The Dearborn Department of Public Health was formally launched in April 2022, becoming only the 2nd city in Michigan with a public health department, and the first to do so voluntarily. The Department was founded on the principle of Health in All Policies.
Health in All Policies is a collaborative approach to improving the health of all people by incorporating health considerations into decision-making across sectors and policy areas. Health in All Policies aims to ensure that all decision-makers are informed about the health, equity, and sustainability consequences of various policy options during the policy development process.
P3E student fellows supported a range of Dearborn Department of Public Health priorities in areas including environmental health, behavioral health, and department development. This included operationalizing an air quality communications plan to communicate air quality information and recommended actions to residents using existing municipal platforms, as well as contributing to a city-wide sustainability review and plan. It also included researching the impacts of lead service lines on Dearborn residents, collaborating across departments to ensure a health in all policies approach, and building culturally sensitive outreach materials for a diverse range of residents. Additionally, research was conducted on safe sleep best practices for young babies and their families, working to best communicate maternal and child health resources to Dearborn residents.
