Saturday, April 18, 2020

Flint Water Crisis Day # 2,184: Contributed To PWP By Activist Melissa Mays of Flint.



Day # 2,184 in the #FlintWaterCrisis: FINALLY some truth is exposed.
#1 Today we have watched the Michigan AG tell us they didn't tell us the truth in June when they chose to dismiss all criminal charges with only 9 months left (per their OWN words) on the Statute of Limitations for most of the charges. They continue to tell us that they cannot give us any information. Fun.
#2 We ALSO see that the City of Flint Water Department is NOW saying that no homes in Flint have been shut off due to nonpayment, essentially calling thousands of people liars. We have fought alongside Flint & Detroit groups and national orgs to help people who are shut off get their water back on so they can wash their hands to help fight against #COVID19 so we know this is FALSE.

Friday, April 17, 2020

United Way of Washtenaw County Has Announced Three New Board Members.


Editor & Publisher Jeff Brown.
United Way of Washtenaw County is pleased to announce new board members for the 2020- 2021 year. Each member is committed to advancing the mission and vision of the United Way while building stronger communities. This according to a April 16 press release from the United Way of Washtenaw County.
The following members were elected to the United Way of Washtenaw County board:
Marjorie Dixon is an Ann Arbor native and a partner with the law firm Conlin, McKenney & Philbrick, PC, specializing in business and real estate law.  In her business practice, Attorney Dixon routinely assists with the formation of new businesses, including limited liability companies and corporations.
Mia Milton is the Interim Executive Director of Alumni Relations and Engagement at Eastern Michigan University.  She had the opportunity to work and collaborate with a number of non-profit organizations ranging from government to homelessness to the arts. Milton is passionate about assisting organizations to cultivate their brand identity and uncover solutions that will create desired results. 
Nicole Torbert is a Senior Client Experience Manager for KeyBank. She joined KeyBank in October of 2013 and has over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining KeyBank, Torbert spent 10 years providing investment advice to high net worth clients, nonprofits and business owners at Comerica Bank as an Investment Strategist.

According to United Way of Washtenaw County,“We are grateful to have passionate individuals serve and ignite a community where your zip code will no longer determine your opportunity in life.”, said Pam Smith, President and CEO of United Way. “Our diverse and talented members will drive impact in fighting for the health, education and financial stability in our community.”



ABOUT UNITED WAY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY
As part of our 99-year history, the United Way of Washtenaw County brings people, organizations and resources together to create a thriving community for everyone. Our focus areas of Health, Education and Financial Stability provide the building blocks to strengthen the community and create opportunities for individuals and families. Our Volunteer Center provides an easy online way for people to connect with nonprofits in the community and our 2-1-1 helpline refers more than 8,000 people annually to critically needed services. To learn more, donate, or volunteer, visit uwgive.org.

Saturday, April 11, 2020

Michigan Governor Whitmer and MDHHS Have Announced Thirteen New/Expanded COVID-19 Testing Sites.




Editor in Chief & Publisher Jeff Brown.

According to the State of Michigan Emergency Response Center, thirteen new or expanded COVID-19 drive-thru testing sites – including in Detroit and Flint – will provide greater access to residents across Michigan and a new lab will speed up test results under a plan announced by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

According to governor Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, expanded testing is available through a partnership involving the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Michigan Primary Care Association, 11 health centers, and NxGen MDX Laboratory.
The efforts will increase Michigan’s daily COVID-19 testing capacity by about 40 percent when fully operational. They include: 
  • Nine new drive-through testing locations and expansion of three existing centers where residents can be tested for COVID-19 without leaving their vehicles, plus additional testing at a location yet-to-be-determined in Detroit.
  • Use of a new commercial laboratory in Grand Rapids that can run upwards of 3,000 tests per day, which would increase Michigan’s average number of results every day by about 40 percent.
In a quote from MDHHS, “The State of Michigan is working with our healthcare partners to step up COVID-19 testing,” Whitmer said. “Better access to testing and quicker results are critical to our public health officials who are fighting coronavirus and to our residents who have symptoms of COVID-19 and need answers, treatment and peace of mind. More testing will save lives.”

According to MDHHS, the new drive-thru capacity will include two large-scale sites in Detroit and Flint. The sites will aim to serve at least 750 and 250 people per day, respectively. Additional site details are in progress and will be announced soon.

"The key to beating the coronavirus is to make testing available to everyone who needs it,” said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. “The Governor's announcement today is a huge boost in Detroit's arsenal against this disease."
The new Flint site is in partnership with Hurley Medical Center. “I would like to thank Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Hurley Medical Center and all of our partners for stepping up so that we can fill this critical need in our community,” Flint Mayor Sheldon Neely said. “We know our community has been especially hard hit, and testing is an important tool to combat this deadly virus.”

New drive-thru sites will also operate in Atlanta (between Gaylord and Alpena), Bad Axe, Battle Creek, Bay City, Benton Harbor, Jackson, Kalamazoo, and Traverse City. The partnership will significantly expand drive-thru test sites currently operating in Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Saginaw. (Details are below.) Each site will aim to serve 100 or more individuals per day beginning Monday, April 13, with the exception of the Detroit and Flint sites that will begin operations on later dates. Individuals should call before coming to these drive-thru sites for pre-test evaluation and additional information. This according to governor Whitmer and MDHHS.

“Increased testing is the only way we will know where COVID-19 is in Michigan, and will guide our public health response,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan’s chief medical executive. “Along with social distancing practices such as staying home and keeping 6 feet between yourself and others if you must go out, more testing will help Michigan slow the spread of COVID-19.”
MDHHS will partner with the Michigan Primary Care Association and NxGen Laboratory, a commercial laboratory in Grand Rapids, to operate these testing sites.

“We’re grateful to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and MDHHS for recognizing the pivotal role that community health centers can play in providing care for residents without a regular doctor, opening new drive-thru testing locations, and alleviating some of the burden on our hospital partners,” said Dennis Litos, interim chief executive officer of the Michigan Primary Care Association (MPCA). “MPCA is incredibly proud of the care community health centers have been providing during this crisis, and they will continue to serve on the frontlines of COVID-19 relief efforts.”

People must meet Michigan’s coronavirus testing priority criteria to be tested at the sites. They should first contact the site’s patient screening telephone line or their health care provider if seeking testing. Michigan’s testing priority criteria include: 
  • Hospitalized patients.
  • Symptomatic healthcare workers.
  • Patients in congregate facilities with symptoms, including those at:
    • Long-term care or elderly living facilities.
    • Jails or prisons.
    • Homeless shelters.
    • Residential foster care facilities.
    • Other group living settings.
  • Patients age 65 and older with symptoms.
  • Patients with underlying conditions with symptoms.
  • First responders with symptoms.
  • Critical infrastructure workers with symptoms.
The drive-thru test locations are opening on a rolling basis, beginning today through next week. They are:
  • Atlanta (between Gaylord and Alpena): Thunder Bay Community Health Service, 11899 M-32, 989-733-6827.
  • Bad Axe: Great Lakes Bay Health Centers, 876 N. Van Dyke Rd, 989-623-0137.
  • Battle Creek: Grace Health181 W. Emmett St., 269-441-3463.
  • Bay City: Great Lakes Bay Health Centers, 3884 Monitor Rd, 989-671-2000.
  • Benton Harbor: InterCare Community Health Network, 800 M-139, 855-869-6900.
  • Detroit: Details to come.
  • Flint (Open beginning on Wednesday): Atwood Stadium, parking lot entrance off West 1st Street, details to come.
  • Grand Rapids: Cherry Health, 200 Sheldon Street SE, 616-965-8347.  
  • Jackson: Center for Family Health, 505 N. Jackson St., 517-748-5363.
  • Kalamazoo: Family Health Center, 117 W Paterson St., 269-488-0804.
  • Lansing: Ingham Community Health Centers, 2316 S. Cedar St., 517-887-4517.
  • Saginaw: Great Lakes Bay Health Centers, 501 Lapeer Ave., 989-293-3492.  
  • Traverse City: Northwest Michigan Health Services, 10767 Traverse Highway, 231-642-5292.

Thursday, April 9, 2020

MDHHS Will Provide Improved Information on COVID-19 Testing and Hospital Data.


Editor in Chief & Publisher Jeff Brown.

According to a statement from the Michigan Emergency Operations Center, in an effort to provide more information about the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Michigan, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is providing additional and improved statistics on its website.

According to the Michigan Dept of Health and Human Services, “We continue to improve the information we are providing as our goal is to share timely and accurate data during this pandemic,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health “We appreciate the assistance of Michigan Medical Advantage Group in helping us offer additional statistics about testing.”

According to a statement from MDHHS, starting today, the following information is being included:
  • Number of people recovered. Going forward, this information will be updated weekly and includes the number of people with a laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases who are 30 days out from their onset of illness. Recovered is defined as the number of persons with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis who are alive 30 days post-onset (or referral date if onset is not available).
  • Testing data by state preparedness region. This will be updated daily.
  • Hospital utilization information. This will include number of emergency department discharges, number of inpatients, number of patients in critical care and number of patients on ventilators. This information will be updated daily.
Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.  

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Eastern Michigan University Will Be Providing Temporary Housing For Medical Professionals Needing to Self-Isolate.

Photo Jeff Brown Purple Walrus Press.


By Editor & Publisher Jeff Brown.

According to an April 6 press release from Eastern Michigan, the university will be providing temporary living arrangements for IHA, and St Josephs Mercy medical professionals at the nearby Village Apartment complex on EMU's campus.The complex is situated near St Joseph Hospital.

According to the press release, a building will be available as soon as this week for physicians, nurses and health professionals who need to self-isolate. The location is adjacent to Huron River Drive which makes the apartment complex an ideal location and in close proximity to St Joes Hospital.

According to EMU, the medical professionals will be situated in only one building in the complex and any students who remain on campus( international students and those who cannot return to permanent residences)  will not be housed in that particular building.

Sunday, April 5, 2020

From the State Emergency Operations Center: Governor Whitmer To Give Update on State's Response to COVID-19 Monday.




Editor in Chief & Publisher Jeff Brown.

 Monday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun will provide an update on the state’s response to COVID-19.
WHO:  Governor Gretchen Whitmer             MDHHS Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun
WHAT: COVID-19 Update
WHEN: Monday, April 6th at approximately 10:15 AM