Environment

If Flint water is unsafe, what about yours?

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By JASMINE WATTS
Capital News Service
LANSING – While Flint struggles with lead in its water, other aging Michigan communities also have water lines made of the health-threatening metal. The National Drinking Water Advisory Council said in 2014 that there is no safe level of lead. It’s a costly problem to address. An American Water Works Association report, “Buried No Longer,” said the nation needs to replace aging pipelines that may contain lead or may leak. Over a 25-year span, “Buried No Longer” estimates that the country’s new drinking infrastructure will cost $1 trillion.

Health

HIV rates remain high, report finds

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By BECKY McKENDRY
Capital News Service
LANSING – The HIV crisis is far from over in Michigan. Thirteen of Michigan’s 83 counties have high HIV rates as of 2012, according to the most recent Department of Community Health report. They include Ingham, Macomb, Allegan and Oakland. But higher than any county is the city of Detroit, with 778 cases per 100,000 people. Wayne County outside of Detroit ranks as the sixth-highest county.

Health

Push to integrate physical, mental health services

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By CELESTE BOTT
Capital News Service
LANSING – The look of health care in the future will combine behavioral health and physical care for more uniform treatment, according to James Haveman, director of the Department of Community Health. “There’s a great deal of effort being made to integrate mental health, substance abuse and physical health care,” Haveman said. “If we build connections between these different forms of care, we can make sure people have cost-effective access to the treatment they need.”
According to Haveman, those connections range from changes in health policy to bringing rehabilitation centers into hospitals, rather than expecting patients to seek a separate facility. For example, Michigan Health Information Network, a state entity, promotes health care through electronic exchange of information. The network now uses the PatientSecure system, an electronic directory, for health care providers across the state.

Business & Economy

Michigan smoking ban cuts indoor air pollution 93 percent; state officials launch health, economic study of the impact

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By COURTNEY CULEY
Capital News Service
LANSING — Michigan’s 18-month-old ban on smoking in restaurants is allowing Michigan patrons to breathe cleaner air. A recent study found a 93 percent reduction in air pollutants given off by second hand smoke in restaurants across the state, said Teri Wilson, public health research and evaluation consultant with the tobacco section at the Michigan Department of Community Health. Officials anticipated the Smoke Free Air Law would be passed and tested restaurant air to gauge its effectiveness, Wilson said. Seventy-seven restaurants from 13 cities were tested for air quality between 2005 and 2008. Those cities include: Ann Arbor, Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Marquette, Midland, Novi, Saginaw, Sault Ste.

Health

State efforts seeks to improve women’s health in rural communities

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By COURTNEY CULEY
Capital News Service
LANSING – New goals set by the Michigan Department of Community Health could improve women’s health in the rural areas of Michigan. In the Mid-Michigan region, obstetric services are widely available, said John Shaski, government relations officer for Sparrow Health System. But outside of urban areas, obstetric services may be getting harder to find. “If you’re in one of those underserved areas and you’re going to have a baby, you’re likely going to have to travel to seek obstetric services that are non-emergent,” Shaski said. Michigan’s North Central region contains 21 counties, said Kathy Garthe, vice president for regional system development for Munson Health Care.

Health

Dementia upswing linked to obesity rate, side effects

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By COURTNEY CULEY
Capital News Service
LANSING – The number of Michigan residents with dementia is on the rise and the state’s increasing obesity rate could be linked. Studies show that obesity in mid-life is among many risk factors for developing dementia later in life, according to the Michigan Department of Community Health. Between 2000 and 2010, the number of Michigan residents with dementia increased 6 percent, according to the department. The numbers are expected to increase. In 2000, the Michigan obesity rate was 20 to 24 percent of adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.