Telehealth services have expanded exponentially to address COVID-19 emergency. Let’s preserve the most effective innovations.

Over the past decade, telehealth services have been on the rise, in part due to the fact that more and more states are adopting telehealth-friendly policies. But by 2019, the proportion of U.S. consumers using telehealth services was still only about 10 percent. During the COVID-19 pandemic, national Medicare and Michigan Medicaid and commercial plans have opened up telehealth to more consumers than ever before. Read about the expansion, who benefits, who doesn't, and which policies are worth preserving. Read more. 
CHRT joins the Michigan Health Endowment Fund’s Equitable Evaluation Initiative Collaboratory

In partnership with the  Equitable Evaluation Initiative , the  Michigan Health Endowment Fund  is working to build our state’s evaluation ecosystem. Over the next several months, CHRT and selected Health Fund grantees will explore Michigan health equity evaluation as part of a collaboratory that brings philanthropy, nonprofit, and consultant partners together, bridging the unique perspectives of each area. Read more.
New Webinars: On telehealth and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on low-income communities

In this 10-minute webinar by  Samantha Iovan , a senior analyst for health and human services at the Center for Health and Research Transformation (CHRT), we describe the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on low-income communities and innovative ways to protect these communities . In this 25-minute webinar by Karin Teske, a senior analyst on CHRT's research and evaluation team, we discuss the rapid advance of telehealth in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic .
What we're reading

States are reopening: See how coronavirus cases rise or fall by Lena Groeger and Ash Ngu, ProPublica, May 20, 2020

Infection control deficiencies were widespread and persistent in nursing homes prior to COVID-19 pandemic by Jon E. Dicken, U.S. Government Accountability Office, May 20,2020


Why America's public health has always been fragmented by Alan Greenblatt, Governing Magazine, May 13, 2020


Preparing Michigan for the behavioral health impact of COVID-19 by Pine Rest: Christian Mental Health Services, April 26, 2020

The impact of chronic underfunding on America’s public health system by Trust for America's Health (TFAH), April 2020

For individuals with a serious mental illness (SMI)—a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder that limits major life activities— the COVID-19 pandemic may present a particular threat . In this analysis for a community mental health agency, we offer guidance on communicating COVID-19 safety protocols through client-facing materials, making use of telehealth to continue and enhance treatment, and emphasizing wellness activities that help clients manage their illnesses and other COVID-19 stressors.  Read more.
COVID-19 rapid response brief: Mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on persons in poverty – strategies to consider

Michigan has already taken many important steps to address critical issues for those in poverty, including expanding food assistance and simplifying access to WIC and many other state programs. This brief provides examples of other strategies that could be considered with a special focus on the critical health care needs of those with disease or disability and those who have limited access to communications. Read more.
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