September 01, 2026
WHEREAS; September has been nationally recognized as Sepsis Awareness Month by Sepsis Alliance to bring awareness to sepsis, the body’s life-threatening response to infection, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death; and,
WHEREAS; sepsis affects 1.7 million Americans and takes 350,000 adult lives every year in the United States; and,
WHEREAS; each year, more than 75,000 children in the United States develop severe sepsis and 6,800 of these children die; and,
WHEREAS; sepsis is the number one cost of hospitalization in the U.S., with costs for acute sepsis hospitalization and skilled nursing estimated to be $62 billion annually; and,
WHEREAS; on average, sepsis survivors have a shortened life expectancy, are more likely to suffer from an impaired quality of life, and often experience after-effects such as amputations (14,000 per year in the United States) and post-sepsis syndrome; and,
WHEREAS; communities that have historically lacked access to high-quality healthcare experience a disproportionate burden of sepsis-related suffering; and
WHEREAS; sepsis is the second-leading cause of pregnancy-related mortality in the United States; and,
WHEREAS; the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance is steadily increasing the frequency of sepsis cases; and,
WHEREAS; despite the severe danger and widespread occurrence of this illness, a survey conducted by Sepsis Alliance found that less than 15% of U.S. adults can identify the symptoms of sepsis; and,
WHEREAS; the signs of sepsis can be remembered with the mnemonic “TIME,” which stands for “Temperature,” “Infection,” “Mental decline,” and “Extremely ill”; and,
WHEREAS; awareness of the signs and symptoms of sepsis along with rapid diagnosis and treatment of sepsis can save lives and improve outcomes for sepsis survivors;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, Governor of the State of Michigan, do hereby proclaim the month of September 2026 as Sepsis Awareness Month.
