Health

Nurses at the University of Michigan say they’ve reached a tentative three-year agreement with Michigan Medicine, ending their threat of a strike.

Just last week U of M nurses voted to authorize their union to call a three-day work stoppage, citing unfair labor practices. Ninety-four percent of the votes were in favor of the authorization.

State health officials are urging Michiganders to be tested for several sexually transmitted diseases.

Until recently, Michigan has seen a slow decline in chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis cases. But a new report shows cases of all three STDs spiked last year. Chlamydia cases are up 8%. Gonorrhea jumped 20%.  Syphilis rose 28%.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says a majority of the increases occurred among adolescents, African-American men and women, and men who have sex with other men.

Healthy Michigan means better credit for Michigan’s low-income residents. That’s according to a new study on the state’s Medicaid expansion released Monday. It found that people on the plan improved their financial health after getting the insurance coverage.

Sarah Miller is a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. She worked on the study. Miller says they found that because people were in less financial stress health-wise, they didn’t overdraw their credit cards and they paid bills on time. That means their credit scores got better.

A pilot project in western Wayne County will offer people struggling with opioid addiction a possible path to recovery.

The Rescue Recovery program will provide people referred from St. Mary Mercy Livonia hospital or one of 18 participating law enforcement agencies with the opportunity to go through specialized detoxification treatment at the hospital.

Governor Rick Snyder has submitted a waiver to require people on Healthy Michigan to work for their health insurance benefits. 

The U.S. Senate has passed a bill, introduced by Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow, that prohibits gag clauses on pharmacists.  

A new University of Michigan study finds expanded Medicaid coverage is increasing access to family planning and birth control for poor women in Michigan.

Michigan expanded its Medicaid program in 2014 as part of the Affordable Care Act.   In all, 32 states and the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid programs under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

More than 600,000 Michiganders receive health care coverage through the Healthy Michigan program.  

While official data is still coming in, it appears that Michigan’s drug overdose deaths are continuing their upward trajectory since the start of 2017.

According to projections from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control released earlier this month, Michigan saw 2,662 drug-related deaths in 2017.

A state board has approved 16 medical marijuana licenses. Licenses have been approved at all stages of the medical marijuana system– from dispensaries to testing labs. But there’s been some concern about having enough pot shops open for patients.

Starting September 15th, any dispensary that doesn’t have a license will have to close.

David Harns is a spokesperson for the Bureau of Medical Marihuana Regulation. He says once the deadline hits, there should be enough open dispensaries to meet the need.

The state of Michigan has implemented an immediate ban on baiting and feeding of deer in 16 counties, called the CWD Management Zone, to try to slow the spread of chronic wasting disease or CWD.   

The hepatitis A outbreak in Michigan has plateaued, but it's still an outbreak.

Eden Wells is the chief medical executive for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

A pilot program is giving Flint teenagers the opportunity to learn new skills, while helping city residents still too scared to trust their drinking water is safe.

Recent tests have shown the quality of Flint’s tap water has improved since the city’s water crisis started in 2014. However, many residents don’t believe those tests results from the government.

But under a new program, more than a dozen Flint teenagers are going into homes and testing the water.

Several Michigan members of Congress are sending a letter to the Trump administration requesting stronger safeguards for dangerous chemicals in drinking water.

A recent Harvard study found six million Americans are drinking water contaminated with a group of chemicals,  per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, better known as PFAS.

The chemicals have been linked to an increased risk of liver damage and pregnancy problems, among other health issues.

Michigan regulators have significantly expanded the list of conditions approved for treatment by medical marijuana. The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs on Monday added 11 medical conditions deemed debilitating by the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act of 2008. They are: arthritis, autism, chronic pain, colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, obsessive compulsive disorder, Parkinson's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, spinal cord injury, Tourette's syndrome and ulcerative colitis.

Denied conditions include anxiety, asthma, brain injury, panic attacks, depression and diabetes.

There’s been a big jump in the number of animals in Michigan testing positive for rabies.

This year, 22 bats and two skunks have tested positive for rabies.