Michigan’s public health system boasts some major strengths, not least of which are the salaries paid to the state’s public health professionals. This strong assessment of Michigan’s public health system attests to the quality of its public health officials and its highly ranked system of laboratories. In fact, the newly developed National Health Security Preparedness Index indicated that Michigan exceeded the national average for health security as of 2013. This index measures the ability of a community to protect itself from threats like natural disasters and major disease outbreaks.
In addition, Michigan’s Strategic National Stockpile Program consistently received the highest marks from the federal government. This program provides emergency pharmaceuticals and medical supplies in case of a national emergency, and Michigan is highly prepared to take advantage of this program if need be.
The Michigan Department of Community Health is the state’s flagship public health organization. It enhances the health of Michigan’s residents through education, prevention, and surveillance of infectious diseases and environmental health threats.
Public health detective work in Michigan drew world attention when epidemiologists identified the first vancomycin-resistent Staph aureus in 2002. This groundbreaking discovery demonstrated the threat of antibiotic resistant organisms and the dangers of overusing antibiotics.
Michigan is a textbook example of the public health benefits that occur when state and local public health officials work closely with academic researchers, public policy experts, and non-governmental organizations.
A Comparison of Public Health Salaries in Grand Rapids, Michigan
The Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget provides salaries for a range of public health positions in the Grand Rapids area for 2014, which are comparable to those of public health professionals in Detroit and other metro areas of the state. Although the ranges for these salaries can be broad, public health professionals that have advanced degrees such as a Master of Public Health are likely to earn salaries on the high end of the scale.
Statewide Public Health Salary Comparisons for Michigan
For comparison, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a full analysis of the hourly wages and annual salaries of public health professionals throughout Michigan for 2014.
