Alliance Health Officers Talking Funding, Flexibility With Legislators

The Health Officers from Northern Michigan Public Health Alliance’s seven local health departments met with legislators and their staff during Day at the CapitolMarch 18, 2026. The Health Officers represent the 31 counties of Northern Lower Michigan, from the Leelanau Peninsula to Alpena and from the Mackinac Bridge to Oceanic and Arenac counties.

The primary legislative priorities for the series of meeting were:

1. Including an inflation adjustment of $6.5 million for Essential Local Public Health Services
2. Increasing funding by $7.3 million for Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and local public health for Children’s Special Health Care Services
3. Sponsoring a bill that creates flexible funding for local public health to allow each health department to fund local programs as needed
4. Encouraging elected officials to support Rural Health Transformation funding.

For more details on the legislative priorities, click here.