What health experts say wildfire smoke novices need to know
June 9th, 20230 Wildfires are increasingly causing destruction and illness around the world, but the smoke drifting southward from eastern Canada this week is a new experience for the tens of millions who live in the U.S. Northeast. Many in those states are wondering what they need to know about a first-time wildfire smoke event. Are health risks...
Wayne County Public Health Division confirms three cases of rabies in skunks
May 26th, 20230 DETROIT – The Wayne County Public Health Division (WCPHD) is notifying the public of three confirmed cases of rabies in skunks in Livonia. No people or pets are known to have been exposed at this time and human exposure to the skunks is uncommon. However, out of caution, the WCPHD strongly urges all residents to avoid unfamiliar...
Five indicted by the Feds in $11M health care fraud scheme
May 16th, 20230 DETROIT – An Oakland County doctor and a certified social worker are among five people facing federal charges in connection with an $11 million health care fraud scheme through a Farmington Hills psychotherapy agency, officials said. Two of the five charged, Mohamed Kazkaz, 54, of Farmington Hills and Ziad Khalel, 52, of Rochester...
Michigan Senate passes Filter First legislation to ensure safe drinking water at schools, child care centers
May 1st, 20230 LANSING — On Thursday, April 20, the Michigan Senate voted to pass Senate Bills 88 and 89, the Filter First legislation, which would protect children from lead in drinking water at schools and child care centers. The bills are sponsored by Sens. John Cherry (D-Flint) and Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit). The bills will require all...
DWIHN announces $227M plan to expand behavioral health treatment capacity
May 1st, 20230 DETROIT — The Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network (DWIHN) has announced a comprehensive plan to ameliorate the treatment care capacity for behavioral health in Metro Detroit. The DWIHN has sought the state’s assistance to invest $227 million in both crisis care and residential housing. This investment would address the mental...
Dearborn sues trucking company Pro-V over air pollution concerns
April 21st, 20230 DEARBORN – The city of Dearborn has filed a lawsuit against Pro-V Enterprises, LLC for excessive track-out and fugitive dust that it says endangers the health of residents in the area. Track-out refers to the dirt, dust and sediment attached to vehicles traveling to and from an industrial or construction site. According to the U.S....
Evans declares public health emergency in Wayne County during State of the County address
March 24th, 20231 During his State of the County address Tuesday night at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans called for a Public Health State of Emergency at the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Facility. “The situation has become untenable for nearly 140 youths that are currently residing...
Local hospitals saw 50 percent spike in alcohol-related liver disease during COVID pandemic
March 12th, 20230 So many new patients, and they seem so young, Dr. Humberto Gonzalez kept thinking as he made his rounds at Henry Ford Health System in Metro Detroit. It was the summer of 2020, just a few months into the COVID-19 lockdown. And Gonzalez, a transplant hepatologist, was struck by the onslaught of incoming patients who were suddenly being...
Dingell, colleagues introduce legislation to make home care coverage mandatory under Medicaid
March 12th, 20230 WASHINGTON – On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D- Ann Arbor), Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman Ed.D. (D-NY) introduced the HCBS Access Act to make HCBS a mandatory benefit within Medicaid and ensure eligible older adults and people with disabilities have the option to choose between home care and institutional...
Gov. Whitmer appoints Angela Khater to Michigan Board of Behavior Analysts
February 24th, 20230 LANSING – Gov. Whitmer appointed Angela Khater, of Dearborn, to the Michigan Board of Behavior Analysts. Khater is a licensed behavior analyst and clinical director for autism services for IOA Behavioral Health. She received her Bachelor of Arts in marketing from Davenport University and her Master of Arts in behavior analysis...
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter names Madiha Tariq as deputy executive to oversee health, housing and criminal justice
January 21st, 20230 PONTIAC — Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter announced that he is appointing Madiha Tariq as a deputy county executive. In that role, she will oversee the Health and Human Services and Public Services departments, two of the biggest departments in Oakland County, with more than 1,000 employees. Tariq will be the first Muslim...
When battling multiple infections, infants and toddlers at higher risk of severe outcomes, study suggests
January 15th, 20230 SOUTHFIELD – With COVID, flu and RSV creating what many are calling a tripledemic, new research is shedding light on the effect the different COVID-19 variants have had on the youngest of patients throughout the pandemic and the role co-infections have played on pediatric outcomes. Results of the 18-month study, published in Lancet...
Hamtramck City Council maintains the practice of animal sacrifice for religious purposes in the city
January 15th, 20232 HAMTRAMCK – After months of debate, the City Council didn't change the rules on practice of animal sacrifice, for religious purposes, in the city. The decision ultimately came down to a more than 30-year-old U.S. Supreme Court ruling that says cities cannot infringe on religious freedom under the First Amendment. The act of...
Study: Vitamin D is the most searched supplement by Michiganders
January 15th, 20230 Michiganders are overwhelmingly deficient in vitamin D, according to a comprehensive study carried out by the drug and medication information site, DrugGenius.com. They analyzed Google search trends data over 2022 to identify which supplements people have searched for the most over the year, which revealed some interesting...
Mental health specialists share ways to combat illness struggles
January 6th, 20230 Mental health specialists Dr. Hoda Amine and Dr. Shama Faheem share resources, treatments and other effective ways to prevent and combat mental health struggles. Faheem is a board certified adult and child psychiatrist and the chief medical officer for the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network (DWIHN). She shared that mental......
How to protect yourself from winter weather hazards as a snow storm targets the Midwest
December 20th, 20220 How to protect yourself from winter weather hazards
Corewell Health East hires new chief nursing officer
December 16th, 20220 Corewell Health East has recruited Kelli Sadler, MHA, RN, to serve as its chief nursing officer. Sadler will join the organization in January. Sadler is a seasoned nursing leader who currently serves as Novant Health’s chief nursing officer for the Charlotte, North Carolina area. She has served in numerous roles throughout her......
Addressing health disparities in Michigan with an uncommon approach to care
December 10th, 20220 By Robert MacArthur, MD Healthcare disparities are preventable differences in healthcare status, access and quality experienced by many consumers due to a variety of factors, including race, ethnicity, income, gender, neighborhood, language and education. For example, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human...
Michigan’s COVID-19 deaths top 40,000
December 6th, 20220 Deaths linked to COVID-19 have now surpassed 40,000 in Michigan since the pandemic began in 2020, the state health department reported. More than 36,400 deaths have been confirmed, while 3,676 were probably caused by COVID-19, the state said Tuesday on its coronavirus website. There were 113 in the past week. “Throughout the...
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans appoints Dr. Adul El-Sayed to lead health department
December 6th, 20220 On Thursday, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans announced that he will be presenting Dr. Abdul El-Sayed to the County Commission for its approval as a project consultant working with the County's Health, Human and Veterans Services Department (HHVS). El-Sayed will take over as director, pending Wayne County Commission...
Dearborn Department of Public Health unveils new Narcan station to address opioid crisis
November 17th, 20220 DEARBORN — A new Narcan station inside the Dearborn Train Station dispenses the lifesaving overdose drug for free, thanks to the efforts of the city’s public health department. The Dearborn Department of Public Health (DPH) announced on Wednesday the launch of a Narcan Vending Station, the first of several planned interventions......
TikTok provides an outlet for health education; there’s more to be done
October 24th, 20221 This article was contributed by Sumaiyah Ahmed, MHA, public health coordinator for ACCESS, and has been edited for style TikTok is a popular short-video app best known for its trendy dances and outlandish humor. However, it has also become a venue for healthcare providers to share health and wellness information with younger...
Cultural tradition and elder care in Detroit’s Arab American community
October 7th, 20221 By Lucas Resetar, special to The Arab American News and New Michigan Media In the year 2000, 11-year-old Marwan Mikhael left Iraq with his father. After crossing into Jordan and enduring a difficult and dangerous journey, he ended up at a small refugee camp in Bulgaria. “There was no food and little water,” Mikhael said. “I......
12th annual Men’s Health Event returns to Ford Field October 8
September 27th, 20221 DETROIT — The MIU (Michigan Institute of Urology) Men’s Health Foundation is hosting the 12th annual Men’s Health Event on Saturday, Oct. 8, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Ford Field in Detroit. Metro Detroit-area men 18 years and older, with or without health insurance, are encouraged to take advantage of this free event focused on...
Henry Ford Health first in the state to offer new cancer-detecting blood test
September 22nd, 20220 A Michigan hospital network is the first in Michigan to receive a blood test technology that detects cancer early, when it can be cured. Henry Ford Health, which has several hospitals in the Metro Detroit area, is among an early group of healthcare providers that will offer Galleri, a "Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) blood test"......
