Ancestry and Cultural Heritage Standards

MI TEaCH is proud to share the MDHHS Race and Ethnicity Data Collection Standards. These standards help ensure that race and ethnicity data is collected in the same way across Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). This helps improve the quality of data about the health of Michigan’s diverse communities. These standards follow federal guidance from the Office of Management and Budget and reflect the wide range of people who live in Michigan.

The MDHHSMI-TEaCH, in partnership with Lifecourse Epidemiology and Genomics Division, created these standards to better identify health differences between groups. They are also meant to support culturally responsive and dignified services for everyone.  Please use the figures below as a starting point. Keep in mind that these standards may change in the future. The MDHHS Data Governance Policy Working Group is working on an implementation plan for MDHHS to integrate the MDHHS Race and Ethnicity Data Collection Standards across systems and operations.

For federal guidance on how to collect race and ethnicity data, you can review the Office of Management and Budget’s 2024 Statistical Policy Directive No. 15. This directive also explains how to collect and report data for people who identify with more than one racial or ethnic group.

Other Standards?
MI TEaCH understands that collecting other types of data consistently — like disability status, gender and tribal affiliation — is important to improve health for all Michiganders. We will share more about those data standards in the future. In the meantime, please look at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Resource of Health Equity-Related Data Definitions, Specifications, and Stratification Practices to help guide your data collection efforts.

Figure 1. Short Version: MDHHS Race and Ethnicity Data Collection Standard – [Final]

Figure 2. Definitions: MDHHS Race and Ethnicity Data Collection Standard – [Final]

Figure 3. Detailed Version: MDHHS Race and Ethnicity Data Collection Standard – [Final]

Thank you for your interest in the MDHHS race and ethnicity data collection standards. Please see The 2024 Statistical Policy Directive No. 15. Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity.