Commemorating 150 years of public health in Michigan

After 150 years and countless permutations, the real question is whether archaic public health should be celebrated, or scrapped like the quill pen.

After all, it's the information age. And the greatest potential for health improvement in today's America is personal responsibility for self-care.

Commemorating 150 years of public health in Michigan
We are excited to recognize 150 years of public health in our state – the first department of public health in Michigan was established in July 1873. The public health system encompasses federal, state and local organizations that serve to protect residents from unsafe conditions, prevent disease and promote good health.

You can read about the first 100 years of public health in Michigan in a report that was created in 1973. Additionally a time line was developed that highlights some of the key milestones and progress that has been made over the past 50 years. We know these can’t capture all that has been accomplished over the past 150 years – there would be hundreds of pages! We encourage you to follow MDHHS social media, as well as social media for your local health department, as we highlight even more of the accomplishments achieved through Michigan’s public health efforts.

Read an op-ed from Norm Hess, executive director of the Michigan Association for Local Public Health, about the significance of public health efforts in Michigan the last 150 years.

https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/inside-mdhhs/sesquicentennial