Health

Diversity in health care coming too slowly for some

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By AMELIA HAVANEC
Capital News Service
LANSING – Health experts urging more diversity in Michigan’s health care workforce may see graduation statistics from local universities as good news. In the 2013-2014 academic year, more than a quarter of medical school graduates from Wayne State University and the University of Michigan – 27 percent and 36 percent respectively – were minorities, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Set. In that same year, according to the data, minority students constituted 37 percent of the graduating class at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, up 68 percent from its preceding graduating class. “Our goal is to increase the students that come from these areas around our city to be able to train and then serve in the communities in which they come from,” said De’Andrea Matthews, the director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Wayne State University School of Medicine. “And that’s necessary to reduce health disparities that impact our overall health.”
Matthews stresses the importance of outreach and recruitment activities with not just students at the K-12 level, but also for undergraduate students across the country.

Education

Phys ed cuts hit schools

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By AMELIA HAVANEC
Capital News Service
LANSING – When it comes to K-12 education, the subjects that get measured by the government are the ones that get priority during the school day – leaving physical education classes in the dust, according to Steven Cook, president of the Michigan Education Association (MEA). “It’s just reality.” Cook said. “Positions get cut. You lose your art, music and physical education because those are not on the statewide tests. How do you test for physical education, for crying out loud?

Education

Many schools find substitute teachers in short supply

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By AMELIA HAVANEC
Capital News Service
LANSING – Many school administrators across the state and the private companies that provide substitute teachers are concerned that they can’t find enough of the right people for the job. However, it’s unknown whether the shortage is due to a lack of quantity of substitutes, or the quality of them. “We occasionally hear anecdotal evidence from districts about their inability to find substitute teachers,” said Bill DiSessa, a communications specialist for the Department of Education. “On the other hand, we also hear, anecdotally, from other districts or from the substitutes themselves that they can’t find substitute jobs.”
But there’s no direct evidence of a statewide shortage, DiSessa added. On the issue of quality, according to Joseph Lubig, the associate dean for teacher education and director of education at Northern Michigan University, a candidate needs only 90 college credit hours to be eligible for a position.

Parks & Recreation

Branding Manistee to lure tourists, businesses

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By AMELIA HAVANEC
Capital News Service
LANSING – Creating a community’s brand is more than a logo and a few billboards along the highway. An effective branding strategy promotes recognition and can also unite community residents. “Some people have an impression in their minds of what a city sort of is, and by branding you develop this image and have some control over what that image is going to be,” said Suzeanne Benet, Seidman Marketing Department chair at Grand Valley State University. In the case of Manistee, the area is picturesque, according to Kathryn Kenny, executive director of the Manistee County Visitors Bureau. “Our tagline is ‘naturally more,’” Kenny said.

Parks & Recreation

Branding Traverse City to lure tourists, businesses

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By AMELIA HAVANEC
Capital News Service
LANSING – Creating a community’s brand is more than a logo and a few billboards along the highway. An effective branding strategy promotes recognition and can also unite community residents. “Some people have an impression in their minds of what a city sort of is, and by branding you develop this image and have some control over what that image is going to be,” said Suzeanne Benet, Seidman Marketing Department chair at Grand Valley State University. In the case of Traverse City, the area is designated as one of the “most beautiful places in America” by Good Morning America. But there’s more beyond the dunes.

Parks & Recreation

Branding Grand Rapids to lure tourists, businesses

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By AMELIA HAVANEC
Capital News Service
LANSING – Creating a community’s brand is more than a logo and a few billboards along the highway. An effective branding strategy promotes recognition and can also unite community residents. “Some people have an impression in their minds of what a city sort of is, and by branding you develop this image and have some control over what that image is going to be,” said Suzeanne Benet, Seidman Marketing Department chair at Grand Valley State University. The online BeerCity USA annual poll declared Grand Rapids as its two-time consecutive winner as a top “beer city.”

And there’s more beyond the foam. Attractions such as ArtPrize, Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park and museums enhance the city’s profile as a desirable place for tourists and companies to set up base, according to PureMichigan, the state’s tourism promotion agency.

Parks & Recreation

Branding St. Ignace to lure tourists, businesses

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By AMELIA HAVANEC
Capital News Service
LANSING – Creating a community’s brand is more than a logo and a few billboards along the highway. An effective branding strategy promotes recognition and can also unite community residents. “Some people have an impression in their minds of what a city sort of is, and by branding you develop this image and have some control over what that image is going to be,” said Suzeanne Benet, Seidman Marketing Department chair at Grand Valley State University. In the case of St. Ignace, the area is picturesque and historically preserved, according to Pure Michigan, the state’s tourism promotion agency.

Health

New federal map pinpoints major Michigan health risk

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ARTERIES
By AMELIA HAVANEC
Capital News Service
LANSING – Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, killing more than 610,000 people every year – one in every four deaths – according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cardiovascular disease is a common term. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACD) is not, however, and Michigan residents are dying of this malady at a significantly higher rate than the national average. Earlier this year, the CDC issued a map reporting the cause of death most distinct to each state. Michigan residents are more at risk for ACD than Floridians, but Floridians are more at risk for HIV.

Public Safety

State eyes more drones in the skies

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By AMELIA HAVANEC
Capital News Service
LANSING – Drones on retail shelves for the upcoming holiday season or bomb unsuspecting civilians in war zones get lots of media attention, but Michigan’s Aeryon SkyRanger flies below the public attention radar. It’s a remotely operated aircraft system, belonging to the State Police, that the Federal Aviation Administration approved for use anywhere in Michigan. But does Michigan need it? Would a future sky full of drones help Michigan residents feel safe? Deploying the Aeryon SkyRanger comes with many advantages, according to the State Police.

Transportation & Roads

Arrival of Uber means fewer cabs, cab drivers

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By AMELIA HAVANEC
Capital News Service
LANSING – Uber may be a household name, but the entrepreneurial ridesharing company reached Michigan only two years ago, tacking Detroit and Ann Arbor onto its momentum for global popularity. Since then, the service has expanded to Grand Rapids, Lansing, Flint and Kalamazoo. Meanwhile, many taxi companies, including ones in Michigan, have struggled to keep up with the technology and new business model Uber offers. And they face setbacks. In Grand Rapids, for example, the number of taxi drivers with active licenses is down 22 percent since last year, according to the city clerk’s office.