The Minneapolis City Council has unanimously confirmed Heidi Ritchie as the City’s Commissioner of the Health Department. A registered nurse and certified Global and Public Health Nurse, Ritchie brings over 20 years of work experience with the City of Minneapolis, including leadership roles in the Health Department and Mayor’s Office. Since 2022, she has served the City as Interim Commissioner twice, and Deputy Health Commissioner in between.
Mayor Jacob Frey forwarded Ritchie’s nomination to Council on Oct. 9. The Public Health, Safety & Equity Committee unanimously approved the nomination on Nov. 4. The City Clerk will administer the oath of office to the Commissioner on Nov. 19.
“Heidi Ritchie has been critical to the Health Department’s operations and leadership over the last several years, helping ensure essential services continue while navigating significant operational and fiscal challenges,” said Mayor Frey. “With more than two decades of experience with the City, she is the right choice to build on that work and lead the Health Department into its next chapter.”
Experience with the City
Throughout her time in City leadership, Ritchie has helped guide public health initiatives addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing Minneapolis residents. Her work spans direct health services, emergency preparedness, community partnerships and policies that impact health outcomes and disparities with Minneapolis community members.
“Having grown up in Minneapolis and spent much of my career serving the community, I understand how important it is that our work reflects the needs and experiences of all residents,” said Commissioner Ritchie. “Public health is ultimately about people – making sure everyone has access to resources, support and opportunities to live healthy lives. I’m proud of what our Health Department staff and community partners have accomplished together, and I look forward to building on that work.”
Ritchie’s leadership has extended beyond the Health Department, recognizing that public health outcomes are shaped by many factors and require coordination across City services. Her work has involved collaboration with departments and partners addressing housing, homelessness, climate and sustainability, emergency preparedness, neighborhood safety, violence prevention and other issues. Some notable highlights of the Health Department’s work under her leadership include:
- Expanded school-based clinical services, including investments in mental health care, giving young people greater access to medical services, vaccines, counseling and other support.
- Launched the City’s Mobile Medical Unit, which brings health care directly to residents who face barriers to traditional services.
- Expanded access to lifesaving naloxone through four NARCAN® vending machines at Minneapolis fire stations across the city.
- Worked with state-contracted syringe service providers to expand the City’s syringe disposal network, supporting harm reduction and disease prevention while addressing community concerns about discarded syringes.
- Supported policy efforts to strengthen commercial tobacco regulations and reduce youth access to tobacco and cannabis products.
- Helped advance work addressing environmental and housing conditions that affect public health, including extreme weather, poor air quality and unhealthy housing.
About Heidi Ritchie
Heidi Ritchie is a lifelong Minnesotan who was born in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood and raised in South Minneapolis. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Augsburg University, studying international relations, political science, organizational leadership and global health. She is a Registered Nurse and certified Global and Public Health Nurse.
Globally, she has studied in Mexico and Guatemala, which exposed her to disparities in access to health, social and economic systems, particularly for women, infants, and children. Her work has also brought her to Ecuador supporting women experiencing exploitation and circumstances that placed them at risk of trafficking.
Ritchie has worked for the City of Minneapolis for 21 years. Before joining the Health Department in January 2022 as Interim Health Commissioner, she served as the Mayor’s Policy and Budget Director, with a portfolio that included public health, climate and sustainability, opioid response, homelessness response and violence prevention.