Health Care Access Results

Understanding rural America's health crisis

Health policy researcher shares journey to public health, where he sees hope for the future

University of Michigan public health researcher Michael Shepherd examines rural healthcare disparities, hospital closures, Medicaid policy and growing insurance gaps across America. Drawing on his Kentucky roots and academic research, Shepherd explains why rural hospitals struggle, how closures devastate communities and where telehealth and mobile care offer hope for patients.

University of Michigan biostatistics researcher turns complex health data into better treatment decisions

Honored with the 2026 Excellence in Research Award, Donglin Zeng develops tools that help clinicians identify more effective treatments for individual patients and guide public health decisions

University of Michigan biostatistician Donglin Zeng transforms complex health data into precision medicine tools that help clinicians personalize treatments and improve public health decisions. Honored with the 2026 Excellence in Research Award, his work blends statistics, machine learning and patient care to advance evidence-based medicine, vaccine research and healthier outcomes.

Michigan's a great place to grow older, say those who are doing it

More than a third of Michigan’s 10 million people are over 50, and a new poll shows that 82% of them see the state as a good to excellent place to live as they grow older. The new data from the Michigan Poll on Healthy Aging could help inform Michigan policymakers and organizations as they work to serve the needs of older Michiganders now and in the future.

Long-term opioid prescribing fell, but millions still receive extended opioid therapy, study finds

In 2023, about 4.2 million U.S. patients had an active long-term opioid therapy episode, according to a JAMA research letter led by University of Michigan researchers.

Long-term opioid prescribing has declined over the past decade, but co-prescribing patterns have shifted and the patient population has aged — raising new questions about chronic pain management in the U.S.

Maternal mortality's narrowing racial gap masks a deepening crisis for less-educated women

The racial gap in maternal mortality is narrowing — but not because outcomes are improving. Climbing death rates among less-educated white women, combined with a persistent crisis for Black mothers at all education levels, reveal a deepening public health emergency, according to new University of Michigan research.

On the Heights: February 2026

February highlights include faculty expertise on AI-driven cancer research, youth violence prevention, farmworker housing policy, epigenetics and ultra-processed foods, and a new state advisory appointment.