Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 6, 2023

CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112, SutfinL1@michigan.gov

Michigan families urged to focus on eating habits
and physical activity during National Nutrition Month

LANSING, Mich. – In March, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program is joining with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to encourage Michiganders to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits during National Nutrition Month.

“The 2023 theme, Fuel for the Future, encourages everyone to eat with sustainability in mind,” said Christina Herring, WIC Director. “It is a reminder to fill our bodies with healthy foods during every phase of life as well as protect the environment.”

Fuel for the Future highlights ways everyone can eat with the environment in mind, like enjoying more plant-based meals and snacks, buying food in season, shopping locally, or starting a container or backyard garden to grow food at home.

During National Nutrition Month, the Michigan WIC Program encourages everyone to eat a variety of foods from all food groups and in various forms, including fresh, frozen and canned food. In addition, Michiganders are encouraged to include their favorite cultural foods and traditions, avoid fad diets promoting unnecessary restriction and practice gratitude for their body by giving it the fuel it needs.

WIC is a federally funded program that serves low-income women, infants and children up to age five by providing nutritious food, nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, and referrals to health and other services. WIC foods are selected to meet nutrient needs such as calcium, iron, folic acid, and vitamins A and C.

WIC also provides families with access to registered dietitians or registered dietitian nutritionists. These food and nutrition experts specialize in assessing one’s unique needs and providing personalized nutrition education and counseling to meet individual health goals.

To learn more about WIC or find an agency near you, call 211 or visit Michigan.gov/WIC.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 2, 2023

CONTACT: Chelsea Wuth, 517-241-2112, [email protected]

MDHHS celebrates Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month 

LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council (MiDDC) along with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are recognizing March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.

Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month is meant to raise awareness and educate the public about developmental disabilities and to recognize the strengths, abilities and important contributions of people with developmental disabilities. Developmental disabilities are a group of conditions that manifest before the age of 22 and result in a significant impairment in physical, learning, language or behavioral areas. Throughout the month, MiDDC will be sharing personal self-advocacy stories of those with developmental disabilities to help raise awareness about what living with a developmental disability means for approximately 180,000 residents in Michigan.

“MiDDC is proud to highlight our work advocating for improved community inclusion of people with developmental disabilities,” said Vendella Collins, MiDDC executive director. “March is also an opportunity for us to bring greater public awareness to the ongoing work of full inclusion and integration of people with developmental disabilities into employment and typical community activities.”

As part of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, MiDDC will be co-hosting Disability Advocacy Day on March 7 with the Self-Advocates of Michigan. This event is for people with developmental disabilities to meet with their state legislators to discuss current issues impacting their lives.

MiDDC will also engage in various activities to improve public understanding and promote inclusion for people with developmental disabilities in our communities. Resources and information will be shared on Facebook. The public is invited to participate and follow on Facebook for updates using the hashtag #DDAM2023.

More information about upcoming events can be found at Michigan.gov/middcevents.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 1, 2023

CONTACT: Chelsea Wuth, 517-241-2112, [email protected]

MDHHS highlights brain injury prevention during Brain Injury Awareness Month

LANSING, Mich. — Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and acquired brain injury (ABI) are leading causes of injury-related death and disability in the United States and in Michigan. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is observing Brain Injury Awareness Month this March to raise awareness about prevention of brain injuries.

“Prevention strategies can greatly reduce the risk for TBIs and death,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive. “These include removing hazards in and around the home, keeping sports play safe by using protective equipment, avoiding driving in bad weather if possible, always wearing a seat belt and making sure children are secured in an age- and weight-appropriate child seat or booster seat in the car.”

Brain injuries may affect cognitive, motor, sensation and emotional functions. Observable signs of traumatic brain injury may include appearing dazed or stunned, forgetting an instruction, moving clumsily, answering questions slowly, losing consciousness (even briefly), showing mood, behavior or personality changes, and being unable to recall events prior to and/or after an injury event.

Falls are the leading known cause of TBI (40%) in the United States, and cause more than half (55%) of all TBIs among children ages 0 to 14 years, and 81% of all TBIs are among adults ages 65 and older. Other leading and preventable causes of traumatic brain injury include being struck by or against an object or person, motor vehicle crashes, suicide, substance misuse and assaults, including shaken baby or abusive head trauma.

There were more than 1,800 TBI-related injuries in 2020 and more than 9,500 hospitalizations in Michigan. Annual costs of TBIs in the U.S. exceeds $40 billion.

For more tips on preventing TBIs, visit CDC.gov.

For more tips to keep your home safe, visit CPSC.gov, and Safekids.org.

More information about sports concussions is available here.

Additional resources for seniors for classes to prevent falls and improve mobility and independence may be found at CDC.go/steadi.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 23, 2023 

MEDIA CONTACT: Bob Wheaton, 517-241-2112, WheatonB@michigan.gov

MDHHS seeking proposals for new contracts to focus on behavioral health needs of children in foster care, juvenile justice

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is requesting proposals from residential facilities that can meet the behavioral health needs of children in the foster care and juvenile justice systems.

The request for proposals – issued this week – is part of the department’s efforts to expand access to services to youth who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis.

MDHHS is asking congregate care providers to submit plans for placement in their facilities to address the needs of youth who must access therapeutic treatment programs – meaning services to stabilize and treat youth dealing with serious mental health concerns, like suicidal thoughts.

The department issued a similar request for proposals in November. The new request includes further clarifications and some changes to the requirements that are meant to enable additional congregate care facilities to take advantage of the opportunity. For example, the new request for proposal provides new congregate care facilities with the time needed to become licensed.

The idea of the new contract model being used for congregate care is to encourage greater innovation in caring for the unique needs of children in the state’s foster care and juvenile justice systems.

This effort is part of a multi-faceted approach by MDHHS to address a national need for expanded behavioral health services for youth. The demand is coupled with a nationwide staffing shortage that makes it difficult to provide needed services, which MDHHS is also addressing.

MDHHS contracts with child-caring institutions to provide specialized treatment to youth in foster care or the juvenile justice system. In recent years it has been challenging in Michigan and nationally to find foster care and juvenile justice placements – especially residential therapeutic treatment beds.

To earn state contracts, facilities must demonstrate through the request for proposal process that they can meet the specialized needs of children.

Agencies that would like to submit a proposal should go to the “Child Caring Institution – Therapeutic Short-Term Treatment Program” Bid Number 230000001297-1 at www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS after registering on that website. For assistance with registration or navigating the site, contact the Office of Financial Management at 517-284-0540 or 888-734-9749 and press “1” on the automated menu, or email [email protected]. Vendors who intend to submit a proposal and have questions should contact the solicitation manager, Mary Ostrowski, at 517-249-0438 or [email protected].

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 23, 2023

CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112, SutfinL1@michigan.gov

MDHHS requesting proposals to expand weatherization assistance program

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to expand the weatherization assistance program utilizing bipartisan infrastructure law funding for multi-family dwellings.

The program provides energy conservation and related health and safety services for eligible low-income households at no cost to the resident. MDHHS contracts with local weatherization operators (LWO) across the state. Each LWO provides services to a designated area, ensuring all counties in Michigan can benefit from this energy-saving program.

Eligible applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be an established non-profit entity.
• Demonstrate experience implementing weatherization, residential energy efficiency and health and safety remediation programs for multifamily properties.
• Demonstrate the ability to serve the entire territory.
• Be certified as a Lead Renovation Repair and Painting firm with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at the time of application.
• Have a Building Performance Institute-certified Quality Control Inspector/Energy Auditor for multifamily projects on staff.
• Demonstrate knowledge of Weatherization Assistance Program State Plans.
• Have qualified staff or contractors responsible for performing the services, including energy audits and quality assurance inspections.

The five-month award begins on May 1 and ends Sept. 30, 2023, with the total available amount being $1 million dollars. Successful applicants may be awarded funding annually through at least Sept. 30, 2028, based upon funding availability and acceptable performance.

A pre-application conference will be held to discuss this funding opportunity and provide instruction on using the EGrAMS system. The pre-application conference will be held Monday, Feb. 27 at 1 p.m. and will last approximately 90 minutes. The conference can be accessed at https://bit.ly/3lErn6p.  

Grant applications for the Department of Energy Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Weatherization Expansion-2023 RFP must be submitted electronically through the EGrAMS program by 3 p.m. March 22.

For more information or to apply, visit the EGrAMS website and select “About EGrAMS” link in the left panel to access the “Competitive Application Instructions” training manual. The complete RFP can be accessed under the ‘Current Grants’ section under the “Community Action & Economic Opportunity” link and selecting the “DEWAP-2023” grant program.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 23, 2023

CONTACT: Chelsea Wuth, 517-241-2112, [email protected]

MDHHS reports first influenza-associated pediatric death in Michigan this season
Michigan residents ages six months and older eligible for flu vaccine

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has confirmed the first influenza-associated pediatric death in Michigan for the 2022-2023 flu season.

The reported death involves a child from Ingham County who contracted Influenza A/H3. Nationally, there have been at least 111 influenza-associated pediatric deaths reported during the current flu season.

“It’s not too late to get the flu vaccine,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive for MDHHS. “Once children reach six months of age it is recommended they receive two doses of the flu vaccine for their first series. In addition, pregnant women should get the flu vaccine during each pregnancy. Flu vaccine can be given at the same time as other vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine.”

Each year, influenza claims the lives of children across the United States. MDHHS continues to strongly recommend that everyone six months of age and older get a seasonal flu vaccine. Flu can be serious and lead to severe illness and hospitalizations. Flu vaccine is the best way to prevent getting the flu and can also reduce the severity of flu illness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that since October there have been at least 25-51 million flu illnesses, 12-25 million flu medical visits, 280,000-630,000 flu hospitalizations and 18,000-56,000 deaths nationally.

Most positive influenza specimens confirmed by the MDHHS Bureau of Laboratories this flu season have been Influenza A/H3 virus. This virus can cause severe flu infections in children, as well as in adults. The H3N2 strain is a component of the 2022-2023 seasonal flu vaccine so getting vaccinated provides extra protection.

The influenza vaccine is especially important for persons at increased risk for complications from flu, including children, adults aged 65 years and older, persons of any age with underlying medical conditions and pregnant women. Early estimates from Canada suggest vaccination reduces the risk of influenza associated medical visits by 54% this season. Children less than six months of age are too young to be vaccinated and need to be protected by vaccination of their close contacts, including parents, siblings, grandparents, childcare workers and health care personnel. In addition to vaccination, early treatment with an antiviral drug can help prevent flu infections from becoming more severe. Check with your doctor promptly if you are at higher risk of serious flu complications and you get flu symptoms.

Currently, for the 2022-2023 flu season, only 33% of Michigan residents have been vaccinated against flu. According to data from the Michigan Care Improvement Registry, flu vaccine coverage among children ages six months through 17 years is more than 3% lower for the 2022-2023 flu season (18.8%) compared to the 2021-2022 flu season (22.2%).

To find flu vaccine near you, call your health care provider, local health department or visit Vaccines.gov.

For more information about the flu, visit Michigan.gov/flu.