LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – So far in 2024, over 130 licensed professionals in Michigan have been slapped with fines or faced disciplinary actions for failing to complete mandatory implicit bias training – a controversial requirement instituted under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Directive 2020-07.
According to a Michigan Capitol Confidential review of state records, the penalties totaled $75,874, impacting a broad spectrum of healthcare providers, from doctors and dentists to pharmacy technicians.
When the pandemic hit Michigan in 2020, Whitmer responded with almost 200 executive orders, including mandates that added hurdles for many licensed workers. Among them was the implicit bias training requirement that went into effect on June 1, 2022.
Since then, professionals such as chiropractors, optometrists, and sanitarians have been required to complete this training to renew their licenses. For those who don’t comply, they are violating the Public Health Code.
Pay the fine or surrender the license.
For some, the penalties for non-compliance proved too much. While fines ranged from $125 to $2,500, others chose to terminate or surrender their licenses rather than complete the mandatory training. Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) lists these violations online, detailing the repercussions for those who failed to meet the training requirements.
Notably, some professionals have faced probation or additional disciplinary measures. In one instance reported by Capitol Confidential, a speech therapist risked losing their license altogether over non-compliance.
Was it worth it? State allocates $250,000 to study the impact.
Despite the mounting fines and lost licenses, the question remains: has the training made any impact? Even LARA doesn’t seem sure. The agency has set aside $250,000 in its 2025 fiscal budget to study the effectiveness of the implicit bias training requirement, seeking answers that should have been clear before imposing the penalties.
This hefty investment in research highlights a critical oversight in the rollout of the mandate – implementing a requirement without a clear understanding of its benefits. Michigan’s healthcare professionals and taxpayers are left wondering whether the bias training is a valuable tool or just another bureaucratic hurdle which includes a mandated political ideology.
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