Dr. Longjohn is a nationally recognized leader in public health and health systems innovation. For over 25 years, he has led non-profit organizations to integrate community resources into equitable, effective, and sustained population health initiatives. Notably, he was identified by the Obama Administration as one of the top 100 health innovators in the country.

After running for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018, Dr. Longjohn focused on improving health care systems. At Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine (WMed), he co-directs a course on community engagement and health systems science and leads WMed’s FRAME project. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Committee to Protect Healthcare (CTP) and the CTP Education Fund. Through his consulting business, Epiphany, he works with clients like the CDC and the Administration for Community Living to address Social Drivers of Health.

Dr. Longjohn’s previous roles include National Health Officer and Vice President for Community Integrated Health at YMCA of the USA, where he directed ~$100M in grants and led a team to scale evidence-based health interventions. He spearheaded a $12M Health Care Innovation Award project that certified the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program as a cost-saving intervention for Medicare, leading to nationwide insurance coverage for diabetes prevention.

He was a Fellow at the Altarum Institute and served on faculty at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. He has a bachelor’s degree from Kalamazoo College and an M.D. and MPH from Tulane University. Dr. Longjohn and his wife, Valerie, are longtime residents of Kalamazoo County.

Endorsements from Elected Officials

State Senator Sean McCann
State Representative Julie Rogers
Kalamazoo County Commission Chair, Tami Rey
Kalamazoo County Commission Vice Chair, John Taylor
Kalamazoo County Commissioner Jen Strebs
Kalamazoo County Commissioner Dale DeLeeuw
Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting
Kalamazoo County Road Commissioner Keisha Dickason
City of Portage Mayor Patricia Randall
Portage City Council Member Chris Burns
Portage City Council Member Nikki Miller
Portage City Council Member Vic Ledbetter
Portage City Council Member Jihan Young
Portage City Council Member Jim Pearson
City of Kalamazoo Vice-Mayor Jeanne Hess
Kalamazoo City Council member Don Cooney

Endorsements from Influencers and Interest Groups

Kalamazoo County Democratic Party
Voters Not Politicians – Pro Voter Candidate
Young Democrats of Michigan
IBEW Local 131
MI Nurses Association
MI AFL-CIO
Mom’s Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Distinction
OutFront Kalamazoo Executive Director, Tracy Hall
314 Action
AFSCME Council 25
Equality PAC
WMU Professor and former Congressional Candidate, Paul Clements
UAW Region 1D
MI Building and Construction Trades Council
MI LiUNA!
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan
We the People Action Fund
MI Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights