Michigan State Advocacy Team Hits New Milestone
Authored by: The BD SUMHAC Team
We are thrilled to share an important advocacy milestone for the Michigan state team, one of the five states participating in BD SUMHAC’s 2024 State Advocacy Program. The Michigan team recently submitted comments and recommendations for revising state regulations for mental health and substance use treatment facilities.
If adopted, these recommendations will expand access for the bleeding disorders community and other patient communities who require the use of infusion medications.
The Michigan team is led by Zach Ryan, Government Relations and Communications Manager with the Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan, and Dave Rushlow, Social Worker with the Northern Regional Bleeding Disorder Center at Munson Medical Center. The team was also supported by members Kaite Scott, Program Social Worker with the Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan.
Over the past year, the team has made significant progress, including opportunities to meet with critical regulatory departments like the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). These agencies are central to advocacy efforts, as they help shape the regulations and policies that directly impact equitable access to MH/SUD treatment facilities for individuals with bleeding disorders.
In an exciting step forward, the Michigan team was recently invited by LARA to submit comments and recommendations for revising regulations for MH/SUD treatment facilities during LARA’s rewriting process.
The Michigan team shares their excitement about this opportunity and for the work ahead: “This is a unique opportunity, and we look forward to working with LARA on new regulation changes that will protect members of the bleeding disorders community who need inpatient or residential substance use disorder or mental health treatment. HFM remains committed to ensuring equitable access to mental health and substance use treatment for everyone.”
BD SUMHAC also worked with the Infusion Access Foundation (IAF) to ensure that the recommendations the team submitted were inclusive and would increase treatment access for patient communities beyond bleeding disorders.
Kindyl Boyer, the Director of Advocacy at IAF, comments on the foundation’s partnership with BD SUMHAC: “At the Infusion Access Foundation, we believe that every patient deserves equitable access to provider-administered therapies. We are proud to support BD SUMHAC's efforts to improve access to essential treatments.”
BD SUMHAC is celebrating this milestone and the opportunity it creates for further advocacy in Michigan. We are grateful for the hard work and dedication of the Michigan team members who have made this progress possible.
Click here to explore the progress being made in other states participating in BD SUMHAC’s State Advocacy Program.
Applications for the 2025 State Advocacy Program are now open! Learn more and apply here.