Macomb County a ‘pocket’ of Michigan that struggles with mask wearing, Henry Ford Health CEO says

Wright Lassiter says Henry Ford Macomb Hospital has highest volume of non-mask compliance

Published: November 12, 2020 at 2:49 PMUpdated: November 12, 2020 at 3:10 PM

The president and CEO of Henry Ford Health System said Macomb County is a “pocket” of Michigan that struggles with COVID-19 mask compliance.

Wright Lassiter spoke about the importance of following COVID-19 safety protocols during a virtual panel conversation among Michigan hospital leaders.

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He said while most people in the state wear masks, there are “pockets” where compliance isn’t up to par.

“I would say that while we do see mask usage in many places, there are pockets where there is not good compliance,” Lassiter said. “In the Henry Ford system, our Henry Ford Macomb Hospital has the highest volume by far. It has twice the inpatient volume that Henry Ford Hospital has, and Henry Ford Hospital has more than two times the number of beds that exist in Henry Ford Macomb Hospital.”

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Lassiter said his team reports poor compliance with mask wearing in the Macomb County community “on a very regular basis.”

“We see that not only in our facility with, at times, visitors who would come into the facility challenging our staff around our mask use policy, but also in that community,” Lassiter said.