Flint, Michigan – A nearly 20-year gap in life expectancy can separate communities within Genesee County. For Flint leaders, that divide is evidence that broad regional health data cannot always explain what is happening block by block inside the city.
Flint is now creating its own executive-level public health office to turn those differences into targeted action.
Mayor Sheldon Neeley announced Wednesday the establishment of the City of Flint Division of Health Strategies and Advancement. He also appointed longtime public health leader Shebra Ward as the division’s first director.
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The new division will act as Flint’s central office for public health strategy. Its work will combine research, data analysis, policy development and community partnerships to identify health needs that may vary from one neighborhood to another.
Flint is Genesee County’s largest city, with more than 85,000 residents. City officials said countywide assessments remain useful, but regional figures can hide serious local disparities. Flint continues to record substantially higher levels of poverty and chronic disease than many nearby communities.
“Public health is about far more than healthcare—it is about creating the conditions that allow every resident to live a healthier, longer and more prosperous life,” Neeley said. “Flint deserves public health strategies built specifically for Flint.”
Under the new structure, Ward will lead efforts to improve population health, strengthen the city’s organizational capacity and advance health equity. The division will also develop relationships with healthcare providers, schools, nonprofit groups, businesses, philanthropic organizations and local, state and federal government agencies.
Those partnerships are expected to support focused interventions designed around the conditions facing individual Flint neighborhoods rather than relying only on countywide trends.
Neeley said Ward has already played an important role in strengthening Flint’s approach to public health.
“Shebra Ward has helped establish Flint as a national leader in innovative public health initiatives, and I have complete confidence in her ability to lead this new division as we continue building healthier neighborhoods and expanding opportunities for every resident,” the mayor said.
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Ward described the appointment as an opportunity to bring institutions and residents together around shared health goals.
“It is an honor to serve the residents of Flint in this new capacity,” Ward said. “Mayor Neeley’s vision recognizes that improving health outcomes requires collaboration, innovation and a deep understanding of the communities we serve.”
She added that the division will work with its partners to develop solutions aimed at creating healthier futures across every Flint neighborhood.