Ten Years After the Water Crisis, Flint Continues “Paving the Way Forward”

April 28, 2024

“Flint has a history of paving the way forward. Flint knows how to resist, reinvent, revive and thrive. Now, by showing the world what community-driven public health can look like, Flint is innovatively leading the way for health, hope and opportunity.” – Mona Hanna-Attisha, MD

Michigan State University clinicians were among the first to uncover the Flint water crisis and help identify community-participatory recovery efforts with the Flint Registry. The College of Human Medicine has initiated novel public health initiatives like Rx Kids, developed programs that offer mental health solutions, collaborated on ideas to address health disparities and created pathways that empower youth, like the Flint Public Health Youth Academy. 

Visit MSUToday to learn more about MSU’s long-standing relationship with Flint.

News Stories from the 10^th Anniversary

College of Human Medicine faculty participated in a number of media interviews during the 10^th observance of the water crisis.

• CBS News: The EPA says lead in Flint's water is at acceptable levels. Residents still have concerns about its safety. Related: MSN News Canada, Yahoo, AOL
• The Guardian: MSU’s Hanna-Attisha Works To Address Child Poverty 10 Years After Flint Water Crisis Began.
• Associated Press: Children of Flint water crisis make change as young environmental and health activists Related: Washington Post, Time Magazine, Yahoo, MSN, US News and World Report, Michigan Radio, Los Angeles Times, CBS News and other news outlets.
• NPR: 10 years after Flint, the fight to replace lead pipes across the US continues
• The Lancet: 10 years on: The legacy of the Flint water crisis
• WNEM: Leaving her mark on Flint: Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha’s 10-year fight
• Mid-Michigan Now: Flint Water Crisis Special
• MLive: Why Flint’s child health infrastructure might not have existed without the water crisis
• Detroit Free Press: In the decade following the water crisis' beginning, Flint's school district has suffered
• ABC 12: Flint programs creating change among youth in light of water crisis

Milestones for the College of Human Medicine’s Work in Flint

In 2016, Michigan State University and Hurley Children’s Hospital announced the Pediatric Public Health Initiative to address the Flint community’s population-wide lead exposure and help all Flint children grow up healthy and strong. The initiative brought together experts in pediatrics, child development, psychology, epidemiology, nutrition, toxicology, geography and education, and includes the Genesee County Health Department, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and MSU Extension. Its founding director is Mona Hanna-Attisha, MD, MPH, FAAP, associate dean for Public Health and C.S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health.

In 2019, the Flint Registry began connecting people to services and programs to promote health and wellness. It has been collecting information to help everyone understand how the Flint water crisis has affected the Flint community. More than 20,000 people are enrolled, prompting nearly 35,000 referrals to health and wellness services.

In 2024, enrollment for Rx Kids opened to every pregnant mom and newborn in the city of Flint. It’s the first-in-the-nation universal citywide cash prescription program to eradicate deep poverty among families with infants in Flint by empowering parents with the freedom to choose how best to use the funds to fit their families’ needs.