This Civitas session brought powerful insights from Michigan State Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II and Ninah Sasy, Policy and Planning Director at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Moderated by Phillip Levy, M.D., MPH, this discussion explored Michigan’s groundbreaking initiatives to address health disparities and improve healthcare accessibility.
Launched in response to COVID-19, Michigan took an all-hands-on-deck approach to tackling the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on communities of color. In just nine months, the state flattened racial disparities in infection and mortality rates, driven by a commitment to health equity and leveraging local leadership and resources. Michigan was the only state that decided not to accept the disparity as reality, and its efforts have evolved into community health hubs and neighborhood health centers that foster collaboration at every level.
Key to their success has been the integration of Community Information Exchanges (CIEs), enhancing partnerships between healthcare and social service providers to deliver comprehensive care. The state also committed $60M in funding to support these innovations, underscoring their commitment to long-term, equitable healthcare solutions.
Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist emphasized that change comes from bold choices: “The realities that are today didn’t just happen; they’re the results of a set of decisions made by a set of people that lead to a set of outcomes. It can be frustrating and discouraging, but it’s an empowering truth: It means a different set of people who are connected, inclusive, enlightened, and informed can make a different set of choices to create conditions for a different set of outcomes. The story is one of choices; Michigan made a choice, attempted to make a change, and made a difference. Don’t take the status quo as reality.”
Michigan’s journey is proof that innovation—using what you have on hand, from government to grassroots, community-level outreach, to create something more valuable—can drive transformative change.
