Following Procedure or Sounding the Alarm: Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha and the Flint Water Crisis

Abstract

This case study explores the unfolding of a public health crisis in Flint, Michigan, through the experience of Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician whose discovery of a silent threat to children’s health placed her at the center of a growing public health controversy. At the heart of the case is a physician confronted with mounting evidence of environmental harm and the troubling silence of those in power. Set against a backdrop of systemic disinvestment, racial and economic inequality, and diminishing public trust, this case offers a lens into the personal and professional stakes of advocacy in times of crisis. It invites reflection on the cost of truth-telling, the fragility of credibility, and the enduring impact of courageous leadership in the face of denial.