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Michigan scores low on health emergency preparedness study

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Michigan isn’t adequately prepared to face a natural disaster, disease outbreak, or bioterrorism according to a new national health study.

The report, from Trust for America’s Health, a DC-based health policy organization, graded states preparedness for a health emergency.

Michigan’s score was among the lowest in the nation.

Laura Segal is with Trust for America’s Health. She said the report looked at ten basic criteria for state readiness.

“We looked at things like funding, commitment to public health, the ability to stop antibiotic resistance, things like sick leave. Can people take off time if they were hit by a pandemic and not have to go to work without losing their jobs. Those were places that Michigan, and many other states, fell short.”

Michigan received a grade of three out of ten, one of the lowest in the country.

Segal said state health departments are chronically underfunded.

“We’re concerned that funding has been cut at a federal level by half since 9/11. Many states are not able to devote the resources to maintain these capabilities. That’s a problem. It leaves us unnecessarily vulnerable.”

Segal said states are often left reacting to health crisis after they happen.

“What happens is the money gets traded around to the latest, most pressing issue. We’re kinda robbing Peter to pay Paul in these circumstances, shifting the money around to address the latest circumstances instead of bolstering many different issues at once.”

Segal said one place where Michigan did score well was with its laboratories and disease testing sites.

In a written statement a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said the state has “made significant progress in protecting the citizens of Michigan and improving the health of our communities over the past few decades with the resources that are available to us.”

The states full response can be read below:

Every year, for the past 30 years, there has been at least one new infectious disease that has emerged, including the resurgence of some older diseases.  Michigan works tirelessly to help prevent health emergencies – as well as maintain the ability to rapidly detect, diagnose, contain and recover from problems when they do happen.

The Trust For America’s Health (TFAH) report serves to help inform policymakers and the public about the status of preparedness and the need for continued resources to support preparedness activities.  The report focuses on the importance of supporting the ability for the federal government, states and localities and the healthcare system to have the resources and capabilities in place to be able to effectively respond to health emergencies when they happen.

Overall, the report found that the country does not invest enough to maintain strong, basic core capabilities for health security readiness. Even so, here in Michigan, we’re proud that we’ve made significant progress in protecting the citizens of Michigan and improving the health of our communities over the past few decades with the resources that are available to us. For example, our state laboratory has a dedicated role and many training courses are readily available to meet or exceed biosafety standards.  We also consistently increase our overall preparedness scores in the National Health Security Preparedness Index.

While additional resources could assist in addressing challenges that remain in public health emergency preparedness, Michigan remains dedicated to continuing our progress using the resources available to us.