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Michigan

Past Senior Fellow: From January 1999 until February 2005, the senior MCH fellow was located with the Michigan Department of Community Health. In September 2004, she became the State MCH epidemiologist.

Projects/Impact:

• Building MCH Epidemiology capacity: Empowering the MCH epidemiology unit has been the main achievement.
  
• Develop partnership and collaboration within MDCH and also with other organizations (Michigan State University, University of Michigan, Wayne State University.
  
• Infant mortality: Michigan Department of Community Health works in collaboration with officials form the local health agencies and members of MCH advocacy groups to address this important health issue. Epidemiological studies and program initiatives are in progress.
  
• Maternal mortality Michigan has had a Maternal Mortality System since 1950. Through collaborative effort of the State MCH Epidemiologist and the Vital Statistics office, a new electronic maternal mortality linked file of 1999–2002 deaths was created. Death certificates of women of reproductive age (10 to 45 years) were linked to live births certificates. Maternal deaths for which pregnancies ended in a fetal death were identified from the hospital reporting to MDCH and added to the linked file. The linkage process is carried out every year leading to a timely identification of the maternal deaths cases not reported otherwise. The maternal mortality review process is expanded to all maternal deaths to better understand their causes and thus assist in targeting prevention strategies with greater potential population impacts.
  
• Maternal morbidity: A pregnancy file was created by linking the 1995–2002 Michigan in-patient database (MIDB) and the resident birth file to understand the health conditions of the pregnant women living in MI and their impact on pregnancy outcomes. Data from the both linked files mentioned were analyzed by the MCH epidemiologists and presented at different meetings/conferences.

State related training/publications:

• MCH needs assessment and evaluation training offered in March 2004 under the leadership of Dr. William Sappenfield;
• 1993–2002 Michigan Maternal and Child Health County Profiles book that includes indicators used by local public health professionals interested in MCH issues;
• Presentations and posters about the above-mentioned topics developed for state, regional and national conferences/meetings.

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Page last reviewed: 2/8/08
Page last modified: 3/6/06
Content source: Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion