Greetings to all of you,
Summer is finally here, and with it the long-awaited recovery from the COVID-19 epidemic. Michigan has lifted most of the remaining COVID-19 health and safety orders, even ahead of the previously announced July 1 timeline. As of this writing, the availability and uptake of effective vaccines has translated into a dramatic drop in seven-day case rates from 550 to 18 per 100,000 Michiganders. Many of us have the feeling that we have finally made it, and that we are on the other side of the tunnel. It has been a long and hard 15 months, but with each passing day we increasingly feel that COVID-19 is under control in Michigan.
The pandemic crisis eased just in time for major celebrations, including Juneteenth, Pride week, and July 4th. We can celebrate, socialize and be grateful for all the joys that we are able to live. We can meet up again, hug loved ones, visit family, travel and go on vacations, basically, do all the things that we long took for granted. Yet we now enjoy these things all the more intensely as we recognize this as a gift, and the profound importance and meaning each of these moments and experiences holds.
We are not going back unchanged. This past year has left its mark: Almost 900,000 Michiganders contracted COVID-19 over the past year, and tragically, almost 20,000 died since the start of the pandemic. Some of our Michigan communities were hit harder than others and suffered disproportionally—communities that had already grappled pre-pandemic with economic devastation, inequitable access to resources, and systemic oppression. These communities especially need our solidarity and work not only to support healing and recovery, but to change the fundamental circumstances of oppression and racism that were laid bare through the pandemic. So, as we recover, we also recognize that we have a great deal of work to do.
Over the past year, I have had so much gratitude to you all as you stood on the front lines to keep your patients safe and support them through this crisis. In many of the consults we had a chance to hear about your important work with pregnant and postpartum women and with parents and children, and you shared your challenges and successes. Thank you for your compassion and dedication to the families you serve; you all, as medical professionals, helped get us through this.
As the summer season is kicking off, I hope it will bring you the opportunity to relax, recover, and heal yourself as you enjoy time with your “community”—your family, friends, children, neighbors.
Happy Summer. May the next year bring us all healing and health.
|
|
MC3 Perinatal Expansion News & Updates |
Breastfeeding Webinar: On June 4 we presented the webinar "Best Practices in Breastfeeding: Supporting the Psychosocial Needs of Mothers & Families." You can access the webinar recording here. It was a wonderful event that featured best practices on how to support pregnant and postpartum persons and their families in breastfeeding success, and highlighted the need to take a collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach that respects cultural norms and values.
|
|
|
New Research Article: Members of our team recently published an interesting article: “Reimagining Racial Trauma as a Barrier to Breastfeeding Versus Childhood Trauma and Depression Among African American Mothers,” by Angela Marie Johnson, Rena Menke, Jonathan Eliahu Handelzalts, Kiddada Green, and Maria Muzik. Breastfeeding Medicine, vol. 16, no. 6, 2021, pp. 493–500., doi:10.1089/bfm.2020.0304. You can view it here for free until July 11.
In this paper we found that African American mothers had reduced rates of breastfeeding at 6 months, above and beyond all the other risk factors in the model which suggests that African American mothers in our study uniquely experience societal and personal circumstances that contribute to their lower breastfeeding. These barriers may reflect structural racism in workplace policy and practice, as well as through a social, historical, and cultural context. The paper surfaces these factors and discusses their potential contributions.
|
|
Updated Provider Agreement for Residents |
If you are a resident provider enrolled in our program, please make sure you have read our updated provider agreement and filled out the brief survey indicating your acknowledgment of the changes to the provider agreement in regard to providers who are residents. More information can be found here.
|
|
|
Ongoing Training Opportunities |
Primary care providers, mark your calendars for our monthly pediatric and perinatal educational learning series via videoconferencing:
Monthly Perinatal Educational Presentations and Case Discussions
2nd Monday of the month (excluding July, Aug., and Dec.) | 12-1 pm
Monthly Pediatric Educational Presentations and Case Discussions
4th Monday of the month (excluding July, Aug., and Dec.) | 12-1 pm
|
|
|
We send out invitation emails for each webinar a few weeks in advance. If for some reason you are not receiving those emails, please contact us at mc3-admin@med.umich.edu.
|
|
New Training Modules with CMEs Available Online |
We offer a broad range of educational videos for perinatal and pediatric health professionals on our website. Here are some recently added modules:
- Intrusive Thoughts and OCD in the Perinatal Period
- Medical Considerations for Pediatric Sleep
- Behavioral Considerations for Pediatric Sleep
- ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)
- Differentiating between Postpartum Depression and the “Baby Blues” in the Primary Care Setting
- Attachment Based Concepts and Skills for Perinatal Patients
|
|
|
Save the Dates: Suicide Prevention Training |
We will be offering two continuing education opportunities for suicide prevention training on Tuesday, August 17 and Wednesday, September 22, both from 6-8 pm. CMEs will be offered for these trainings. More information and links to register to come!
|
|
|
Provider Café & Group Case Consultation |
Provider Café: We're here to listen. The MC3 Provider Café is an opportunity to check in and talk about how you're managing your stress and the stress of your patients. We can discuss strategies and offer resources that might be helpful during challenging times. Private and group check-ins are available.
|
|
|
Group Case Consultation: We're here to offer guidance. MC3 Group Case Consultations give primary care clinics and provider groups educational opportunities to discuss and review patients with one of our Consulting Psychiatrists. Providers can present patient cases for review and recommendations or bring up general questions about behavioral health treatment for discussion. One-time or recurring scheduling options are available.
|
|
For more information, or to schedule a Provider Café or a Group Case Consultation session, contact us at mc3-admin@med.umich.edu.
|
|
Article in Monthly MIAAP Newsletter |
Our Consulting Psychiatrists write articles for the PediAdvocate, the monthly newsletter for the Michigan Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Check out the articles in the PediAdvocate at the links below:
|
|
|
Thank you to MIAAP for this opportunity for our Consulting Psychiatrists to share some of their knowledge and expertise. If you have any particular topics you would like to suggest for future newsletters, please let our team know!
|
|
MC3 Consulting Psychiatrists in the Media |
|
Dr. Muzik in the Journal for Women's Health: Our Perinatal Medical Director, Maria Muzik, M.D,. M.Sc., published an editorial in the Journal of Women's Health, titled "Achieving Comprehensive Treatment in Perinatal Mental Health: Is Education Obstetric Providers Sufficient?" Read it here.
|
|
Pediatric Meltdown Podcast: Some of our Consulting Psychiatrists have been guests on Dr. Lia Gaggino's Pediatric Meltdown podcast. Listen to and download those episodes below:
|
|
|
Dr. Malas on "Children's Mental Health and the Pandemic" Well Aware Webinar: Joined by other Michigan Medicine Department of Psychiatry faculty, Dr. Nasuh Malas discussed the impact the pandemic has had on children’s mental health and shared coping strategies for children and families. Watch the recording here.
|
|
Dr. LePlatte on Channel 7: Dr. Dayna LePlatte was featured as a guest on WXYZ-TV Detroit | Channel 7, sharing her insights about the stress women have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch the segment here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
