Whitmer Orders Michigan Health Workers to Undergo Implicit Bias Training

All health workers in Michigan will be required to receive "implicit bias" training under a directive issued Thursday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who said the mandate is intended to address the coronavirus pandemic's disproportionate impact on people of color.

The order requires the state licensing department to write rules requiring the training as part of the licensing and registration of health professionals.

The governor said evidence shows such training can make a positive difference. Black residents represent 14% of Michigan's population but account for 40% of COVID-19-related deaths.

"This is our generation's opportunity to confront and right historic wrongs," Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist said during a news conference Thursday in Lansing.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

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