Day 6- Governmentally-Linked Public Health Partnerships are Crucial to Health Advocacy in Michigan
Stephen M. Modell, M.D., M.S.
Partnering with government is constantly occurring through a variety of ways and means including national health organizations, nongovernmental organizations, state public health associations (state health departments are governmental), and local civic and public service organizations. Go to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) website, and you will find a handful of governmentally partnering organizations crucial to the operation of public health within the state.1 On top of the list is the Michigan Association for Local Public Health, a private non-profit that represents the state’s 45 city, county, and district health departments before the state and federal legislative and executive branches of government.2 Such representation is important as Governor Whitmer negotiates and enacts a bipartisan budget in our state to protect core health services for individuals on Medicaid, especially those utilizing health services in rural and underserved areas.3
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In April 2026 MDHHS reported that Michigan has experienced 7 measles outbreak cases since their reemergence in 2024, which translates into 30 overall cases registered in 2025.4 As health officials learned soon after the start of COVID-19, public health agencies and departments with vaccine in hand are not enough. In the case of measles, the National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO) has been reporting states such as Michigan with confirmed measles cases, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention health alert advisories with a focus on critically impacted states.5 NACCHO hosts on its website the current policy recommendations for MMR vaccination.
Academia, through public education and action, is also a source of advocacy for public health. Ten minutes from the state capitol, Michigan State University, which undertook the Michigan Vaccine Project, released a measles-related article in February 2026 helping consumers to find vaccination locations and providers.6 This project has been funded by MDHHS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The University of Michigan is undertaking an equally valuable consumer-related public health effort, partnering with the
State of Michigan to create a technical assistance hub for use by anyone interested in applying the state’s new firearm safety laws.7
Partnering with government has a trickle-down effect to the local level. The Ingham County Health Department awards grants and mini-grants that address social determinants of health and help strengthen Michigan’s public health infrastructure. Among the recipients have been a county health prevention council, and a community health organization stressing the power of collaboration.8
Advocacy in the policy context often means interacting with government officials and teams, but in the health domain it also translates into advocating for effective public health practices. The Michigan Public Health Association (MPHA) maintains an informational website.9 The face page contains stories often relaying news of state-level legislation and executive orders as well as professional recommendations pertaining to prevalent public health conditions or those being focused on during a specific month. The Public Policy & Legislation page contains further policy-related stories and entrée into our pre-National Public Health Week “Making an Impact in Health Policy” panel session webinar. Currently MPHA is in the process of forming a coalition to bridge the gap between healthcare and public health in Michigan with input from the State. You, too, can take action. Here are a number of straightforward options for engaging in health advocacy and partnering with government:
- Visit the MPHA Public Policy website (https://mipha.org/policy-advocacy) to learn about how you can participate in state-level health advocacy
- Sign and send an American Public Health Association (APHA) Action Alert (takes less than a minute). See https://www.apha.org/policy-and-advocacy/advocacy-for-public-health/action-alerts for this week’s Action Alert on Fiscal 2027 health appropriations
- View your state’s public health funding at https://www.apha.org/policy-and-advocacy/advocacy-for-public-health/speak-for-health/state-fact-sheets and include this information in conversations with colleagues
- Sign up for APHA Legislative Updates at https://www.apha.org/what-is-public-health/newsletter-signup
- Sign up on your state and federal legislators’ websites to receive their newsletters and attend nearby town halls
Come check out MPHA and APHA advocacy this week and be a part of the health solution!
References
1. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Key partners. Retrieved April 3, 2026, from https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/keep-mi-healthy/communicablediseases/epidemiology/key-partners
2. Michigan Association for Local Public Health. About us. Retrieved April 3, 2026, from https://www.malph.org/about-us
3. Michigan.gov. Whitmer delivers 2026 State of the State: building a Michigan for all. Retrieved April 3, 2026, from https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/news/press-releases/2026/02/25/whitmer-delivers-2026-state-of-the-state-building-a-michigan-for-all
4. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Measles updates. Retrieved April 3, 2026, from https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/adult-child-serv/childrenfamilies/immunizations/measlesupdates
5. National Association of County & City Health Officials. 2025 Measles outbreaks: resources and updates for local health departments. Retrieved April 3, 2026, from https://www.naccho.org/blog/articles/2025-measles-outbreaks-resources-and-updates-for-local-health-departments
6. Maturen, A. Measles in Michigan. Retrieved April 3, 2026, from https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/measles-in-michigan
7. University of Michigan. Michigan firearm safety laws turn 2: new program offers guidance, info. support on how and when to use them. Retrieved April 3, 2026, from https://firearminjury.umich.edu/michigan-firearm-safety-laws-turn-2-new-program-offers-guidance-info-support-on-how-and-when-to-use-them
8. Shoyinka, A. Ingham County Health Department announces grant awardees for SDOH hubs and CHIP mini grants. Retrieved April 3, 2026, from https://docs.ingham.org/ICHD_%20PR_%20CHIP%20Mini%20and%20SDOH%20Hub%20Grants_%20Awards.pdf?t=202506101542280&t=202506101542280
9. Michigan Public Health Association. Welcome to MPHA. Retrieved April 3, 2026, from https://mipha.org
Updated 04/11/2026