MSU College of Human Medicine expands public health footprint in downtown Flint 

The Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, along with community partners, cut the ribbon on its expanded public health research facility in downtown Flint today. The addition adds to the university’s partnership with the people and the city of Flint, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Uptown Reinvestment Corporation.  

The 40,000-square-foot Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health facility is an extension of the College of Human Medicine’s Flint Campus, which occupies the former Flint Journal building. The expansion, made possible by a public-private partnership, will recruit 18 additional researchers and staff, which could total over 200 people, and is part of the College of Human Medicine’s continued collaboration with the city of Flint. The new researchers will focus on health equity, social determinants of health, behavioral health, healthy behaviors, chronic disease, maternal-child health and environmental justice, among others.

“This expansion represents far more than bricks and mortar — it reflects a decade of collaboration and shared purpose between Michigan State and the people of Flint,” said Michigan State University President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D. “Our faculty and community partners, including the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, are proving what is possible when research is done side by side with the community it serves.”

“Expanding the home of the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health reflects the success of the Flint community and Spartans working together to make Flint a healthier and better place,” said Aron Sousa, dean of the College of Human Medicine. “Spartans work and live with the communities they serve. We don’t just study problems, we innovate solutions and demonstrate the effectiveness of those solutions, so what is discovered in Flint can help people across the state and the country. May this space be a beacon for equitable solutions, transformative learning and a healthier future.”

MSU progress in Flint

Over the past decade, the MSU College of Human Medicine Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health has garnered more than $200 million in external funding, including support from foundations and national grants. The funding is more than a financial milestone; it’s a reflection of the trust between researchers and the people of Flint, in part through the following programs:

• The Reach Out, Stay Strong Essentials, or ROSE, program has been shown to cut postpartum depression rates in half. It prepares women for the postpartum period with a series of four educational sessions scheduled during pregnancy. The sessions focus on mental health, interpersonal relationships and community resources. Classes can be completed in an office or online.

• Rx Kids, the nation’s first-ever community-wide prenatal and infant cash prescription program is now present in multiple Michigan cities and counties after starting in Flint. Rx Kids helps eliminate poverty and improve health in families that are expecting a baby. The program provides unconditional cash allowances to all pregnant moms and babies in a community. A one-time payment is made to expectant mothers in mid-pregnancy that’s followed by monthly payments for six or 12 months after birth. 

• The Flint Registry has provided more than 35,000 referrals to services and became recognized as a national model through the city’s water crisis. The program’s federal funding was recently renewed through 2026.

• The Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program works by increasing access and affordability to fresh fruits and vegetables for children in Genesee County. Every time a child visits the pediatrician, they receive a $15 voucher for fresh fruits and vegetables that can be redeemed several different ways.

Inside the new building, a mural paying homage to the late E. Hill De Loney, a woman known as the queen of Flint Juneteenth, is prominently displayed. De Loney was a beloved Flint community member and pioneer in the field of community-based participatory research. The mural was painted by local artist Kevin Burdick.

“Dr. De Loney is the reason I came to Flint as our first research faculty member,” said Jennifer E. Johnson, chair of the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health. “She was fearless and tireless in advocating for justice, fighting injustice, building up the youth of Flint and promoting equity through a better understanding of African history. Her legacy can’t be overestimated. We love her and echo her saying, ‘The universe in me calls out to the universe in you – we are one.’”