After a prolonged period of six months, marked by what they claim to be fruitless contract negotiations, the doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners who have formed a union at Ascension St. John are on the brink of resorting to a strike vote, a move that could significantly disrupt patient care.

Here’s our weekly round up of what illnesses are spreading the most in Metro Detroit communities, according to our local doctors and hospitals.

Michigan voters will decide the future of abortion care in November, but until then there are still multiple court cases playing out.

Michigan’s battle over abortion rights keeps shifting and changing with access to the procedure hanging in the balance.

Michigan Medicine's financial results for fiscal year 2022 were presented during U-M's June 16 Board of Regents meeting.

Superhero window washers gave patients hospitalized at Mott Children's Hospital a show on Thursday.

Doctors made a stunning discovery when a young father suffering digestive troubles came in for treatment.

Twenty-one people from at least 14 different cities in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties have been named in a doctor-run scheme that involved addicted patients and drug dealers agreeing to painful, unnecessary back injections in exchange for opioids, federal officials said.

Two health experts join us this week to discuss pandemic policies in the U.S. and in Canada, and how they intersect.

Here are this morning's top stories.

Did you have any idea just how many health care workers are nervous about a physical attack on the job?

Just last week, we asked: If you’re a health care worker, what are you seeing lately on the job?

Choosing the right health care plan can be a difficult decision.

Does it still seem like the COVID-19 pandemic just started, or do you feel like we’ve been dealing with this reality for ages?

New research focused on health risks in mothers more than six weeks postpartum.

Doctors told the parents of then 17-year-old Heather Campbell that their daughter would be in a coma for at least 30 years after a devastating car crash.

The distinction from the independent national watchdog organization recognizes how hospitals prevent medical errors and harm to patients.

The go-ahead for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 could come this week after clearing the first two hurdles.

Local 4 spoke with two doctors about spotting mental health issues in children and how parents can help.

Local 4 spoke with two doctors about spotting mental health issues in children and how parents can help.

A big celebration will be kicking off in the D, and you and your loved ones are invited to take part.

Many are under the impression that getting medical tests always means driving to a doctor’s office or hospital.

Experts at Michigan Medicine have used modeling to predict an upcoming baby boom.

Many Metro Detroit doctors and nurses brought got their children vaccinated on Saturday.

At least 25% of medical employees at U-M reported burnout during the pandemic.

Local 4 checked in with frontline workers now that vaccinations efforts are underway.

Two twin sisters are bringing a surprising perspective to the battle against COVID-19.

A doctor at Beaumont Royal Oak hospital is speaking out about what he’s been seeing.

Mott Children's Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital now wear buttons with their faces on them to improve patient experience while masks remain a critical safety measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Mott Children’s Hospital can now safely see what their care team looks like. “Being at the hospital can be a scary and nerve-racking experience for children,” Luanne Thomas Ewald, chief operating officer at Mott and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital said in a statement. “We recognize that COVID precautions may make it difficult for some patients to recognize the people who are taking care of them. “Current restrictions are critical to keeping our hospital community safe but also limit some human interactions that show you care.

DETROIT – Black doctors needed to establish their own hospitals in 20th-century Detroit due to segregation. Dunbar Hospital was the first of its kind in the city. The house that was once this hospital still stands at 580 Frederick Street. Here’s its story -- watch the video above. To learn more go here: BlackScrollNetworkMore: Black History Month sectionRelated: Work underway to restore Underground Railroad safe house in Walled Lake

A Michigan woman tragically died of COVID-19 from the transplanted lungs that were supposed to save her life. Lung transplants are still being done. In fact, a lung transplant can save the life of someone whose lungs have been destroyed by COVID-19. Three days after her lung transplant, she developed fevers and worsening lung function. VIEW: Tracking Michigan COVID-19 vaccine doses 💉In studying what happened, the viruses from the donor, the recipient and the surgeon all underwent genetic sequencing.

ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. – February is Heart Month and experts said that it’s a critical time for people to start paying more attention to their heart health. Experts said that 65 percent of heart patients putting off screenings or routine checkups. READ: COVID-19 cardiac study suggests increased heart health risks for patientsSt. Clair Shores cardiologist Dr. Joan Crawford has seen the tragic consequences in her own patients. Crawford encourages everyone to get regular screenings and seek help right away if they have any concerning symptoms. READ: More Heart Month coverage

Screenshot from the live Q&A session by experts at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital on Jan. 28, 2021. Mott Children’s Hospital hosted a live Q&A session for parents who have questions and concerns about returning to face-to-face learning during the coronavirus pandemic. “Schools do need to keep kids from congregating,” said Tribble, who said that talking in close groups does raise the risk of transmission. “Mask wearing remains number one for population spread,” said Terry Bravender, chief of adolescent medicine at Mott.

DETROIT – Doctors told a Metro Detroit mother that her daughter would likely die after blood vessels in the teen’s brain suddenly ruptured. Despite the odds, the teen miraculously survived. With her daughter on the brink of death the mother sold her salon to be by the teen’s side. I really, I’m just happy,” said Tiffany Bernard, whose daughter managed to survive the brain aneurysm. Doctors stated her daughter had likely suffered a brain aneurysm and would not survive.

A nurse holds vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine above a deep freeze cooler at Michigan Stadium on Dec. 31, 2020. ANN ARBOR – Michigan Medicine announced in an email to staff on Monday that it has expanded the Phase 1A COVID-19 vaccine priority group after administering more than 11,000 vaccines since Dec. 14. Based on recommendations from the state, those now eligible for a Phase 1A vaccine at University of Michigan include:Anyone serving in a role at Michigan Medicine or University of Michigan who works in a clinical setting (i.e. hospital, ambulatory clinic, home care) and is not able to work exclusively remotely is able to receive a COVID-19 vaccine now as part of Phase 1A. Michigan Medicine is administering vaccines seven days a week.

ANN ARBOR – Michigan Stadium reopened its doors on Thursday morning after months of closure as a new site for Michigan Medicine’s sweeping COVID-19 vaccination program. Michigan Medicine aims to eventually vaccinate 2,000 people per day at The Big House, said David Miller, urologist and Chief Clinical Officer at U-M’s Cardiovascular Hospital. Signs guide individuals to Michigan Medicine's COVID Vaccine Clinic at the Jack Roth Stadium Club at Michigan Stadium on Dec. 31, 2020. Individuals are seen being monitored for 15 minutes after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine at Michigan Stadium on Dec. 31, 2020. A nurse holds vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine above a deep freeze cooler at Michigan Stadium on Dec. 31, 2020.

YPSILANTI, Mich. – Staff at Washtenaw County Health Department received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Friday. “I’m so excited to be vaccinated, and I don’t have to wait because it’s my job to vaccinate others,” said Christina Zilke, registered nurse and nursing supervisor with Washtenaw County Health Department in a release. The Health Department received an initial supply of 1,950 doses of the Pfizer Inc./BioNTech vaccine. READ: First Michigan Medicine employees receive COVID-19 vaccineNurse practitioner Cathy Wilczynski vaccinates Washtenaw County Health Department medical director Juan Marquez (left) and emergency preparedness administrator Cindra James (right). (Washtenaw County Health Department)“We’re feeling both grateful and optimistic as we begin this vaccination process,” said Jimena Loveluck, MSW, health officer for Washtenaw County in the release.

A healthcare worker at St. Joe's Ann Arbor holds up a sticker that says "I Got Vaccinated" as COVID-19 vaccinations get underway. ANN ARBOR – The first shipment of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine arrived at four hospitals within the Mercy Health and Saint Joseph Mercy Health System on Thursday, including St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland and Mercy Health Saint Mary’s in Grand Rapids and Mercy Health Muskegon. Mercy Health Muskegon received 1,950 doses while the other three hospitals received 975. All hospitals within Trinity Health Michigan have ultra-cold freezers capable of storing the vaccines. For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit www.stjoeshealth.org/vaccine.

ANN ARBOR – Michigan Medicine began vaccinating its frontline workers against COVID-19 on Monday, with an initial group of five employees. MORE: University of Michigan Hospital workers show what ‘reconstituting’ COVID vaccine meansOn Monday morning, Michigan Medicine received an initial shipment of 1,950 of the Pfizer Inc./BioNTech vaccine. Roughly 40 Michigan Medicine employees are expected to be vaccinated starting Tuesday with vaccinations increasing next week, depending on supply. The first five employees at Michigan Medicine to receive the COVID-19 vaccine pose for a photo on Dec. 14, 2020. These groups will be determined by Michigan Medicine’s COVID-19 Vaccine & Therapeutics Taskforce which is following recommendations from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Questions about the vaccine scienceMany people have questions about the two vaccines closest to approval. Will the benefit outweigh the risk in this case?”Both the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines are mRNA vaccines, meaning they are not live virus vaccines. it’s estimated that over a period of weeks the mRNA is naturally destroyed after it has been used to produce spike proteins. Should you get an antibody test to determine your ranking for the vaccine? Another related question is if you should get an antibody test to help determine your ranking for receiving the vaccine?

DETROIT – Doctors in Michigan are urging restaurants to help keep people safer by avoiding a rush to reopen. They are asking restaurants to continue the pause on indoor dining to minimize infections. Rosalie and her husband Joe Vicari own the Vicari restaurant group, with high-end restaurants like Joe Muer Seafood, Brownies On The Lake and multiple Andiamo Italian restaurants. READ: Andiamo owners urge Michigan restaurants to defy shutdown order, reopen if ‘3-week pause’ extendsGov. “All of us want people to get back to work and businesses to reopen responsibly, but Mr. Vicari’s call to reopen no matter the health risk is reckless.

ANN ARBOR – Michigan Medicine has partnered with about 100 of the country’s top health care systems urging Americans to mask up as COVID-19 cases reach record-breaking highs. Over the past two weeks, more than 900 medical workers at Mayo Clinic tested positive for COVID-19. The message reads:“As the top nationally-ranked hospitals, we know it’s tough that we all need to do our part and keep wearing masks. However now is exactly the wrong time to let up,” Marschall S. Runge, CEO of Michigan Medicine and dean of the U-M Medical School said in a statement. “But for now, we have to use the tools that we know work: wearing masks, staying socially distant and washing hands.

ANN ARBOR – Michigan Medicine announced Monday it has added visitor restrictions at its hospitals and clinics to curb the spread of COVID-19 and to protect patients and staff. Visitors, including family, are required to wear a face covering that covers their nose and mouth at all Michigan Medicine properties, including inside a patient’s room. No visitors will be allowed in clinics for adult patients unless the patient has a physical or cognitive impairment that requires assistance. We hope that by adding these restrictions, we will better protect everyone from COVID-19,” Washer continued. “Limiting visitors and requiring a mask at all times will help reduce the spread of infection.”Related reading:

LANSING, Mich. – On the day that Michigan hospital systems banded together to put out the alert on the rise of COVID-19 cases, Gov. ‘No area of the state is spared’: How COVID-19 is trending in all 8 Michigan regionsA spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey said “Sen. As state officials announce 6,000 new COVID-19 cases daily in Michigan, hospitalizations are starting to trend in wrong direction. During a virtual discussion with the presidents and CEOS of major Michigan health systems, the most pressing concern isn’t space, but staff availability. COVID-19 cases in Michigan are at an all-time high, and Gov.

DETROIT – Four doctors, two nurse practitioners and three pharmacists are among the 19 people who have been indicted in connection with an elaborate drug scheme that went on for years, officials said. The opioid epidemic is still very much a problem in Metro Detroit, with people addicted to and dying from pain pills, heroin and fentanyl. Oxycodone, Percocet and hydrocodone are powerful pain pills that were pedaled on the streets for cash. “These people are greedy and they don’t care about the average citizen,” said Steve Dolunt, the former assistant Detroit police chief. “Average people, some people, have pain,” Dolunt said.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Doctors at the University of Michigan have separated 1-year-old conjoined twin sisters. Sarabeth and Amelia Irwin of Petersburg, Michigan, each had their own arms and legs and heart, but their livers were connected, C.S. “I’m a father of twins and know twins are very close,” Mychaliska said. The parents, Alyson and Phil Irwin, learned about the conjoined twins during a pregnancy ultrasound in 2019, four months before the birth by cesarean section. “This has been a giant experiment in the power of positive and the power of prayer," Phil said.

NEW YORK In the early days of the pandemic, doctors noticed something about the people severely ill from COVID-19: Many were obese. But there's some evidence that obesity itself can increase the likelihood of serious complications from a coronavirus infection. The increased risk for serious COVID-19 illness appears more pronounced with extreme obesity, or a BMI of 40 or higher. One study found an increased risk for death from COVID-19 for people with severe obesity, but only among men. They need a machine to help just do the work, said Dr. David Kass of Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University, who has co-authored a study on obesity and severe COVID-19 illness.

Doctors urging people to get vaccinated amid pandemicIf you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566.

DETROIT – Health care workers, especially those on the frontlines in the fight against coronavirus, are experiencing burnout at alarming rates. It’s a silent crisis hiding in the shadow of the pandemic and it can potentially harm patients, the doctors and nurses themselves. A recent study published in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine finds the prevalence of burnout is 40%. When he recovered, he traveled to New York to treat coronavirus patients. A plea to the public to protect themselves and others to reduce the burden on front line medical workers, at imminent risk of burning out.

The advertiser paid a fee to promote this sponsored article and may have influenced or authored the content. This article is sponsored by TDR OrthodonticsHost Tati Amare spoke with Dr. James Fraser DDS, MS at TDR Orthodontics about the benefits of virtual appointments. The office is still open but they have a virtual waiting room. TDR Orthodontics has offices in Novi, Birmingham, Brighton, and Rochester. To schedule your virtual appointment visit, tdrortho.comWatch the video to learn more.

DETROIT Doctors are starting to learn more about how the coronavirus (COVID-19) can affect the brain, and they report some patients are suffering from confusion, or even delirium. In some cases, the neurological symptoms were the first signs of their infection, doctors said. WATCH Local 4 News at 114 Fast FactsBe InformedPolice were dispatched to the Westland Mall for reports of shots fired on Thursday evening. Its no secret that were living in stressful times, and it seems like that could be leading to more broken hearts. A new study finds cases of broken heart syndrome have increased during the coronavirus pandemic.

Doctors discuss dangers associated with ignoring children's doctor visits during pandemicIf you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566.

DETROIT There are people with serious health issues who are avoiding emergency rooms amid the COVID-19 pandemic because they fear contracting the virus at the hospital. Doctors say this is not the right perception of emergency rooms right now, including in Metro Detroit. Were seeing people stay at home with serious issues like heart attacks, strokes, appendicitis, things like that. More people dying at homeIn April 2019, 39 people died at home due to health issues in Oakland County. In April 2020, there were 110 people who died due to health issues at home in Oakland County.

DETROIT Public health officials worry future outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases could emerge in Michigan as vaccination rates have dramatically fallen during the coronavirus pandemic. Vaccination rates for children 18 and younger fell by more than 20%, according to a study published by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. David Obudzinski, a Beaumont pediatrician, said parents began canceling appointments in March, when stay-at-home orders were issued. Measles, for examples, usually include mild symptoms, but those symptoms can be deadly in babies who cannot be immunized until they're a year old, according to health officials. We need to be sure that everybody gets caught up on their immunizations that they may have fallen behind on so that we can assure that everybody is protected from vaccine-preventable diseases, Swanson said.

Gretchen Whitmer signed an Executive Order on Tuesday to expand testing for coronavirus (COVID-19) across the state. states that anyone who leaves their home for work, or has symptoms of COVID-19 (even mild symptoms), may receive a test at a community testing location without securing a doctor’s order in advance. Medical personnel will be available to order testing upon arrival. A person who wishes to be tested may call the Michigan coronavirus hotline at 1-888-535-6136 or visit www.michigan.gov/coronavirustest to find an appropriate testing location. “This Executive Order will pave the way for more community testing sites to open as we work towards our goal of 15,000 tests administered daily in Michigan.

But regardless of whether you’ve felt sick these past few months, safe to say, you always want to get the most out of every medical appointment. Here are some tips you can use to make every medical appointment as valuable as possible. Consider a video visit. Medical offices can be overwhelmed by patients, especially lately, so if your symptoms are mild, consider a video visit to discuss your concerns and get some health recommendations. And when you choose a video visit, you will not have to drive to the office, or even get out of bed.

Doctors warned of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in ChildrenPublished: May 15, 2020, 6:36 pmThere is a new name for the mysterious illness in children that’s believed to be connected to the coronavirus (COVID-19).

DETROIT – The State of Michigan released new guidelines on seeking non-COVID-19 related medical or dental care during the ongoing pandemic. As a result, the state has issued new guidelines on seeking care. Related: Michigan coronavirus (COVID-19) cases up to 43,950; Death toll now at 4,135“The Executive Order gives providers broad discretion,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive at MDHHS. “I applaud our frontline health care providers who put their lives at risk, and who are engaged in efforts to continue to care for their patients in the safest way possible. “Providers know their patients best and will understand the safest, most effective ways to manage their care under these circumstances created by the pandemic.”It is also important for patients to understand they should not delay important medical care, especially emergency care.

Many people have compared the new coronavirus to the seasonal flu, but health experts are worried that might give people a false sense of security. Local 4′s Dr. Frank McGeorge said he’s concerned that he’s heard many people say, coronavirus is “just like the flu.” That implies we don’t need to pay extra attention to the outbreak. By comparison, the seasonal flu kills 300,000 to 650,000 people a year worldwide. Coronavirus, even if low estimates are right, appears to be significantly more deadly than the seasonal flu. By comparison, it’s estimated that less than 2% of those infected with the seasonal flu this year have needed to be hospitalized.

DETROIT – Metro Detroit doctors said we are still in the grips of the flu, but that’s not the only illness to be concerned about. The flu season is in full swing and doctors are consistently seeing cases of influenza A and influenza B. There are also a lot of other illnesses circulating as well. If you are sick with a respiratory virus, ordinary masks can help keep you from spreading an infection to people. If you are not sick you should not substitute a mask for other hygiene like handwashing.

Influenza is What’s Going Around in Metro DetroitPublished: February 7, 2020, 6:28 pmMetro Detroit doctors said we are still in the grips of the flu, but that’s not the only illness to be concerned about.