Vice President of Community Health Education and Wellness, Henry Ford Health System
   & Michigan’s First Surgeon General

   Kimberlydawn Wisdom, MD, MS     

Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom is a board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician who practiced for 20 years at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan. She also founded and directed both the Institute of Multicultural Health at Henry Ford Health System and a National Minority Quality Forum award-winning community-based health screening initiative entitled “AIMHI” (African American Initiative for Male Health Improvement). She is an Assistant Professor of Medical Education at the University of Michigan Medical Center and serves as adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

 In February 2003, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm took an important first step toward revitalizing public health in Michigan by appointing Kimberlydawn Wisdom, MD, as Michigan’s—and the nation’s—first state-level Surgeon General to address Michigan’s less than desirable health status.  Governor Granholm asked that Dr. Wisdom serve as an unbiased, non-partisan, evidence-based, best practices advocate for the health of Michigan’s citizens. In addition, Dr. Wisdom was charged with rebuilding the public health system, developing public health policy, and building collaborative partnerships. Dr. Wisdom has been leading Michigan’s public health promotion and disease prevention efforts.  

As Michigan Surgeon General, Dr. Wisdom has focused on physical inactivity, unhealthy eating habits, childhood lead poisoning, tobacco use, chronic disease, infant mortality, unintended pregnancy, coordinated school health, HIV/AIDS, health disparities, suicide, and economic and social implications of not engaging in prevention activities.  In 2004, she released the Healthy Michigan 2010: Surgeon General’s Health Status Report, an evidence-based, scientific report highlighting the health status of Michigan citizens across ten focus areas. She also released the Michigan Surgeon General’s Prescription for a Healthier Michigan, which outlines strategic priorities and recommendations for action to preserve, protect and promote Michigan’s health. In 2004, Dr. Wisdom launched Michigan Steps Up, her statewide healthy lifestyles initiative.  She also leads Michigan’s childhood lead poisoning prevention and control efforts and currently serves as chairperson of the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention & Control Commission.  In 2005, Dr. Wisdom and Governor Granholm released the Governor’s Blueprint for Preventing Unintended Pregnancies.  She was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy in 2006 and serves as Chairperson for the Campaign’s State and Local Action Task Force.  In March of 2007 Dr. Wisdom was awarded $5 million dollar grant entitled, “Generation With Promise”,  from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to empower middle school students in underserved areas  to drive policy, environmental and behavioral change in their schools. 

Dr. Wisdom has appeared on ABC Nightline, Food Network and was taped by CNN, and has presented to many national audiences, such as the National Governor’s Association and the Congressional Black Caucus. She has been the recipient of many awards including an Honorary Doctorate from Morehouse School of Medicine, presented by Dr. David Satcher, the 16^th U.S. Surgeon General. Dr. Wisdom has also been awarded the National Sojourner Truth Meritorious Service Award by the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women. 

Prior to her appointment as Surgeon General, in 2002, she was appointed to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention Diabetes Translation Advisory Committee. Dr. Wisdom also was co-investigator of a Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (R.E.A.C.H.) grant funded by CDC to implement and evaluate a community action plan designed to decrease health disparities of African Americans and Latinos with diabetes in the Detroit area.  She has presented her medical research and service-related work at regional, national and international meetings and has several publications and book chapters. From 2002-2004 she served as a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health Study Section Reviewer.

 In April 2007, Dr. Wisdom returned to Henry Ford Health System as Vice President of Community Health Education and Wellness while retaining her post as Surgeon General.  She has been married to Garth A. Wisdom, Sr. for 30 years and has three children.