The American Heart Association (AHA) is decrying the absence of CERP funding in the newly passed FY 26-27 budget.  AHA continue to advance their ridiculous claim that CERP training will only cost schools $ 5 per pupil.  This would be a miracle of God, if proven true:

https://www.woodtv.com/news/michigan/2027-budget-leaves-american-heart-association-concerned/

2027 budget leaves American Heart Association concerned
By Olivia Bosar - July 23, 2026

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Organizations are concerned over the state’s 2027 budget that was signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Tuesday.

The $75 million budget that was passed earlier in July is said to focus on housing opportunities, fixing roads and healthcare. But the American Heart Association (AHA) is speaking out about what is not included in the budget.

AHA said they applaud the $1.4 million allocated for free school breakfast and lunch programs.

“We really do believe that those healthy habits start young,” said Amanda Klein, government relations director of AHA in Michigan. “And if they can start some of those habits early, we hope that that continues on long term so that they’ll just carry those habits through. And then that will help with things like heart health, and they’ll care a little bit more about the things that they’re putting in their body.

Klein said AHA advocated for $6 million to be earmarked in safety grants to help schools develop their cardiac emergency response plans (CERP), but no money was included in the state budget for that.

In 2024, state law made it a requirement that schools and their athletic programs establish a CERP to improve survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest. The plans should include having CPR trained staff, clearly defined emergency protocols and access to life-saving equipment like automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

“Our requirements are AEDs should really be within 3 minutes of wherever you are and on school property, so some of those big schools, they might need multiple AEDs and maybe they only have one or two,” Klein said.

AHA said it only costs about $5 to teach someone CPR but AEDs can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 per unit and that the $6 million figure they asked for would have covered AEDs and CPR training for all schools in the state of Michigan. They are hoping to see the funding come through in a supplemental budget later this year.

https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/07/22/up-health-camp-aims-open-doors-attendees/

https://nmu.edu/ruralhealth/health-camp

UP health camp aims to open doors for attendees
By Ethan Desjardine - July 22, 2026

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - The U.P Future Health Leaders camp is in full swing this week.

The camp, a partnership between Northern Michigan University, Michigan State University, and local health professionals, aims to educate and advance health career exploration for 9th and 10th graders across the U.P.

The camp consists of six days of learning about various aspects of health, meeting professionals, exploring simulation labs, visiting a local hospital, and earning CPR certification.

Organizers of the camp, such as Elise Bur, NMU’s Rural Health Center Director, hope that programs like the Future Health Leaders Camp can introduce the idea of a career in healthcare to youth, especially at a time when the U.P. faces a significant shortage.

“The Upper Peninsula has a health professional shortage area in general, so trying to expose students to the different types of healthcare careers and encouraging them to return to the U.P. and practice afterward is really going to set the U.P. up for the future,” Bur said.

Bur also stressed the importance of having students interact with local professionals.

“These students see these professionals as people who were born and raised here and are now practicing here, and that goes a long way because the students can actually see themselves one day doing the same thing,” Bur said.

Bur isn’t the only one trying to open doors for students, however.

Upper Great Lakes Marquette Family Health Center’s practice manager Sarah Tregembo preaches that pathways do exist.

“The biggest thing I’ve been trying to let kids know is there is opportunities in the U.P. for them, if healthcare is what they are trying to do, from any type of entry-level position all the way up to a physician,” Tregembo said.

The camp has been a success so far, at least in the eyes of student Mung Khai, who says because of the camp, he now wants a career in healthcare.

“I learned so much about health and the jobs, being exposed to all of the careers I can go to,” Khai said. “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do last year, but I’ve got a good hold on what I want to do now.”

https://michiganadvance.com/2026/07/14/signatures-submitted-for-lansing-ballot-proposal-on-healthcare-access-one-of-6-in-the-state/

Signatures submitted for Lansing ballot proposal on healthcare access, one of 6 in the state
Funding stream for the group behind the initiative is unclear as they target GOP lawmakers in ballot petition push
By Katherine Dailey - July 14, 2026

Dr. Todd R. Otten, MD, a Lansing family physician, speaking Tuesday at Lansing City Hall after signatures were turned in for a ballot proposal to establish a Citizens’ Advisory Healthcare Action Committee. July 14, 2026 | Submitted photo

A ballot proposal submitted to the Lansing City Clerk’s office would establish a Citizens’ Advisory Healthcare Action Committee in an attempt to combat rising healthcare costs and barriers to care in mid-Michigan and beyond.

A press release from Community Action Michigan, a political committee created in April, said that Lansing voters submitted 7,385 signatures to the Lansing City Clerk last week, above the required minimum of 4,433 signatures to get a proposal on the ballot.

The proposal would direct the committee to “prepare a biennial Healthcare Action Plan and make recommendations to the City, and to provide a public process through which the public will be heard and needs assessed,” including through community forums and analysis of local data and policies, according to ballot language published on the group’s website.

The group held a press conference Tuesday to discuss the proposal and announce that signatures had already been turned into Lansing city officials.

“People who have no health coverage often don’t see a physician until a medical condition becomes a medical crisis,” said Dr. Todd R. Otten, MD, a Lansing family physician. “The emergency department is intended to be a safety net, not the place where a patient first sees a physician. Unfortunately, when this occurs, the care they receive is extraordinarily complex, extremely expensive and sometimes too late.”

Lansing is one of six cities where such a petition is being proposed for November’s ballot. Community Action Michigan has also published similar ballot language in East Lansing, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Benton Harbor and Portage. Local news outlets have reported that signatures have been turned in to local clerks in East Lansing, Kalamazoo and Portage.

“While I have healthcare coverage, my out-of-pocket costs, copays, deductibles and other additional expenses devastated my family financially,” said Dana Watson, a cancer survivor living in East Lansing. “I am not alone and thousands of Michigan families can share similar stories of having to fight insurance companies, Big Pharma and bureaucratic red tape even as they fight to stay alive. I have come to know many Michiganders who work in healthcare and serve as caregivers who cannot afford healthcare themselves.”

Speakers at the press conference, as well as the website for the proposal, explicitly criticized the voting record of U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte), who represents both Lansing and East Lansing in Washington, on healthcare affordability and said that Congress had failed to keep healthcare accessible to Michiganders. U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, whose district includes the other four cities with ballot proposals, is also specifically named and targeted by the group’s messaging.

“When politicians like Congressman Tom Barrett voted to cut $1.1 trillion from Medicaid in order to give tax breaks to billionaires, he took healthcare away from many of our neighbors and he’s making the people of Lansing shoulder the burden,” said Oscar Castañeda, a Lansing resident as well as the regional organizing coordinator for MI Poder and a board member of the Ingham County Health Plan. “Our neighborhoods pay the price when sick people don’t get the care they need and deserve for a treatable, manageable condition. Taking healthcare away from people is not a plan; it is an act of sabotage against hardworking families.”

Jason Roe, a spokesperson for the Barrett campaign, criticized the group for what he said was using city charter processes to manipulate voters.

“Typically, these efforts are used to identify voters,” he said. “If they can get a voter to sign onto something like this, then it tends to be an indication that you could persuade a voter on that issue. And so I think more than anything, this is a voter ID project, and they’re just using this to gather data that they can use to retarget voters in the election.”

He also defended Barrett’s voting record on both ending Affordable Care Act tax credits and enacting Medicaid work requirements, saying, “in order to preserve those programs, so that the people that do rely on them can continue to get the benefits that they need, we have to rein in the reckless spending on those people that are not necessarily in need of these programs.”

Oscar Castañeda, a Lansing resident as well as the regional organizing coordinator for MI Poder and a board member of the Ingham County Health Plan, speaking Tuesday at Lansing City Hall after signatures were turned in for a ballot proposal to establish a Citizens’ Advisory Healthcare Action Committee. July 14, 2026 | Submitted photo
The group itself is opaque, having registered in Michigan’s Department of State campaign finance database in late April as both a nonprofit and a political action committee, which Bridge Michigan reported were “hallmarks of so-called ‘dark money’ efforts.” It also made that filing two days after the April campaign finance filing deadline. The next deadline is not until July 25, meaning that there is no information currently published about who is funding the group’s mission.

“Community Action Michigan is a nonprofit made up of Michiganders who want real change and are demanding lower healthcare costs,” Alana Ivey, a spokesperson for the organization wrote in response to a question asking for further information about the group’s backers as well as concerns of dark money in these initiatives. “We are in the process of fundraising for this important effort and will make all required disclosures and file all reports as required by law.”

The only publicly identified individuals associated with the group are Barbara Hammon, who is identified in Tuesday’s press release as the board president of Community Action Michigan and a trustee of Kalamazoo County’s Texas Charter Township, and Heather Ricketts, who is listed as the group’s treasurer in the Department of State database. Ricketts is a political consultant who, according to her LinkedIn profile, currently serves as the compliance and operations director for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Fight Like Hell PAC. The committee is also registered to the same address as is listed for Grow Kalamazoo, a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization promoting a childcare millage in Kalamazoo.

https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2026/06/genesee-county-indigent-health-millage-heads-to-november-ballot.html

Genesee County indigent health millage heads to November ballot
By Ron Fonger - June 29, 2026

GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Members of the Genesee County Board of Commissioners will let voters decide the fate of an indigent health care millage in the November general election.

Commissioners debated the future of the property tax for months, with some contending it has failed to improve residents’ health outcomes, before settling on a five-year, 0.8 mill proposal.

The county has levied a health services millage since 2007, using the proceeds to fund the Genesee Health Plan, jail inmate health care and other initiatives.

GHP is expected to receive approximately $7.7 million of the roughly $12 million that the millage generates this fiscal year.

The nonprofit group provides basic health care coverage to residents who don’t qualify for Medicare and don’t have private insurance. It also pays for dental care for uninsured seniors and veterans.

GHP’s role has changed since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, but it has continued to be used to fill gaps for those without insurance or full Medicare benefits.

Jim Milanowski, president and chief executive officer of GHP, has warned future changes in Medicaid coverage and the loss of subsidies for the ACA could leave many more residents in need of help.

Commissioners voted 7-2 at a special meeting Friday, June 29, to lower the request from 1 mill in its first year to 0.8 mills and add it to the ballot.

Commissioners Shaun Shumaker, R-Fenton Twp., and Brian Flewelling, R-Davison, voted against adding the request to the ballot.

Shumaker has said structural changes, including increased efforts to collect inmate health insurance for medical services they receive in jail, are needed to make millage proceeds go farther.

He said Friday’s special meeting was called to avoid a vote at a regular meeting next week, when several commissioners who support it are expected to be on vacation.

Commissioners had until Aug. 11 to add the millage to the general election ballot and had only one other regular meeting scheduled before that deadline.

Commissioners have heard multiple testimonials for GHP from both residents who’ve been helped by it and others who work in indigent health care.

Earlier this month, Dr. Brenda R. Fortunate, vice president of the Genesee County Free Medical Clinic, told commissioners that other organizations don’t have the capacity to backfill the potential loss of GHP.

https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2026/06/24/davita-dialysis-center-in-novi-closes-amid-death-investigation-illness-reports/

DaVita Dialysis center in Novi closes after patient found dead following treatment, illness reports
71-year-old patient found dead just after receiving dialysis treatment

NOVI, Mich. – The DaVita Dialysis Center in Novi is closed after a patient was found dead, and multiple others are hospitalized, following recently receiving treatment at the center, police said.

The investigation began on June 21 after Novi police officers received a report of a missing person, a 71-year-old patient who was last seen earlier that day at the DaVita Novi Dialysis Center, located near Grand River Avenue and Beck Road.

Family members were concerned when the patient failed to return home following their appointment. When officers arrived at the dialysis center, they found the patient dead inside a car. Police said there was no indication of foul play.

Novi police contacted emergency personnel at Henry Ford Providence Novi Hospital and learned that several patients who had recently received treatment at the DaVita Novi Dialysis Center had sought medical care.

Four patients were identified at the hospital, including one who is in the intensive care unit. A fifth patient was also hospitalized following treatment at a DaVita Southfield location.

According to police, investigators have not established any connection between the illnesses or the death and treatment received at DaVita Dialysis.

The DaVita Novi Dialysis Center is closed at the request of the Oakland County Health Division as a precautionary measure, as the investigation continues.

Anyone with information related to the investigation is asked to contact the Novi Police Department at 248-348-7100.

Local 4 reached out to the DaVita Novi Dialysis Center for comment and received the following statement:

“We are aware of the incident and out of respect for patient privacy, we are unable to comment on its specifics. Our unwavering focus remains on delivering exceptional care for our patients, many of which are medically vulnerable with complex care needs. We are proud to be part of the Novi community and care for our patients with the same intensity and commitment we bring to our teams.”

DaVita spokesperson

Local 4 has also reached out to the Oakland County Health Division for more information.

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs released the following statement:

“LARA, MDHHS, and local health officials are working collaboratively to help ensure the health and safety of patients at this facility.”

U.S. water utilities are starting to curtail fluorosilicic acid additions and lower fluoride levels in water.  This situation will be aggravated as we get to the high water consumption periods of summer.  The fluorosilicic acid will also crimp solar panel output in China, which will affect RPS electricity generation here as well:

https://apnews.com/article/fluoride-teeth-decay-dentist-iran-israel-cavities-cc1127d5278674498fe580be9f88a243

https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-03/Fluorosilicic%20Acid%20Supply%20Chain%20Profile.pdf

Iran war has some US water utilities facing a fluoride shortage
By Devi Shastri - April 13, 2026

It’s not just gas prices: Some U.S. water utilities are reporting the Middle East war is disrupting their ability to maintain recommended fluoride levels in the drinking water.

Over the past few weeks, a few water utilities have said their supply had been disrupted, according to the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies. Fluoride is used in water systems as a public health measure to prevent tooth decay.

Here’s what to know.

What’s driving the fluoride shortage?

Israel is one of the world’s top exporters of fluorosilicic acid, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA data also shows the U.S. is among the world’s top five importers of the product.

At least one Israeli supplier has been facing workforce challenges because many employees have been called into active military service, said Dan Hartnett, chief policy officer for the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies.

“That has led to decreased production, and supply shortages for the U.S. market,” he said.

Not every water system is affected

The number of water utilities affected so far is small, but the shortage is affecting hundreds of thousands of people. As the conflict continues, “there will likely be additional stressors placed on the supply chain, leading to shortages in additional communities,” Hartnett said.

The country’s eighth largest water and wastewater utility, WSSC Water in Maryland, is among those facing a shortage. On April 7, utility officials said they were lowering the level of fluoride in the water to 0.4 milligrams per liter, down from the recommended 0.7 milligrams per liter.

Chuck Brown, spokesperson for the utility serving 1.9 million customers, said officials did not know how long the shortage would last, “but we feel confident that we’ll be able to stretch that out for a couple more months.”

In Pennsylvania, the borough of Lititz told its water customers it had to halt fluoridation for a couple weeks last month because of supply issues.

What dentists say you should do

Water utilities add fluoride voluntarily to improve communities’ oral health, so lower levels have no effect on drinking water safety.

A few months’ drop in fluoride levels is probably not a cause for concern for most people, said Dr. Scott Tomar, an American Dental Association community water fluoridation expert.

Research from places that stopped fluoridating their water — Calgary, Canada; Juneau, Alaska; and Israel — has found that lower levels can have an impact over the span of years.

“Based on the best available information we have, below about 0.5 milligrams per liter, you’re probably not going to see effective preventive exposure,” he said.

Tomar said younger children would be the first to experience tooth decay, because the fluoride strengthens enamel as their teeth are developing and once they’ve grown in.

He recommends people in shortage areas brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and keep up with their routine dental appointments. If people are concerned they aren’t getting enough fluoride, they should talk to their dentist before taking a fluoride supplement or other treatment.

What else should I know about fluoride in the water?

Research shows water fluoridation is beneficial even when it is also available through toothpaste and other means. Nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population gets fluoridated drinking water, according to CDC data.

The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water was long considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century. The American Dental Association credits it with reducing tooth decay by more than 25% in children and adults.

However, misinformation about fluoride’s safety has proliferated. Last year, Utah became the first state to ban public water fluoridation. And Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly sown doubt about its safety and restricted the use of fluoride for dental health.

“The levels we use in the United States is perfectly safe,” Tomar said. “Despite a lot of the misinformation, there are no adverse health effects associated with the levels we use in our drinking water.”

___

My response, after the Allegan County News' report. 

Clipped for length.

https://wilcoxnewspapers.com/senior-meal-switch-has-fallout/

Senior meal switch has fallout

Scott Sullivan    |   March 27, 2026

Arms are up in the precincts after the Allegan County Commission dumped 20-year senior meal provider Community Action for Allegan County in favor of Grandville-based Meals on Wheels for $8.50 per meal, compared to CAAC’s $12.27). CAAC’s 3-year contract was set to expire April 1 but came earlier.

The elected county board of commissioners pulled the plug March 9, awarding it MOW effective immediately

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The county board made its choice Feb. 26. Why did members cut CAAC’s contract early?
“It’s a power and control issue,” said Jim Storey, the lone COA member to vote “no.” Before then he was a 2013-2024 county board member who served five terms as the body’s chair..
He and 13-year CAAC executive director Lisa Evans believe early severance came as reprisal — “out of spite,” Storey told this newspaper — for the agency making clear it would take its case to the cities and townships countywide.
So far, Evans said as of March 20, she and/other CAAC representatives have spoken at Saugatuck, Allegan, Otsego, Plainwell and Wayland city council meetings, plus Saugatuck, Laketown, Leighton, Gun Plain, Trowbridge, Watson, Heath, Salem and Dorr township boards. “More are coming,” she said, “including Douglas.”
To date, Gun Plain Township, Otsego city and last Friday, March 20, Saugatuck Township officials have passed similarly-worded resolutions asking the county to reinstate daily hot meals and wellness check services for eligible county seniors.
Saugatuck Township first heard from Evans March 11, but had no action item on its agenda for the late-breaking county item. That had to wait nine days till the county could call a special meeting with senior meals as the single agenda item.

Saugatuck City

March 9 council meeting minutes show current District 3 county commissioner Brad Lubbers, backed by county administrator Rob Sarro, got out in front of matters by laying out some details.
They also note Storey and U.S. Congress candidate Diop Harris (D-Battle Creek) were on hand. Since 2020 the former has independently written and circulated an “Allegan Storey” blog.
Also CAAC board member Lubbers told council the county had “followed its standard process by issuing an RFP (request for proposals), evaluating bid options and voting.”
Why the sudden severance was not addressed
“Under the new model,” Lubbers conceded, “instead of five days a week of hot meals, seniors would receive one to three days a week of frozen meals based on factors including cost and logistics.”
He acknowledged mixed reactions among seniors — some preferring hot meals and frequent visits, others preferring frozen meals and fewer visits — and that MOW drivers will be new people to most clients.
But he stood firm that “the county’s goals include fiscal responsibility with millage funds and ensuring that anyone needing more frequent wellness checks can be connected to other Senior Millage.”
Some in council felt less assured. Mayor pro-tem Joe Clark that night voiced ,concern about changes being made with scant regard to those most affected and the abruptness of the decision.
Councilman Scott Dean echoed Clark’s concerns, adding he would like to look into the matter further to ensure the community is raising, not lowering, the bar on services for vulnerable seniors.
Peer Gregory Muncey concurred, saying he found it “odd that council has just been informed of a significant shift that will take effect very soon.”

Saugatuck Township

At the township’s March 11 board meeting, Storey called his ex-county board peers’ action “mean-spirited.”
“The county pulled a fast one on us,” said CAAC driver Elizabeth Engels. “My heart goes out to our seniors.”
Daily checkups matter too.
“We are the eyes and ears of our clients,” said Evans. “We have found and helped seniors we’ve found fallen. It’s important we check on them every day.”
Township trustee Stacey Aldrich called these stories “heartbreaking” and helped set up last Friday’s special meeting.

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“CAAC,” Storey’s March 18 account went on, “was mocked for its 20-year-record of superior senior service. It was accused of not fixing some poorly-maintained homes discovered by MOW following its sudden take-over of the meals program.
“The comment was in apparent ignorance of a proposal CAAC recently presented to the COA for a home repair program funded by the senior millage. That proposal was rejected by the county and COA.
“The meals program does not fund home repairs. CAAC has funded some repairs for seniors using federal and state grants, but not all senior meal recipients qualify for the income-restricted fed and state programs.
“Allegan taxpayers,” Storey wrote, “fund the meals program through a special millage, funds that will now go to the Kent County outfit.”

Wait, there was more: three anecdotes culled from CAAC records by Storey, without giving last names for confidentiality reasons, included:

Anita from Pullman wrote “… daily meals from (CAAC) is my only real source of having one balanced meal daily. I am bedridden and can no longer shop or cook for myself.
Nell (no home city pr township given) wrote, “I enjoy the hot meals. Without them every day sometimes I’m not sure what I would do.” Nell’s son added, “When I’m at work, it (hot meals 5x a week), helps her a lot because she has dementia and forgets how to use the oven and even sometimes the microwave.”
Linda wrote, “I have multiple sclerosis diagnosed 56 years ago. My life is very difficult. I would like to have meals fresh and not frozen.”
Fred and Candice wrote, “My husband has dementia. We are homebound. We had an emergency where I needed an ambulance. Meal delivery came and Faith (meal driver) made sure my husband was cared for.”

County Response

Sarro, addressing the Dorr Township board Thursday, March 19, appeared to have moved the goalposts, telling trustees MOW would now offer 5-day-a-week meal delivery options.
He clarified that in a letter to all municipalities Friday:

“Dear Local Unit Leader,
“I am following up on the communication I sent to you March 5, attached for your reference. The county’s focus remains on serving our seniors throughout the transition to a new service provider for home-delivered mail, and there are no plans to deviate from the service change.
“The needs of clients continue to be monitored through direct client assessments. Flexibility and varying needs are a common theme. As such, I am pleased to announce this Breaking News:
“The County and Meals on Wheels (MOW) have amended their agreement to allow delivery to occur as little as one day a week if the client requests such and their assessment supports it, up to five days a week (every weekday, excluding holidays) with the option of a hot meal (heated in-home by the driver with the client’s permission).
“If your local unit has questions about Home Delivered Meals or any County-supplied senior service, please contact me (Sarro’s phone is (269) 998-3386) and I will be happy to meet with you.

“Sadly,” Sarro went on, “the county is observing significant misinformation being released by other parties. While we have taken the position not to debate or defend against such information, the county understands local units may need factual information …

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I'm grateful to The Allegan News for publishing my response today.

"Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are the “unhealthiest” Medical Technician profession.  They have the highest turnover rate among Technician occupations at 42 percent and the lowest Wage rank with only 19.5 percent growth from 2013 to 2023. EMTs are the only type of Medical Technician that makes less than Michigan’s median hourly wage ($17.34 vs. $22.57), and Paramedics, despite having the highest Wage rank of the Medical Technician occupations, barely earn more than Michigan’s median hourly wage ($22.98 vs. $22.57)."

The resultant Emergency Medical Services (EMS) shortages are most acute in rural areas of Michigan:

https://bridgemi.com/michigan-health-watch/providers-face-extreme-shortage-of-paramedics-emts-in-rural-michigan/

https://www.mhc.org/_files/ugd/24abcc_06a02541eebb4735b526ea5d9af2e294.pdf

Providers face ‘extreme shortage’ of paramedics, EMTs in rural Michigan
By Eli Newman - March 27, 2026

• Michigan’s EMS agencies face a staffing crisis driven by low wages, high burnout and a training pipeline that can’t keep pace with vacancies
• Industry experts estimate more than 500 vacancies in the state
• Investment in training programs varies with economic conditions, an expert says

Paramedics and emergency medical technicians, or EMTs, face a harsh reality in Michigan — shrinking revenue has left emergency medical service agencies grappling with multiple financial issues at once, with staffing being their top expense.

Despite the state investing millions of dollars in grants to train workers, staff shortages that began at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to strain EMS agencies, especially in rural communities.

“The fact that they exist is only due to the need and the willingness of people to get involved in this line of work,” said state Rep. Dave Prestin, R-Cedar River, who volunteers as a paramedic on a rescue squad that covers 1,000 square miles of the Upper Peninsula.

EMS is not considered an “essential” service in Michigan, just like most of the country, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Without the designation, funding becomes discretionary — local governments have the option whether or not they want to fund their ambulances.

The state has more than 29,000 EMS providers working across nearly 800 life support agencies statewide, according to the Michigan Association of Ambulance Services. Industry experts say there are more than 500 vacancies for paramedics and EMTs.

Low wages, high turnover

The field is notorious for burnout. Paramedics and EMTs regularly handle the state’s worst medical traumas and receive wages similar to fast-food workers.

EMTs are considered to be in the “unhealthiest” medical technician profession in the state, by the Michigan Health Council, a health care research nonprofit — below dental hygienists, surgical technologists and occupational therapy assistants. The ranking reflects the profession’s low wages and high turnover rate.

The health council said paramedics, who receive more advanced training than EMTs and are ranked as the most paid medical technician, “barely” earn more than Michigan’s median hourly wage.

Stress is cited as a primary reason for leaving the profession for both EMTs and paramedics. First responders are at higher risk than the general population for suicide.

Time and energy

The training of EMTs and paramedics is tied to the boom and bust cycle of the economy, according to Angela Madden, executive director of the Michigan Association of Ambulance Services.

Investment in education goes up when the “economy tumbles,” she said, but in a boon, people are more likely to take an hourly job with decent pay that forgoes the extra effort — factory and restaurant workers can begin working immediately without spending “money and time and energy” training to be a first responder.

EMS agency leaders describe a steady attrition rate of paramedics and EMTs quitting for better pay, pursuing careers in nursing or as other health care professionals, if not leaving the field altogether.

The state had roughly 4,700 employed EMTs and 3,250 employed paramedics in 2024, according to a Michigan Health Council workforce index.

Going to work

Tri-Hospital EMS in St. Clair County has worked to address a lack of first responders in its communities by integrating its own in-house training through the support of state grants and local millages. The scholarship program covers tuition and provides a wage for enrollees to come to class.

Without outside support, those seeking careers in EMS are on their own to fund their education and find jobs.

EMTs require several weeks of training. Paramedics can take anywhere from 10 to 14 months to get licensed and state lawmakers have recently worked to lower the cost for accreditation exams. Courses can cost thousands of dollars.

Cummings said he learned that people are not willing to go through that first responder training “just for the sake of going to school” — they want clear outcomes.

“If you take one of our programs, you’re pretty much in line to be hired by us and work in the field and actually earn an income,” he said.

While Tri-Hospital EMS has developed a sustainable model of recruitment and retention in St. Clair County, Cummings said other agencies elsewhere in the state are still reeling from the ongoing staff vacancies that began in the years after the pandemic.

“There’s still a pretty extreme shortage of paramedics across the state of Michigan, in particular in the rural areas,” he said. “Those areas lack sufficient training programs in which to produce those paramedics. That’s one of the reasons why there’s such a shortage in the rural market.”

https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2026/03/mother-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-murder-in-sons-2019-cancer-death.html

Mother sentenced to life in prison for murder in son’s 2019 cancer death
By Dylan Goetz | March 24, 2026

LAPEER, MI – Elizabeth DuBois, a 43-year-old convicted in the 2019 death of her son Austin Raymond, is to spend the rest of her life in prison.

She was found guilty of murder and first-degree child abuse after a seven-day trial before Judge Michael J. Nolan on Jan. 23.

Nolan on Monday, March 23, sentenced DuBois to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to court documents.

DuBois was accused of neglecting to seek medical treatment for her son despite his pleas. Raymond originally testified against his mother at a preliminary examination in the case.

When he was 15 years old, Raymond said he noticed something was wrong with his throat in July 2016. The symptoms continued to get worse, and eventually he had trouble eating and speaking, according to his testimony.

By November, Raymond couldn’t eat solid foods. He continued to ask for medical attention, but he testified that DuBois said he “was fine,” according to his testimony.

Raymond weighed just 86 pounds near the end of 2016. Child Protective Services began investigating around that time.

A CPS investigator told DuBois to take her son to get medical treatment. Instead, Raymond’s stepfather did. A physician told them to follow up with a specialist about possible polyps.

Family members later took Raymond to a local hospital, and he was referred to the University of Michigan Hospital, where he was diagnosed with chordoma, a form of cancer, according to his testimony.

Raymond eventually died from complications from his cancer just after the child abuse case was bound over to circuit court for trial. He was 19.

After an appeal with the Michigan Supreme Court, Lapeer County prosecutors had a felony murder charge added to DuBois’ case.

Raymond enjoyed fishing, hunting, and watching baseball, according to his obituary.

Typical sewage sludge contaminants:

• Inorganic and organic heavy metals & compounds such as cadmium, copper, nickel, lead, zinc, mercury, and chromium
• Organic pollutants such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products, including PFAS/PFOS compounds and recreational drugs
• Harmful bacteria and viruses.

Is this adversely affecting the health of rural Michigan residents?

https://brownstone.org/articles/the-sludging-of-rural-america/

The Sludging of Rural America
By Paula YockelPaula Yockel  - March 13, 2026

• Yes, sludge contains the nine regulated metals, plus 21 others. Many metals are individually classified as carcinogenic or neurotoxic, while inhalation exposure to multiple metals simultaneously has compounding health effects.
• Statistical analyses show that metals’ presence and concentrations in animal lung and liver tissues within our studied community closely correlate with metals in locally land-applied sludge, with associations exceeding what could be considered chance.
• Viable, culturable, bacterial pathogens were found in our federally compliant sludge with gram-positive cocci—staph and strep—being the most prevalent.
• Soon after sludge was applied, four of the six antibiotic-resistant pathogens—that are most prevalent among deaths from drug-resistant infection—were viable in the sludged soil; and 30 days after land application, three were still viable in the soil.
• Metagenomic sequencing conducted on our samples showed significant presence of antibiotic-resistant genes signaling resistance to critical drugs of last resort.
• RNA and DNA evidence indicate that human viruses and zoonotic parasites (which infect both humans and animals) can become airborne from sludge and infect neighboring families. (This medical episode could’ve taken my life.)
• In a 44-minute headspace study, sludge released 100 organic compounds into the air. Inhalation of SVOCs and VOCs is associated with leukemia, bone and other cancers, liver and kidney disease, immune and reproductive disorders, gender dysphoria, central nervous system damage, and other illnesses.
• PFAS (“forever chemicals”) in the sludged topsoil we tested were in excess of 75,000 ppt. Topsoil becomes dust in homes. For comparison, the maximum contaminant level for PFOA in drinking water is 4 ppt.
• Dioxin is among the most toxic substances known to mankind. More than 140 dioxins, furans, and dioxin-like PCBs were detected. Dioxin was also detected in animal lung tissue in our studied community, indicating plausible inhalation exposure for nearby families.
• DNA shows sludge becomes airborne and travels into the homes of neighbors.
• The relative risk of disease in our studied community—where my family lived for many years, and where sludge has been land-applied for decades—shows more than 125 diagnoses with statistically significant greater risk compared to our State of Oklahoma, including myeloid leukemia, bone cancer, infection, mental health and cognitive disorders, birth defects of the limbs, heart and lung disease, reproductive disorders and many other life-altering conditions.
• And remember, for land application, the federal rule ignores all pollutants except nine metals and a fecal indicator.

• Referring to sewage sludge as “organic” is deceptive. In the context of sludge, organic simply means carbon-containing. Our samples were approximately 65 percent organic carbons. PFAS are organic. Benzene is organic. Both are in sludge.
• Yes, there are plant nutrients commingled in toxic sludge, such as nitrogen—and very high levels of phosphorus, which the rule doesn’t disclose. Excess nutrient is also pollution.
• If Truth in Advertising and fertilizer disclosure laws applied to the marketing of “biosolids,” toxic sewage sludge wouldn’t be used as fertilizer.