Detroit Health Department Releases Community Health Roadmap Informed by 6,000+ Detroiters 

On Tuesday, June 23, Mayor Mary Sheffield, joined by Chief Public Health Officer Ali Abazeed, Detroit Health Department staff and community partners released the Community Health Assessment (CHA), the City’s most comprehensive snapshot of community health since 2018. 

The CHA examines how social factors, lived experiences, and built environments have shaped Detroit’s life expectancy and health outcomes over time. The report serves as the foundation for the 2026 – 2029 community health improvement plan (CHIP), which will begin implementation this summer.   

“The Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) will be our blueprint for improving health equity and outcomes for Detroiters,” said Mayor Sheffield.  “This report is another example of how my administration is putting resident voices at the forefront of our policy and program decisions and advancing my Health in All Policies approach.  I appreciate the significant contributions of the Detroit Health Department team, our community task force partners,  and the more than 6,000 Detroiters who contributed to this plan.” 

“By centering resident voices, we are putting Health in All Policies into practice,” said Ali Abazeed, Chief Public Health Officer and Director of the Detroit Health Department.  

“The CHA tells us where Detroiters are facing barriers to health, and the CHIP gives us a shared roadmap to address them – from maternal and infant health and chronic conditions to food access and access to care. I’m proud of the Detroit Health Department team and our community partners for turning data and lived experienced into concrete action for every neighborhood.” 

The report was developed by the Detroit Health Department in partnership with a nearly 30-member task force, made up of representatives of a broad spectrum of community  organizations, each of which plays an important role in the community wellness ecosystem.  

Building on the recognition that poor health outcomes are varied, complex, and interrelated, Detroit’s community health improvement process, led by Public Health Division Administrator Tiffani A. Stewart, pinpointed four strategic issues during the development of the report, each of which has its own series of goals and objectives, as well as specific strategies for accomplishing them: 

1. Maternal and Infant Health:
   Residents highlighted barriers and concerns with childcare, family and social support, built environment, and transportation often driven by racial disparities and insufficient resources. 
2. Chronic Conditions:
   Residents raised concerns about air quality and its connection to asthma burden, particularly among vulnerable populations. 
3. Access to Healthy Food:
   Many residents struggle to find affordable, healthy food options, which limits their ability to maintain a nutritious diet. Other challenges included the availability of healthy food choices, proximity to grocery stores, food deserts, and a need for better nutrition education to help residents understand the importance of healthy eating. 
4. Access to Healthcare:
   Residents identified several key issues contributing to this challenge, including proximity to care, gaps in healthcare providers’ understanding of the unique needs of diverse communities, extended wait times for appointments and treatments, lack of trust in healthcare providers, and difficulties navigating insurance.

The survey also gathered information from respondents about a range of factors that can be critical to health outcomes, such as:  

• Family health/disease history 
• Personal health behaviors, such as drug, alcohol use or tobacco use 
• Neighborhood environment, including tree coverage and walkability 
• Economic status 
• Access to education 
• Access to LGBTQ+ supportive services 

“What stands out from this process is how aligned Detroiters are on what families need to be healthy and stable,” said Jasahn M. Larsosa, Executive Director of GreenLight Fund Detroit. 

“What we heard through the CHA closely mirrors what GreenLight Fund Detroit heard through our own community engagement process, which culminated in our investment in Rx Kids. The  momentum to bring programs like this to Detroit is an early indication of the CHIP coming to life, where community voice is matched with bold, proven solutions.” 

Residents and community partners are invited to join our CHIP Action Teams to support community action. The community health improvement plan (CHIP) is intended to be a living document, one that evolves as new data, partnerships, and funding opportunities emerge.  

The Detroit Health Department wishes to express appreciation to Michigan Public Health Institute for their partnership and support in bringing this report to fruition. We also thank the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) for generously funding this work.  

The full 2025 community health assessment and improvement plan report is now available for public download at detroitmi.gov/health.