MDHHS pilots community health worker program

MDHHS pilots community health worker program

by | Apr 24, 2023 | Regional News

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Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 24, 2023

CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112, Sutfinl1@michigan.gov  

MDHHS pilots community health worker program
at COVID-19 neighborhood testing sites

 

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announces a pilot program for community health worker (CHW) services at select COVID-19 Neighborhood Testing sites to address community health needs. CHWs will offer on-demand referral services to essential health and well-being resources including behavioral health and social services. Visitors to participating sites can meet with an on-site CHW to connect with community resources that include food access, housing supports, utilities assistance and health care enrollment.  

 

“We must take every opportunity we have to bring access to health care to residents where and when they need it,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive. “Increasing entry points to care leads to improving social determinants of health and the overall well-being of our communities. We continue to look for innovative ways to keep Michigan residents healthy.” 

 

CHWs are trained public health professionals and trusted members of the community whose goal is to address social determinants of health and serve as links between residents and the health and social resources needed to improve well-being. At the testing sites, CHWs refer visitors to behavioral and health care providers, assist with health insurance coverage, point to Michigan’s 211 program referral helpline and more. CHWs also offer education on healthy lifestyles and habits, and provide education on managing medications or chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. 

 

“Based on lessons learned and best practices established over the last few years, it is important to continue our work to address racial disparities across social determinants of health,” said the Hon. Thomas Stallworth, director of the Racial Disparities Task Force and the Governor’s senior advisor for Legislative and External Affairs. “This includes expanding community hubs, enhancing services and public health programs, and providing referrals to resources where its most convenient for our more vulnerable community members.” 

 

The CHW services are currently funded through a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant focused on addressing health disparities among high-risk and underserved populations. MDHHS will continue to evaluate ways to support community health needs across the state.  

 

CHWs will be located at these pilot sites: 

 

Wayne County  

Wayne County Community College District, Northwest Campus  

8200 West Outer Dr., Detroit 

  • Tuesday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
  • Wednesday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 
  • Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

 

Bethel Baptist Church East   

5715 Holcomb St., Ste. 33, Detroit 

  • Monday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
  • Wednesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 
  • Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

 

Hartford Memorial Baptist Church  

14000 W. Seven Mile Rd., Detroit  

  • Monday and Thursday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Genesee County  

Bethel United Methodist Church  

B1309 N Ballenger Hwy., Flint 

  • Thursday 1-7 p.m.

Macedonia Baptist Church  

G5443 N Saginaw St., Flint 

  • Monday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  

 

Word of Life Baptist Church   

460 W. Atherton Rd., Flint 

  • Tuesday noon to 6 p.m.

Muskegon County 

Christ Temple Church  

412 E. Sherman Blvd., Muskegon 

  • Monday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
  • Tuesday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
  • Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

Free consultation services up to 45 minutes are available. Walk-ins are taken as space and time allows, and no ID or insurance is required.  

 

The first evaluation of the CHW pilot will occur at the end of May. To learn more about CHWs, visit the Michigan Community Health Workers Alliance website. 
Whitmer Statement on Strong Monthly Jobs Report 

Whitmer Statement on Strong Monthly Jobs Report 

by | Apr 20, 2023 | Regional News

Governor Whitmer Header

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

April 20, 2023

Contact: [email protected]

 

Gov. Whitmer Statement on Strong Monthly Jobs Report 

Unemployment decreases to 4.1%, labor force increases by 10,000 last month, 75,000 jobs added YoY 

 

LANSING, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued the following statement after the release of the latest economic numbers showing the unemployment rate fell to 4.1% in March and the labor force increased by 10,000. Michigan’s economy added 75,000 jobs year over year, the labor force participation rate increased, and the 12-month average Black unemployment rate was cut nearly in half since last March.

 

“Michigan’s economic momentum continues to build with lower unemployment and 75,000 Michigan jobs added year over year.

 

“In the first 100 days of this year, with a productive majority in Lansing, we have taken action to lower costs, create good-paying American manufacturing jobs, and spur economic development in every region.

 

“Together we rolled back the retirement tax on our seniors, which will save half a million households an average of $1,000 a year. We quintupled the Working Families Tax Credit, putting a combined $3,150 refund in the pockets of 700,000 working families. We won a $3.5 billion project from Ford creating 2,500 manufacturing jobs. We have more manufacturing projects in the pipeline that we need to rally behind so we can bring more jobs home and help more people get back to work. We have also made record investments to build more housing and fund community revitalization projects across Michigan, powering small business growth and lowering housing costs.

 

“Let’s build on our momentum in the months ahead and enact another balanced budget that delivers on the kitchen-table issues and lower costs for families.”
Keeping Healthcare Coverage During Medicaid Renewal

Keeping Healthcare Coverage During Medicaid Renewal

by | Apr 19, 2023 | Regional News

Oakland County Helping Residents Keep Healthcare Coverage During Medicaid Renewal Process

Post Date:04/19/2023 12:04 PM

• Michigan is conducting its first Medicaid Renewal in three years which affects about 90,000 Oakland County residents.
• Oakland County and its community partners are helping residents to navigate the renewal process and, if necessary, find an affordable health plan.
• For more information on the Medicaid renewal, go to www.michigan.gov/MIBridges.

Pontiac, Michigan – Oakland County and its community partners are urging the county’s 89,500 residents who are enrolled in Medicaid to participate in Michigan’s Medicaid renewal process to avoid any potential gaps in healthcare coverage. During a news conference today at Trinity Health Oakland hospital, County Executive Dave Coulter joined healthcare leaders to announce the availability of navigators and other resources to help residents with the renewal process.

Medicaid renewal determines whether those enrolled are still eligible for coverage. This is Michigan’s first Medicaid renewal in three years because of COVID-19 federal emergency public health orders expiring in May. At least 15,000 Oakland County residents enrolled in Medicaid during that period. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/MIBridges.

“We want to make sure that no Oakland County resident experiences a gap in their health care coverage as a result of these eligibility reviews,” Coulter said. “So, we’re working with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to get the word out and providing links to community organizations that can help Oakland County residents who are receiving Medicaid benefits navigate the renewal process.”

Residents who find they are no longer eligible for Medicaid should take the next step to enroll in a healthcare plan at www.healthcare.gov. Residents may go to the six Oakland County Michigan Works! offices in Novi, Pontiac, Oak Park, Southfield, Troy, and Waterford to get assistance with the Medicaid renewal. Also, community organizations like Jewish Family Services, Centro Multicultural La Familia, and ACCESS will assist residents with Medicaid renewal and, if necessary, help them find an affordable health plan.

“Through our work in public health, we recognize the importance of helping the clients we serve to keep their health coverage,” said Deputy Oakland County Executive Madiha Tariq, who oversees the Departments of Health and Human Services and Public Services “Our teams are working to help connect people to resources who can guide them through the Medicaid renewal process. If a resident is determined by MDHHS to no longer be eligible for Medicaid benefits, there are resources to help them go to the healthcare marketplace to purchase health insurance.”

Michigan will send monthly renewal notices three months prior to a beneficiaries’ renewal date beginning with June renewal dates. The state sent June renewal awareness letters in March. To maintain coverage, residents enrolled in Medicaid must fill out a renewal form which the state will send them by mail. Individuals who do not turn in their renewal forms by the due date risk losing their Medicaid coverage.

Those enrolled in Medicaid need to update their address, phone number, and email address in MI Bridges (www.michigan.gov/MIBridges) as soon as possible to receive their renewal packet. They also need to note any changes to their household or income. People who have Medicaid need to check their mail, email, or text to make sure they do not miss their renewal paperwork.

Oakland County has dozens of organizations which serve residents enrolled in Medicaid. Trinity Health Oakland’s Emergency Department sees many patients who have Medicaid. Hospital President Shannon Striebich, who also serves as vice president of operations for all Trinity Health hospitals in Michigan, wants to prevent their patients from finding out they no longer have Medicaid when they visit the emergency room.

“As a longtime healthcare leader in Oakland County and across Michigan, Trinity Health is very concerned that patients will unknowingly lose access to care once their Medicaid eligibility is reviewed,” said Striebich. “Medicaid has been a blessing for many vulnerable patients throughout the state who experience financial struggles. Along with other services, Medicaid coverage provides access to primary care visits, including important routine checkups and preventative care.”

To prepare for the renewal, Medicaid enrollees should gather the following paperwork:
• Proof of age (birth certificate or driver’s license)
• Proof of all sources of income
• Proof of assets and other resources (copies of bank statements or other financial items if told to on your Medicaid renewal form)
• Proof of citizenship or immigration status
• Proof of disability (those who think they qualify because of a disability may need to include documentation in their Medicaid renewal form)
• Proof of other insurance (a copy of your other insurance ID card(s), or red, white, and blue Medicare card)
Residents who do not have access to the Internet may call the MDHHS Beneficiary Help Line at 800-642-3195.

23-136 Medicaid Handout_Ltr Sz.pdf

Nessel Joins DOJ Lawsuit Against Google 

Nessel Joins DOJ Lawsuit Against Google 

by | Apr 18, 2023 | Regional News

Nessel Email Header
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

April 18, 2023

Media Contact:
AG Press

AG Nessel Joins DOJ Lawsuit Against Google for Anticompetitive Practices in Digital Advertising

LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined 16 other Attorneys General in a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Justice Department against Google for monopolizing multiple digital advertising technology products in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. It alleges that Google monopolizes the “ad tech stack,” or key digital advertising technologies, that website publishers depend on to sell ads and that advertisers rely on to buy ads and reach potential customers. Website publishers use ad tech tools to generate advertising revenue that supports the creation and maintenance of a vibrant open web.

The complaint alleges that Google, over the past 15 years, engaged in a course of anticompetitive and exclusionary conduct. In doing so, the lawsuit maintains, Google has cemented its dominance in the tools relied on by website publishers and online advertisers, as well as the digital advertising exchange that runs ad auctions.

Google’s anticompetitive conduct has included:

  • Acquiring Competitors: Engaging in a pattern of acquisitions to obtain control over key digital advertising tools used by website publishers to sell advertising space;
  • Forcing Adoption of Google’s Tools: Locking in website publishers to its newly-acquired tools by restricting its unique, must-have advertiser demand to its ad exchange, and in turn, conditioning effective real-time access to its ad exchange on the use of its publisher ad server;
  • Distorting Auction Competition: Limiting real-time bidding on publisher inventory to its ad exchange, and impeding rival ad exchanges’ ability to compete on the same terms as Google’s ad exchange; and
  • Auction Manipulation: Manipulating auction mechanics across several of its products to insulate Google from competition, deprive rivals of scale, and halt the rise of rival technologies.

With the lawsuit, Justice Department and state Attorneys General hope to restore competition in these important markets and obtain monetary relief on behalf of the American public.

“The power that Google wields in the digital advertising space has had the effect of either pushing smaller, less ubiquitous companies out of the market or making them beholden to Google ads to market their clients’ products,” Nessel said. “This is monopoly behavior and I’m glad to join the DOJ’s lawsuit to loosen Google’s grip on digital marketing and make it more equitable for small businesses.”

“We look forward to litigating this important case alongside our state law enforcement partners to end Google’s long-running monopoly in digital advertising technology markets,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today we welcome the States of Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Washington, and West Virginia who join our existing coalition of eight co-plaintiff states, to deliver the benefits of competition to website publishers, digital advertisers, and the American public.”

Google now controls the digital tool that nearly every major website publisher uses to sell ads on their websites (publisher ad server); it controls the dominant advertiser tool that helps millions of large and small advertisers buy ad inventory (advertiser ad network); and it controls the largest advertising exchange (ad exchange), a technology that runs real-time auctions to match buyers and sellers of online advertising.

In 2020, the Justice Department filed a civil antitrust suit against Google for monopolizing search and search advertising, which are different markets from the digital advertising technology markets at issue in the current lawsuit. The Google search litigation is scheduled for trial in September 2023.
Whitmer Makes Appointments to Transportation Commission

Whitmer Makes Appointments to Transportation Commission

by | Apr 18, 2023 | Regional News

Governor Whitmer Header

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 18, 2023

Contact: [email protected]

 

Governor Whitmer Makes Appointments to State Transportation Commission

 Ms. Brown and Ms. Welburn are the first women of color in state history appointed to the commission

 

LANSING, Mich. — Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the appointments of Ms. Rhonda Welburn and Ms. Rita Brown to the State Transportation Commission.

 

State Transportation Commission 

 

Rhonda Welburn, of Detroit, is a retired member of Dickinson Wright, PLLC, where she began practicing of law in 1995. Her primary practice areas were public finance and municipal law, but she is also experienced in the areas of banking and financial services, real estate and education law. During her 25-year legal career, she was consistently ranked by her peers as one of the Best Lawyers in America®, Michigan Super Lawyers and recognized as a Top Lawyer by DBusiness Magazine. Before joining Dickinson Wright, Ms. Welburn had a distinguished 13-year career at General Motors, beginning her automotive career as a mathematician developing computer aided design technology and ultimately serving in a managerial position at GM’s financial staff.

 

Ms. Welburn serves on the board of the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, and the DMC Foundation. She attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. She earned her Master of Business Administration from the University of Detroit-Mercy and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Michigan. Ms. Welburn is appointed to represent Independents for a term commencing April 18, 2023 and expiring December 21, 2025. She replaces Todd Wyett, whose term has expired.

 

Rita Brown, of Birmingham, is a V.P. of Development, Innovation & Infrastructure at JMC Electrical Contractor, as well as being the CEO of Brown Construction Collective +. She is an outspoken advocate for increasing representation in her industry after her own experience and struggles to be given a fair shot as a working mom. She founded Project Accelerate, a seven-week intensive program to introduce women to the design and building trades industry. Her recruiting efforts have earned her several awards from National Association of Women in Construction, and in 2017 she was invited to discuss Project Accelerate at a White House policy briefing focused on expanding careers for women in the construction industry.

 

Ms. Brown holds an associate’s degree from Schoolcraft College and has earned professional certificates from Michigan State University and Dartmouth. Ms. Brown is appointed to represent Democrats for a term commencing April 18, 2023 and expiring December 21, 2025. She replaces Stephen Adamini, whose term has expired.

 

The Commission establishes policy for the Michigan Department of Transportation in relation to transportation programs and facilities and other such works as related to transportation development, as provided by law. Responsibilities of the Commission include the development and implementation of comprehensive transportation plans for the entire state, including aeronautics, bus and rail transit, providing professional and technical assistance, and overseeing the administration of state and federal funds allocated for these programs.

 

These appointments are subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.

 

 appointment  appointment

Left: Ms. Rhonda Welburn

Right: Ms. Rita Brown
AG Warns Consumers to Beware of “Juice Jacking”

AG Warns Consumers to Beware of “Juice Jacking”

by | Apr 17, 2023 | Regional News

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

April 17, 2023

Media Contact:
AG Press

AG Nessel Warns Consumers to Beware of “Juice Jacking” When Using Public Charging Stations

LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is warning consumers to beware of another method hackers have devised to steal their personal data.

The FBI calls it “Juice Jacking,” a cyber-theft tactic that can occur whenever an electronic device is plugged into a public charging station like those found in airports or hotel lobbies.

These public charging stations are open to anyone, including bad actors, who can secretly install malware into the stations. When unsuspecting consumers plug in their devices, the malware gains access to the device being charged. The malware can lock the device or export personal data and passwords.

Juice jacking can happen in 2 ways: by plugging a device into a public USB port with your own charging cable, or by using an infected cable provided by someone else. The FCC has even reported incidents of infected cables being given away as promotional gifts. In some cases, hackers will install and hide a skimming device inside the USB ports of the kiosk.

“This is yet another nefarious way bad actors have discovered that allows them to steal and profit from what doesn’t belong to them,” Nessel said. “Consumers typically don’t think twice before plugging into a public charging station. But knowing the risks and alternatives will allow them to protect themselves and their personal information.”

AG Nessel provided the following tips to avoid becoming a Juice Jacking victim.

  • Avoid using a public USB charging station. Use an AC power outlet instead.
  • Bring an AC outlet charger, car chargers, and your own USB cables with you when traveling.
  • Carry a portable charger or external battery.
  • Consider carrying a charging-only cable (which prevents data from sending or receiving while charging) from a trusted supplier.
  • If you plug your device into a USB port and a prompt appears asking you to select “share data” or “charge only,” always select “charge only.”

“Be vigilant when charging your devices in public because you never know who or what is waiting to snatch your data when you least expect it,” Nessel said.

For more information, see Malware – What It Is and How To Avoid It.

For information on how to recognize the signs of malware, see How To Recognize, Remove, and Avoid Malware.