conservatorships: Speak for Yourself
Scams Targeting Seniors

Last month, the EATF released a new video on the Department’s YouTube page focused on the general rights each nursing home resident has and must be afforded, as well as steps to take in the event a resident’s rights have been violated.

Other EATF resources on YouTube include training modules on how to recognize, report, and prevent adult abuse, neglect and exploitation.

More information on the task force’s work can be found in its latest newsletter, which was released at the beginning of the year.

Outstanding Michigan Students Recognition Initiative

by Becky Andrus | Apr 28, 2022 | Regional News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 28, 2022

Contact: press@michigan.gov

Gov. Whitmer Launches Outstanding Michigan Students Recognition Initiative During Student Appreciation Week

Parents, extended family, teachers, staff, and coaches encouraged to nominate outstanding students

LANSING, Mich. — Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer is seeking nominations from parents, extended family, teachers, staff, or coaches for Outstanding Michigan Students in celebration of Student Appreciation Week. They can be current students of any age who have shown exceptional skills, leadership abilities, or passionate community involvement. Outstanding Michigan students will be recognized by Governor Whitmer. Nominations will be accepted until Sunday, May 1.

“Michigan is home to many talented and hardworking students of all ages, and I’m excited to recognize their contributions and accomplishments to our great state. Whether it’s a third grader spearheading a playground cleanup, a high school senior graduating with high honors, or someone taking the next step to further their education, I know there will be many amazing stories shared,” said Governor Whitmer. “We want students to know that we are doing everything we can to support them in their journey, which is why we’ve made record investments in our students, schools, and postsecondary education without raising taxes. We will continue improving every kid’s in-class experience, supporting educators who put their heart and soul into the classroom, and delivering resources to help schools upgrade facilities and equipment. Let’s keep working together to put Michigan students first.”

From her first day in office, Governor Whitmer has worked towards expanding and investing in opportunities for Michigan students. She made the largest education investment in state history for three years in a row without raising taxes. These investments have helped to close the funding gap between schools in Michigan, expand access to preschool programs for 22,000 more four-year-olds, and distributed resources to expand mental health supports for our kids. She also established and fully funded Futures for Frontliners and Michigan Reconnect to provide tens of thousands of Michiganders with tuition-free higher education or skills training that leads to a high-skill, good-paying job. These historic investments in our students ensure that they will receive a world-class education and help every student reach their full potential.

Nominate a student by clicking the following link: michigan.gov/outstandingstudent

Read more about how Governor Whitmer is supporting students, parents, and educators by clicking the following link:

HISTORIC INVESTMENTS IN KIDS, SCHOOLS, AND SKILLS

Showcasing the DNR: One tree can make a difference

by Becky Andrus | Apr 28, 2022 | Recreation

Showcasing the DNR

spruce grouse on a tree branch

One tree can make a difference

By RACHEL COALE
Forest Resources Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Stubborn patches of lingering cold and snow across Michigan can’t stop the fact that spring is coming. Days are lengthening, migrating birds are returning from their tropical vacations, and perennial plants are gingerly peeking out of the softening soil as winter’s rigid frostiness melts away.

One of most satisfying ways to welcome the return of nature’s greenery, birdsong and blooms to the Midwest is to take part in the time-honored tradition of planting a tree around the Arbor Day holiday, which falls on April 29 this year.

Spring and fall are the best times of the year to plant trees, and there’s no time like the present to pick out a beautiful new tree at a local nursery, garden center, conservation district sale or landscaping supplier. Even if young trees just resemble sticks right now, they will soon put down roots, soak up sunshine and unfurl flowers and leaves.

Each tree is part of a statewide forest

man with baby in backpack carrier walks down wooden steps through forest

Michigan’s 20 million acres of forests include about 100 native conifer and broadleaf tree varieties adapted to thrive in a variety of soils and climates. Learn about a few of them on the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ growing tree species webpage.

Whether a tree grows on a sunny farm in the country, as part of a manicured suburban backyard or overlooking neon city lights from a pot on an urban balcony, it matters! Large or small, every tree provides an environmental benefit that improves the community it grows in.

Large expanses of state, national and private forests are important for many reasons. Older forests provide ideal habitat for deep-woods wildlife species like pine martens and spruce grouse. Younger forests are favored by woodland elk and wild turkeys. Dry, sandy jack pine forests that need fire to thrive are home to Kirtland’s warblers. Wetland forests, harboring cedar and willow trees that enjoy “wet feet,” are essential for waterfowl, fish and amphibians.

In addition to creating habitat, forests clean the water in lakes and streams, purify the air and provide renewable materials for products people use every day. Forests are also inspiring places for backcountry hiking, wildlife watching and exploring.

This doesn’t diminish the value of trees in urban settings – they’re critically important, too. Urban trees help bridge the gaps between larger expanses of natural areas. Each tree, shrub and native plant in a town or city is like a steppingstone for migrating songbirds, bees, butterflies and other wildlife as they flit and scurry about.

Trees in communities

view from the ground to the top of a large cedar tree

Trees provide wildlife with places for nesting, food and shelter. They also provide benefits to the human communities where they grow.

Trees naturally perform a heavy lift that would be difficult and expensive to match by any human-made machine. They shade and cool cities from the sweltering effects of hot concrete and asphalt, soak up (through their roots) stormwater that can cause flooding and erosion, and boost air quality. For every 10% increase in urban tree canopy, lung-damaging ozone gas is reduced by 3% to 7%. Tree-lined streets have also been shown to reduce particles from car exhaust by as much as 60%.

Trees are also one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Michigan State University Extension reports that it takes about 1.5 pounds of carbon dioxide to grow a pound of wood in a tree. That carbon becomes part of the tree and eventually part of durable goods such as homes and furniture, made from sustainably harvested trees.

Need another reason to plant a tree? Mature, healthy trees can increase property values as much as 15%. Most people would agree that it’s way easier to plant a tree than start a kitchen remodeling project.

These benefits can be put into a tangible number using a tree value calculator such as My Tree from the USDA Forest Service. The My Tree calculator estimates a tree’s benefits in monetary terms from expected impacts on air pollution, carbon absorption and stormwater interception, among other categories.

For example, a 36-inch-diameter red maple in the Lansing area that receives full sun might bring a benefit equal to $330 in the next 20 years by absorbing about 13,500 pounds of carbon, intercepting nearly 30,000 gallons of rainfall and removing toxic gases like carbon monoxide, ozone and sulfur dioxide from the air we breathe. The value from the carbon the tree already had absorbed in its lifetime would equal nearly $900.

As exciting as it is to be able to put a tree’s value into monetary terms, the dollar doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s impossible to truly measure the joy a tree’s blooms can bring in the springtime after a long winter, or how special it is for a child to watch a family of robins hatch and fledge baby birds from a nest built in its branches.

Plant trees, grow community

three young girls kneel on the ground to plant a tree seedling

Ready to plant a tree? The most important consideration is “right tree, right place.” Not all trees need the same conditions to thrive. Put simply, a horse and a hamster are both pets, but you wouldn’t feed or house them the same way. The same goes for trees! A towering white pine might be a great fit for a sunny, open space, while a small, flowering redbud might be better suited to an area with power lines or partial shade.

Some things to consider before getting your shovel ready are:

Growing zone.
Soil conditions and moisture at the site.
Wind and sun exposure.
Infrastructure (avoid pipes and power lines – call 811 before you dig to have lines marked for free).

Tree-planting resources from the Arbor Day Foundation, which celebrates a milestone 150 years of Arbor Day in 2022, will help people pick the right species for their area with tools such as species profiles and how-to sheets.

In addition to providing tree-planting grants and technical support for communities, the DNR has pledged to plant 50 million trees in Michigan by 2030 as part of the global 1T.org Trillion Trees campaign. Want to lend hand? Let us know if you planted a tree, or trees, since 2021 by adding it to our interactive map. With each tree planted and logged, we’ll be able to see the canopy grow.

So celebrate Arbor Day – and springtime’s return – by planting a tree. It may seem like a small step, but it will make a big difference in your community, your state and the natural world around you.

Find more ideas about ways to mark the occasion, and more information about trees and tree planting, at ArborDay.org/Celebrate.

Check out previous Showcasing the DNR stories in our archive at Michigan.gov/DNRStories. To subscribe to upcoming Showcasing articles, sign up for free email delivery at Michigan.gov/DNR.

Note to editors: Contact: John Pepin, Showcasing the DNR series editor, 906-226-1352. Accompanying photos and a text-only version of this story are available below for download. Caption information follows. Credit Michigan Department of Natural Resources, unless otherwise noted.

Text-only version of this story.

Cedar: In addition to creating wildlife habitat, trees – like this cedar, near the Au Sable River in the northern Lower Peninsula – clean the water in lakes and streams, purify the air and provide renewable materials for products people use every day.

Fall: Michigan offers plenty of opportunities for popular outdoor pastimes like spotting fall foliage, with the state’s millions of acres of forests.

Giveaway: As part of a partnership with The Greening of Detroit and the Detroit Pistons, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources gave away 150 free trees – along with planting instructions and advice on picking the right tree for the planting location – during an event at the DNR Outdoor Adventure Center in Detroit in the fall of 2021.

Hike: Michigan’s forests are inspiring places for backcountry hiking, wildlife watching and exploring. Here, hikers enjoy an outing at Warren Woods State Park in Berrien County.

Planting: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has pledged to plant 50 million trees in Michigan by 2030 as part of the global 1T.org Trillion Trees campaign. Here, elementary school students participate in a tree-planting day at the DNR Grouse Enhanced Management Site on Drummond Island in Chippewa County.

Sign: The Arbor Day Foundation celebrates a milestone 150 years of Arbor Day, which will be observed April 29 this year, in 2022.

Spruce grouse: Older forests provide ideal habitat for deep-woods wildlife species like pine martens and spruce grouse, pictured here.

Tree-NA: Michigan’s 20 million acres of forests include about 100 native conifer and broadleaf tree varieties. Learn about a few of them – like the eastern redbud, featured in this “Tree-NA” graphic – on the Michigan Department of Natural Resources website at Michigan.gov/DNR/Education.

We recently launched a new website, and we’d love to hear what you think via this brief survey. Thanks for helping us improve our site for all users!

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to Michigan.gov/DNR.

« Older Entries

Next Entries »