Michigan is surrounded by four of the Great Lakes and has the longest shoreline in the continental United States. The state's name is taken from the Indian word Michigama, meaning great or large lake. It is the only state made up of two peninsulas, the lower "Mitten" and the Upper Peninsula, or U.P. Michigan covers 56,804 square miles, with a 2008 estimated population of 10,003,422 people – 1,845,961 living in rural Michigan (USDA-ERS). Lansing, the capital, is located in the middle of Michigan's lower peninsula. The state’s largest cities are Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Warren. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 81.2% of the state’s population is white, 14.3% is African-American/Black, 2.4% is Asian, and 4.0% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2007).
There are 140 hospitals in Michigan, 59 of which are located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, Dec. 2008). The state has 34 hospitals currently identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals (April, 2009). There are 152 Rural Health Clinics in Michigan (CMS, 2009), and 29 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 184 sites in the state (Kaiser, 2008). Most Michiganians have some form of health insurance coverage, although 11% of the state's residents lack any health insurance (Kaiser, 2006-2007).
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for all Michiganians in 2007 was $34,423, although rural per-capita income lagged at $27,709. 2008 estimates indicate a poverty rate of 14.9% exists in rural Michigan, compared to an 14.3% level in urban areas of the state. Data from 2000 finds that 17.1% of the rural population has not completed high school, while only 16.5% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma. The unemployment rate in rural Michigan is at 9.3% while in urban Michigan it is at 8.2% (USDA-ERS, 2008).
For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Data Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau: State & County QuickFacts
USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts
Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
HUD Community Development Block Grants: Michigan (CDBG)
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
Michigan Center for Rural Health (MCRH)
State/regional organization
Coordinates resources and activities statewide, collects and disseminates information concerning rural health issues, promotes recruitment and retention of health professionals, and strengthens state/local/federal partnerships.
Michigan Commission for the Blind (MCB)
State government
Provides opportunities to blind individuals to achieve employability and/or function independently in society.
Michigan Community Action Agency Association (MCAAA)
State/regional organization
Dedicated to helping low-income people in Michigan. Includes the Michigan Rural Community Assistance Program (RCAP), which helps support rural community infrastructure.
Michigan Department of Career Development (MDCD)
State government
Workforce and job services for Michigan.
Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH)
State government
Responsible for health policy and management of the Michigan's publicly-funded health service systems.
Michigan Department of Community Health: Developmental Disability Services
State government
Michigan state services for people with developmental disabilities.
Michigan Department of Community Health: Drug Control and Substance Abuse
State government
Provides education, prevention, and treatment services related to drug and alcohol abuse.
Michigan Department of Community Health: Health Disparity Reduction and Minority Health
State government
Provides a variety of information and resources to reduce health disparities and improve minority health.
Michigan Department of Community Health: Mental Health Services
State government
Provides mental health services for adults who have a mental illness, children and youth who have an emotional disturbance, and persons who have a developmental disability.
Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS)
State government
Michigan's public assistance, child and family welfare agency.
Michigan Department of Human Services: Office of Child Support
State government
Provides child support services and enforcement for the state of Michigan.
Michigan Health and Hospital Association (MHA)
State/regional organization
Works to link patients, communities, and providers together for better health. Acts as the principal advocate on behalf of hospitals, health systems, and other providers committed to improving the community heath status in Michigan.
Michigan Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services
State government
Oversees the administrative funding of education and early intervention programs and services for young children and students with disabilities.
Michigan Primary Care Association (MPCA)
State/regional organization
The Michigan Primary Care Association's mission is to promote, support and develop quality primary health care services to everyone in Michigan.
Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS)
State government
Assists individuals with disabilities into employment and self-sufficiency.
Michigan Rural Health Association (MRHA)
State/regional organization
Works to create a stronger voice and to advocate for policies and funding that will result in improved quality of life and health for Michigan's rural citizens. Website currently unavailable.
Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA)
State government
Provides financial and technical assistance to help create and preserve decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income Michigan residents.
Michigan Women's Foundation (MWF)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Promotes economic self-sufficiency and personal well-being for women and girls.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Greater Midwest Region (NN/LM-GMR)
State/regional organization
Works to improve access to health information for health professionals, librarians and members of the public in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Rural Partners of Michigan (RPM)
State/regional organization
A public/private partnership whose focus is to find new, innovative, non-traditional ways to address issues, problems, and needs of rural Michigan.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Michigan (HUD)
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.
USDA Rural Development Michigan State Office
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The Rural Development State Office provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
Tools
Buddy-to-Buddy: Peer Support for Michigan OEF/OIF Veterans
Web site
Veteran volunteers are trained to help fellow veterans find resources for readjustment issues, including financial and educational issues, emotional challenges, substance problems, legal or job issues. Free and confidential, call 1-888-82-BUDDY. Website includes a directory of resources for the general public and for health care providers.
ERS State Fact Sheet: Michigan
Web site
Lists statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
MedlinePlus Go Local
Web site
Offers information about health services in local geographic areas, including hospitals, physicians, nursing homes, support groups, health screening providers and many others.
Michigan AgrAbility Project
Web site
Helps people with disabilities employed in agriculture continue to farm and live independently. Project partners include Michigan State University Extension, Easter Seals-Michigan, Michigan Farm Bureau, and Michigan Rehab Services.
Michigan Health Centers Data
Web site
Provides access to information on Federally Qualified Health Centers for the state. Includes a map of FQHC locations, as well as information on the populations served by health centers, services provided, staff, patient visits, costs of care, and use of electronic health information.
Michigan Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile
Web site
Highlights compiled 2000 data on levels of employment, projected growth and key environmental factors that affect demand for health care. Details for medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, mental health and aides.
Michigan KIDS COUNT Data Center (KCDC)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
Michigan QuickFacts
Web site
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
Michigan State Health Facts
Database
The latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Michigan
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
NN/LM Greater Midwest Region: Michigan Resources
Web site
Overview of the state, with links to state agencies, health associations, and other resources for Michigan.
State Profiles- Michigan: Health Information Technology (HIT)
Web site
Profiles the state’s health information technology (HIT) issues. Contains sections on demographics, HIT legislation, telemedicine, Health Information Exchanges (HIE) & Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO), grant funded HIT projects, and HIT survey information.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools
Documents, Reports and Other Publications
2008 Economic Impact of Health Care in Michigan
Sponsoring organization: Michigan Health and Hospital Association Quantifies and explains the economic impact of health care in Michigan; presents economic impact data; Provides information to help residents pursue training, education and careers in health care; and explores the Medicaid program. Date: 06 / 2008
Demographic and Economic Profile: Michigan
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Discusses demographic and economic data including population, race, education, age, poverty, health care services, and employment. Includes maps and graphics. Date: 01 / 2009
Harvest Time: Using HMIS to End Homelessness in Rural Michigan
Author(s): Herman DeGroot Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council Michigan’s HMIS system has taken considerable time and work to create, but these efforts have paid off as organizations are now able to obtain valuable data about their programs and clients. Date: 2007
Michigan Rural Health Clinic Survey 2008
Briefly defines and describes the background of Rural Health Clinics and Medically Underserved Areas in Michigan. Presents results from a survey covering the areas of administrative/physical plant; billing, fee and
provider; technology; services offered; and workforce. Date: 2008
Michigan Strategic Opportunities for Rural Health Improvement: A State Rural Health Plan 2008-2012
Author(s): John Barnas, Lonnie Barnett, Traci Wightman, Angela Emge, Sydni Johnson Sponsoring organization: Michigan Center for Rural Health Details a five-year strategic plan which outlines objectives for improving the health of rural Michigan. Includes maps of various health care centers, counties designated as rural, and county and tribal HPSAs; data on obesity instances; numbers of health care providers, ambulance service providers, and ER visits, and data on student loan repayment programs Date: 04 / 2008
Physician Retention Study Report: Guide to Successful Rural Physician Retention
Author(s): Steve Shotwell, Travis L. Fojtasek, Marian Weber, Crystal Barth Sponsoring organization: Michigan Center for Rural Health Describes a study that aimed to examine current retention activities in rural Michigan, identify successful physician retention strategies and to develop a tool or resource that would assist physician retention activities in rural Michigan facilities. This document is aimed at helping rural health clinics and rural federally qualified health centers in their effort to support and retain the physicians they recruit to their communities. Date: 10 / 2009
Promoting Rural Health Care Quality Through Health Disparities Collaboratives: Michigan Critical Access Hospital Quality Network (MICAH)
Author(s): Thomas D. Rowley Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association Overview of the Michigan Critical Access Quality Network (MICAH), which helps Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in Michigan measure and improve quality of care. Date: 12 / 2005
Small Business Profile: Michigan
Sponsoring organization: Small Business Administration Profile of the state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment. Date: 2008
State Profiles - Michigan: Reforming the Health Care System
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute Detailed profile of the state's health care system. Covers demographics, expenditures and financing, health status, utilization and quality of services, health care providers, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance coverage, and key trends. Date: 12 / 2005
See also: Resources for All States: Documents
Success Stories
EMS Co-op Helps Rural Providers
Using the power of group purchasing within a cooperative structure, the North Central EMS Cooperative (NCEMSC) is an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) cooperative developed to serve Minnesota and surrounding states.
Thumb Area Nutrition and Physical Activity Campaign
This project aims to reduce obesity and promote healthy lifestyles to adults and children through community outreach and health promotion interventions.
Fighting Obesity in Children and Adolescents
This project aims to reduce the proportion of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in three Michigan counties.
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