Interim health officer finalist Deb Lentz outlines equity, workforce and modernization priorities
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Summary
Interim health officer Deb Lentz presented a first-year roadmap focused on workforce stability, equity, community engagement, public-health modernization and visibility; commissioners questioned her on certification, infant mortality disparities and emergency authority.
Deb Lentz, the interim health officer candidate for Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services, told commissioners Dec. 2 that her first-year priorities would center on strengthening internal culture, embedding an equity framework, deepening community partnerships, modernizing systems and increasing the department’s visibility and trust.
Lentz reviewed two decades of experience with Kalamazoo County, including maternal-child-health programs such as Nurse Family Partnership, Healthy Families America and Healthy Start, and described operational steps to reestablish consistent departmental communication and staff listening sessions.
Commissioners pressed her on specific issues: Commissioner Gisler asked whether she met state certification requirements (Lentz said she had met all qualifications before serving as interim). Gisler and others also sought Lentz’s perspective on the county’s notably higher Black infant mortality rate; Lentz acknowledged that the disparity remains "3 to 4 times" higher despite reductions and described monthly fetal-infant-mortality reviews and community action teams that produce recommendations for systemic change.
On emergency authority, Lentz said she would consult the administrator and board chair and present options but also said she would assert the legal authority of the health officer when necessary. Regarding funding risks, she identified the county’s HRSA grant as the most vulnerable and said the department has funding through March 2026; she described strategies to mitigate threats including national-office engagement and collaboration with representatives.
Several board members and county staff present in public comment (including Dr. William Nettleton and Lucas Poles) publicly supported her candidacy. The board said it will deliberate and, if appropriate, make a recommendation to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for final approval.
Next steps: The board will evaluate the presentation and public feedback and determine whether to forward a recommendation to MDHHS for final appointment.
