Like their counterparts in hospitals, School Nurses provide frontline care. They coordinate services, treat injuries, manage chronic illnesses, support communicable disease prevention, and oversee safe medication administration. They also train unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) staff to assist with student medication needs when necessary.

Michigan’s healthcare system is facing mounting pressure from workforce shortages, rising costs, Medicaid cuts, an aging population, and persistent disparities in access to care. This combination of issues contributes to fractures in who receives timely and accessible healthcare in the state, with rural communities, low-income residents, communities of color, aging populations, and other historically underserved populations disproportionately impacted.

This year (2026), the first Baby Boomers turn 80. By 2031, the proportion of Michigan’s Baby Boomers aged 85+ will surge, making the state’s seniors older and more in need of care overall.