CHEER CHAMPION OF THE WEEK: MONA HANNA, MD, MPH
Mona Hanna, MD, MPH, is a pediatrician, scientist, activist, and author dedicated to advancing maternal and child health. Recognized as one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and one of USA Today’s Women of the Century, she has played a pivotal role in uncovering the Flint water crisis and advocating for children’s health.
As the Founding Director of the Michigan State University–Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative, Dr. Mona is reimagining how society can eliminate maternal-infant poverty. Her latest initiative, Rx Kids, is the nation’s first universal and unconditional community-wide cash transfer program for pregnant mothers and infants, a groundbreaking effort to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.
Dr. Mona tells us: “For years, as a pediatrician, infants would enter the clinic with preventable illnesses and injuries, almost all of which had roots in upstream factors (such as systemic racism, disinvestment, place-based inequities), leading to the high prevalence of poverty-related conditions in my patients. I wanted to stop band-aiding these problems: I wished that I could prescribe away poverty.”
“With Rx Kids, that wish is becoming a reality. Now, when moms and babies come into the clinic, I get to tell them all about the joy that is Rx Kids, the nation’s first universal and unconditional citywide cash transfer program for pregnant mothers and infants. What I love most about my work is knowing that our program is having measurable and meaningful impacts on the health of our most vulnerable.”
A widely respected speaker and advocate, Dr. Mona has testified before Congress, lectured at leading universities, and frequently contributes to national media discussions on public health. She is also the author of What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City, named one of The New York Times 100 Most Notable Books.
We are honored to spotlight Dr. Mona Hanna for her unwavering commitment to maternal and child health!
