Michigan State University College of Human Medicine is proud to announce that Mona Hanna, renowned pediatrician and associate dean for public health, has been named to the TIME100 Most Influential People in Health of 2026 for her visionary leadership in founding Rx Kids, the nation’s first community-wide maternal and infant cash prescription program.
This prestigious 2026 TIME100 Health list spotlights the 100 most influential leaders in health this year. As the global order has shifted, these titans, innovators, leaders, pioneers and catalysts have pushed new ideas — from gene therapies to regulatory agencies — ahead to build healthier populations around the world.
Hanna’s selection marks the second time she has been named to a TIME100 list, following her 2016 recognition as one of TIME’s 100 most influential people in the world for exposing the Flint water crisis and leading recovery efforts. This new recognition further cements her legacy as a global leader in health equity.
A new prescription to address poverty
Launched in Flint in January 2024, Rx Kids is a maternal and infant health program that reimagines how society supports families during the most critical window of child development. The program provides a “prescription” of unconditional cash: $1,500 during midpregnancy and $500 monthly for the first six to 12 months of the baby’s life. The maternal-infant period is among the most economically challenging due to a drop in income and a rise in expenses.
“Poverty is a public health crisis,” Hanna said.
As a public health pediatrician, Hanna has long wished for the ability to prescribe away poverty. “It has been frustrating as a pediatrician to only have too little and too late Band-Aids for my patients. We should never be okay with babies growing up in poverty. Rx Kids is a common sense upstream intervention that prevents poverty, improves health and builds stronger communities.”
Proven impacts: Healthier babies, stronger families
In just two years, research led by Michigan State University has demonstrated that Rx Kids is a blueprint for national reform:
- Healthier birth outcomes: Flint has seen an 18% drop in preterm births and a 27% reduction in low birthweight, leading to a 29% reduction in NICU admissions.
- Economic stability: The program has nearly eliminated infant-period evictions with a 91% decrease and has significantly reduced food insecurity.
- Infant safety: New data shows a 32% reduction in child maltreatment allegations in Flint compared to control cities.
- Mental health: Postpartum depression screenings among participants dropped by 14% points.
“For many families, Rx Kids is the difference between a crisis and a celebration. Behind every data point is a story of a mother who can finally breathe. Rx Kids reimagines the crucial early days of bringing home a newborn, replacing the daily weight of financial hardship with security and stability,” said Hanna.
Before the program, the “prescription for health” was often overshadowed by the “stress of survival.” Families shared stories of agonizing over whether to pay the heating bill or buy a pack of diapers. Today, those narratives have shifted to stories of dignity and empowerment. One Flint mother noted that the midpregnancy payment allowed her to buy a crib and car seat before her son arrived, ensuring he came home to a safe environment rather than a makeshift bed. “For the first time,” she shared, “I felt like the world actually cared about my baby’s arrival as much as I did.”
Other stories highlight the “hidden” impacts of the program: the ability to afford fresh produce instead of shelf-stable processed foods or the gas money needed to never miss a prenatal appointment. For a mother in Detroit, enrolling in Rx Kids meant she did not have to return to a grueling 40-hour work week just 10 days after giving birth.
Rx Kids also supports employment by reducing the high costs of reentering the workforce, such as childcare, transportation and car repairs. A working mother of two from Ypsilanti highlighted that the extra monthly support is a “game changer” for managing the skyrocketing costs of day care and diapers.
Currently, 30% of participants report that these funds have empowered them to secure better employment or start a business, effectively bringing moms the resources required to invest in their careers and drive local economic growth.
These stories paint a picture of Michigan families where the toxic stress of poverty is being replaced by joy.
Scaling the vision
Following its success throughout Michigan in dozens of urban and rural communities, Rx Kids is undergoing a historic expansion. In early 2026, the program launched in Detroit, the largest city to participate to date, and has expanded to 28 communities across Michigan. A public-private partnership backed by a $250 million bipartisan state investment, the program aims to reach nearly 100,000 babies over the next three years and serve as a scalable model for improving health nationwide.
“Dr. Mona’s inclusion on the TIME100 Health list is a testament to the power of Spartan-led innovation,” said Supratik Rayamajhi, a doctor of internal medicine and the interim dean of the MSU College of Human Medicine. “Her work continues to solve big health problems and serve the people of our state and beyond.”
Mona Hanna is a 2002 graduate of the MSU College of Human Medicine.
The full TIME100 list and related tributes appear in the Feb. 23 issue, available on newsstands Friday, Feb. 13 and online now.
