Whereas, More than 15 percent of people in Michigan and nationally will suffer major depression at some point in their lifetimes; and,

Whereas,   Depression threatens the quality of life of families and individuals when left untreated; and,

Whereas, Depression is a serious mental illness that often includes risk for suicide; and,

Whereas, Treatment for depression and suicide in high risk populations by physicians and other health professionals at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit has been highly successful and recognized nationally as a best practice model; and,

Whereas, The Henry Ford Health System "Blues Busters" Behavioral Health team under the leadership of C. Edward Coffey, M.D. has established audacious goals to implement "Perfect Depression Care," including eliminating suicides, impatient accidents, and medication errors, in addition to keeping patients 100 percent satisfied with their care; and,

Whereas, The "Perfect Depression Care" initiative has produced an unprecedented reduction in suicide rates among patients with depression, lowering the suicide rate in the Henry Ford Health System's high risk patients population by 71 percent, to a rate of suicide incidence that is below the rate in the general; and,

Whereas, As a result of the remarkable success of the "Perfect Depression Care" initiative, Henry Ford Behavioral Health Services recently received two prestigious national health care awards; the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' Ernest Amory Codman Award to recognize excellence in the use of outcomes measurement to achieve. improvements in the quality and safety of health care, the American Psychiatric Association's 2006 Gold Achievement Award; and now therefore be it,

Resolved, That I, Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor of the State of Michigan, do hereby proclaim January 19, 2007, as Blues Busters Day, in honor of the success of the Henry Ford Health System Behavioral Health team and the citizens who are improved through the "Perfect Depression Care" initiative.