MDHHS awards $400,000 to expand, improve sickle cell care

LANSING – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has awarded nearly $400,000 for five projects to help increase care to individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) through a competitive grant process.

"The proposals selected demonstrate an understanding of the issues people living with sickle cell face in accessing the health care they need,” said MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel. “Each of the funded organizations are partnering with us to forward the goals of the department’s recently released SCD Strategic Plan as we work together to strengthen systems and elevate community voices.” 

The purpose of the grant program is to offer resources to providers that help increase patient access to quality, integrated health care and use of disease-modifying therapies, as well as improve acute care services delivered to patients living with SCD. Five projects across four organizations are each receiving approximately $80,000, including: 

•          Henry Ford Health will continue to expand the transition of patients living with SCD from pediatric to adult care, as well as improve their access to other specialties and treatment management services.
•          University of Michigan (U-M) will prepare pediatric patients for transition to adult care through increasing self-management skills and knowledge of disease modifying therapies. Additionally, U-M will also work to assist in the development of a comprehensive adult sickle cell clinic to improve access to quality care and care coordination.
•          Bronson Health Foundation will establish a multidisciplinary specialty clinic to improve access to quality health care and acute care services to patients living with SCD, with an emphasis on adult care.
•          Children’s Hospital of Michigan will establish a Sickle Cell Day Hospital to relocate pain management efforts from the emergency room to the SCD unit.

Successful applicants may be awarded continuing funding annually through Sept. 30, 2030, based upon funding availability and performance. The clinic program grants are a key component of advancing MDHHS’s commitment to improving the care of people living with SCD as outlined in the 2026-2030 SCD Public Health Strategic Plan.

More information about the new clinic services can be received by emailing genetics@michigan.gov.

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