Michigan residents are aware of Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) through COVID-19 closures, mandates, and vaccination. However, the department runs many additional programs as well.
MDHHS denied Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services’ application to build a new psychiatric hospital.in 2021. Previously, I described the apparent confict of interest when the department running state mental health programs also decides which private mental health organizations may expand services.
Just how much does MDHHS control?
Definitive limits on MDHHS are hard to pin down. New tasks, powers, and funds just keep evolving. It’s so big, it takes more than one view to get the whole thing, sort of like Google Earth or the Rose Bowl Parade.
- MDHHS is by far the largest department of the Michigan government, with a 2020-2021 budget of $28.5 Billion and 16,000+ Full-Time-Equivalent Employees.
- As part of the executive branch, it takes marching orders from Michigan’s governor.
- Its most recent extensive reorganization was Gov. Snyder’s 2015 Executive Order to merge with Community Mental Health.
- In a 2017 merger report, MDHHS described state control of adult and child mental health in glowing terms, saying “state-level expertise is readily available to troubleshoot and coordinate local community mental health involvement…”
Yet significant mental health shortages in Michigan today should cause us to question state control and spending priorities.
Does MDHHS suffer from Mission Creep?
“Mission creep” expands programs into related areas, even wandering far off mission. Massively funded by taxpayers rather than direct customer sales, the department has a strong bias towards bureaucratic interests and away from local patients. Any semblance of legislative oversight has devolved into a weak posture of “working with” MDHHS.
Three weeks of 2021 department press releases reveals a few MDHHS programs:
- MDHHS Bureau of Laboratories a national leader in sequencing and identifying COVID-19 variants
- Vaccines Allocated for Enrolled Providers through Local Health Department
- MDHHS and MDARD remind parents spring chicks may carry Salmonella
- MDHHS continues Flint mobile food pantries during April
- Gov. Whitmer announces expansion of food assistance to many low-income students who are attending college
- MI Symptoms COVID-19 symptom tracker surpasses 3 million entries
- MDHHS issues precautionary consumption guideline for Lake Superior smelt
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services launches We Treat Hep C Campaign aimed at providing timely screening and treatment of Hepatitis C
- Michigan leads in adoption of federal Family First Act standards to strengthen commitment to serve foster youth in family settings with trauma-informed treatment
- Focus on improving safety of youth in Michigan’s child-caring institutions and juvenile justice facilities will continue; Committee wraps up work after setting stage for improvements
- Benefits of having a family physician recognized during Family Medicine Week
- Assess Immunization Status of All Patients at Every Visit
- CDC Tips From Former Smokers® campaign returns for 10th year with new ads to help Michigan residents quit smoking
- Michigan residents encouraged to take steps to prevent poisonings in their homes during National Poison Prevention Week
More programs are listed on the MDHHS website and the 172-page organizational chart.
Follow the Yellow Pages Rule
“If you can find it in the Yellow Pages, government shouldn’t be doing it.”
MDHHS is so far from abiding by this rule, it’s as though no one in Lansing ever heard of it. But they should – and you can help!
Grow the Michigan health policy conversation with your family, friends, and neighbors.
1. Share the Yellow Pages Rule – it’s a great introduction to limiting government.
2. If you are interested in researching MDHHS programs with our team, send your resume and contact information to PolicyRNAbby@gmail.com.
3. Follow MHF for more about how to trim back MDHHS. Thanks for sharing!
*Subscribe and support MHF health policy education.
Originally published on April 8, 2021. Updated January 15, 2022.
To put it simply, if it can be controlled individually as a responsible adult, so should it be. If it can be controlled via local governance, so it be it. Any taking of power from the individual or local means is very much the opposite of what is on the top of the Michigan Flag, E Pluribus Unum, the many for the one individual.
The health department also has Voter Registration blank forms to give to patients who are not registered yet to vote. I worked for them as contract worker, 1/21.