Tag: Fox 2 Detroit

Media Recap: MHA Joins Health Officials to Stress Importance of Immunizations

Member News, Issues in Healthcare, MHA In The News

The MHA received media coverage the week of Aug. 14 following a press conference Aug. 17 where Michigan health officials urged families to get kids up-to-date on routine vaccines ahead of the new school year.

Ruthanne Sudderth speaks on vaccination importance during the press conference. 

Ruthanne Sudderth, senior vice president and chief strategy officer at the MHA, joined representatives from the MHA, I Vaccinate, the Franny Strong Foundation, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Ascension Michigan and Pontiac Middle School to encourage families get the safe and effective vaccines that are available to help protect children and the community. Below is a collection of headlines from around the state.

Saturday, Aug. 19

Friday, Aug. 18

Thursday, Aug. 17

Tuesday, Aug. 15

Members with any questions regarding media requests should contact John Karasinski at the MHA.

Appel Discusses Cancer Drug Shortage with Fox 2 Detroit

Member News, MHA In The News

Fox 2 Detroit (WJBK-TV) published a story June 8 on the nationwide shortage of two critical chemotherapy medications. The two drugs, carboplatin and cisplatin, are used to treat several types of cancer, including bladder, lung, ovarian and testicular cancers. The shortage is widespread across the country, impacting hospitals throughout all regions of Michigan.

Laura Appel, executive vice president of government relations and public policy, MHA, spoke with Fox 2 Detroit about initial manufacturing delays, how the shortage is impacting Michigan hospitals and what’s being done in response.

“Our congressional delegation who has reached out to the FDA to ask them to do whatever they can,” said Appel. “The FDA is investigating what they can do to suspend regulations on importation, so that they can bring the drug in from Europe or other places…they [hospitals] are managing on a daily basis how to try to avoid any inappropriate delay in care.”

The shortage of cisplatin was originally reported to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Feb. 10, 2023, while carboplatin was reported April 28, 2023.

Members with any questions regarding media requests should contact John Karasinski at the MHA.

Headline Roundup: Price Transparency, Workforce Challenges and Contrast Media Shortages

Member News, Issues in Healthcare, MHA In The News, Top Issues - Healthcare
Brian Peters

Brian PetersThe MHA responded to several media requests the week of May 16 on topics including the RAND 4.0 Hospital Price Transparency Study, hospital workforce challenges and the shortage of contrast media from GE Healthcare.

MiBiz and Crain’s Detroit Business published stories on the latest RAND report that includes multiple quotes from MHA CEO Brian Peters discussing the flaws associated with the study, including the use of Medicare as a reimbursement benchmark and the limited data set. The MiBiz story also cites recent findings from the American Hospital Association and Kaufman Hall on significantly increasing hospital expenses.

“So it’s not a comprehensive set. It’s looking very specifically at Medicare reimbursement rates, which we know in Michigan and other states as well does not cover the true cost of care,” said Peters to MiBiz. “Hospitals do everything they possibly can just to break even, at best, and still lose money on Medicare.”

Michigan Radio aired a feature on May 16 following an interview with Peters on workforce challenges impacting hospitals.

“We are losing employees to McDonald’s for a job that pays better and is less stressful,” said Peters. “And we are incredibly limited in our ability to compete with rising wages in other industries.”

Crain’s Detroit Business published an additional article May 18 on the topic that cited the Michigan Radio story and quotes Peters. Laura Appel, executive vice president of government relations and public policy, MHA, also spoke with WZZM-TV Channel 13 for a story on workforce challenges that aired May 19.

The Detroit Free Press and Fox 2 Detroit also reached out earlier in the week on the reported shortage of contrast media from GE Healthcare. A general statement was provided to reflect the varying impacts from the shortage on hospitals throughout the state.