Hurley Medical Education
Hurley pediatric faculty member Gerbaksh Esch MD MPH now has a new public health education leadership role in the community. In May 2026, she was named director of the Leadership in Community and Public Health certificate program of Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Flint Campus.
The program provides hands-on learning opportunities to medical students on the MSU CHM Flint Campus. Students work with underserved populations through community-engaged research, electives with community-based organizations, and international experiences, according to MSU CHM Flint website.
The new program combines the functions of two MSU CHM legacy programs: Leadership in Medicine for the Underserved and Medical Partners in Public Health.
Esch's background prepared her well for the role, according to Jennifer Edwards-Johnson MD, community assistant dean for MSU CHM's Flint Campus, who said Esch has a "clear vision for the program that highlights the vital importance of empathetic, community-centered care."
Esch, an MSU CHM-Flint alumna, is a pediatrician at the Hurley Children's Clinic, an assistant professor in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, and a core faculty member in the Hurley MSU Pediatric Residency Program. She also served as the inaugural Alice Hamilton Scholar as part of the MSU-Hurley Children's Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative.