Capitol News

Senator Michael Webber, Minority Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Health Policy, has called on the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to restore public data on recipient rights complaints that was recently removed from its website. In a letter addressed to MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel, Webber criticized the department’s decision to delete two years’ worth of records related to complaints and information about the Hawthorn Center, which previously served as an inpatient psychiatric hospital for minors.

“Director Hertel cannot continue to operate MDHHS under a cloak of secrecy by simply hiding data that confirms her department’s ongoing record of failure,” said Webber, R-Rochester Hills. “Families must be able to trust the systems meant to protect their loved ones. Yet the more we learn, the worse it gets — vulnerable patients are being harmed under her watch.”

The data was removed shortly after journalists contacted MDHHS with questions following a recent report by the Office of the Auditor General. The audit identified significant problems within the Office of Recipient Rights, a division responsible for protecting those receiving public mental health services in Michigan.

In his letter, Webber expressed concern over the timing and impact of deleting these records. He wrote: “The removal of this data is deeply concerning, especially given that a recent audit found the figures may understate the true number of verified incidents because of poor documentation.”

Webber has also called for legislative oversight hearings. The audit found several issues: recipient rights complaints were often left unanswered; video surveillance equipment in state psychiatric hospitals was frequently missing or not operational; and MDHHS did not consistently investigate serious allegations promptly.