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FLINT, MI — The city of Flint has created a new Division of Health Strategies and Advancement to tackle health issues facing residents and how the city can respond to them.
Mayor Sheldon Neeley announced the move and the appointment of Shebra Ward as the division’s inaugural director in a press conference on Wednesday, July 22.
Before her appointment, Ward previously served as Flint’s public health manager.
Neeley said the new division will operate within the framework of the budget approved last month by the City Council. He said Ward will lead efforts to take on public health challenges, utilizing partnerships with hospitals and area health care providers.
The mayor said he wants the division to address the disparity in life expectancies across Genesee County, where data show Flint residents live shorter lives than residents of surrounding suburbs.
“We need to dig a little deeper to be able to extend the level of help and support for residents inside the city of Flint,” Neeley said.
Neeley and Ward said countywide health assessments provide a starting point for the city, but they added that additional work is needed to reduce elevated rates of poverty and chronic disease.
“We want the city of Flint to be able to stand strong (and for residents to) understand, we see you, we hear you ... We want you to be able to live healthy and long,” Ward said.
Neeley said Ward will report to City Administrator Clyde Edwards and Chief of Staff Ed Taylor.
Her division will serve as the city’s central office for public health strategy, data collection, research, policy development and community partnerships with a goal of identifying neighborhood-specific health needs, officials said in a news release.
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