Designing Systems That Move With Communities with Dr. Caira Boggs

About this episode

Dr. Caira Boggs discusses health equity and community-led initiatives in Detroit.

In this episode of The Health Disparities Podcast, host Ber‑Henda Williams sits down with Dr. Caira Boggs, Director of the Michigan Public Health Institute’s Center for Health Innovation and Practice and Detroit Health Initiatives. A proud Detroit native and Detroit Public Schools graduate, Dr. Boggs leads 16 initiatives focused on health equity, recovery, food access, chronic disease prevention, and community‑led grantmaking — all grounded in the lived experiences of Detroit neighborhoods. Dr. Boggs shares the early moments that shaped her understanding of inequity, from growing up in a deeply connected Detroit community to witnessing stark disparities when she left home for college. Her path from kinesiology and pre‑med to public health leadership was fueled by a desire to advocate for people who look like her — especially after learning how maternal and infant health outcomes disproportionately impact Black women, regardless of income or education. Together, Ber‑Henda and Dr. Boggs explore: What resilience looks like in Detroit neighborhoods, where communities “keep going, keep moving, no matter what,” despite redlining, food insecurity, and structural barriers. How Detroit…

People in this episode

Host: Ber‑Henda Williams

Guest: Dr. Caira Boggs

Topics covered

• health equity
• community health
• food access
• chronic disease prevention
• maternal health
• public health leadership

Keywords

• health disparities
• Detroit
• food insecurity
• chronic disease
• public health
• maternal health
• community resilience

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Michigan Public Health Institute, Detroit Health Initiatives

Places: Detroit, Detroit Public Schools

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