In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan Medicine is teaming with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and 25 other Michigan hospitals to collect clinical data on COVID-19 patients to be included in an extensive registry that will provide insight into best practices in treating patients with the virus.

Titled MI-COVID19, the comprehensive, multi-site registry led by Scott Flanders, M.D., professor of internal medicine, and Hallie Prescott, M.D., M.Sc., assistant professor of internal medicine, will likely be one of the largest collections of COVID-19 patient data to date. It was developed at Michigan Medicine by a team that already leads other BCBSM-funded quality collaboratives.

New surprise medical billing findings, for ambulances and Ambulatory Surgery Centers

Released ahead of print by Health Affairs, a study by a U-M research team addresses the different aspects and impact of surprise out-of-network bills in ground and air ambulance transportation. The current COVID-19 crisis brings the issue to the forefront.

Sameer Saini, M.D., M.S., associate professor of internal medicine, has been selected as the director of the Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Center for Clinical Management Research (VA CCMR).

Saini served as acting director of the VA Ann Arbor CCMR for the last 6 months. He also serves as director of the Gastroenterology Early Career Faculty Mentoring Program and associate director of the NIH T32 GI Epidemiology Training Program at U-M.

Analysis examines gaps in coverage for COVID-19 evaluation under new federal law

A new Health Affairs Blog post analyzes the coverage requirements of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Under the new law, COVID-19 testing and the associated visit is fully covered for most people. Lead author  Kao-Ping Chua, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at U-M Medical School, explains how many patients evaluated for COVID-19 exposure or symptoms consistent with COVID-19 may still be financially liable.

Eve Kerr, M.D., M.P.H., professor of internal medicine, is the 2020 recipient of the Society of General Internal Medicine John M. Eisenberg National Award for Career Achievement in Research. The award recognizes innovations in patient care, research, and student education. 

JAMA Health Forum editors John Ayanian, M.D., M.P.P., director of U-M IHPI, and Melinda Buntin, Ph.D., professor of health policy at Vanderbilt University, discuss changes in U.S. health care and health policy driven by the coronavirus pandemic.

With the COVID-19 curve flattening, it's time to prevent a second peak

By keeping as many people at home as possible, the numbers of serious cases of COVID-19 are now below or just above what hospitals in most areas can handle, says Howard Markel, M.D., Ph.D., of the U-M Center for the History of Medicine.

Blood pressure associated with racial differences in cognitive decline

A new analysis published in JAMA Neurology identifies long-term hypertension as a possible explanation for why black people are more likely than white people to develop dementia later in life.

"The study results suggest that blacks' higher cumulative blood pressure levels contribute to black-white differences in later-life cognitive decline," say lead author Deborah Levine, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of internal medicine.

Caring at a distance: Telehealth and the COVID-19 pandemic

While Michigan Medicine has been on the forefront of telehealth, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the number of virtual care visits to skyrocket. Patients and clinicians describe why this model of care is likely to continue to flourish post-outbreak, especially for those who are high risk.

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