diff --git a/app/enums.py b/app/enums.py
index 02fbb0e9a..405c28cdf 100644
--- a/app/enums.py
+++ b/app/enums.py
@@ -50,11 +50,6 @@ class VerificationStatus(StrEnum):
     SUCCESS = "success"
 
 
-class HealthStatus(StrEnum):
-    OK = "ok"
-    ERROR = "error"
-
-
 class AuthType(StrEnum):
     EMAIL_AUTH = "email_auth"
     SMS_AUTH = "sms_auth"
diff --git a/app/status/views/healthcheck.py b/app/status/views/healthcheck.py
index 7e06d823f..6bb62cf03 100644
--- a/app/status/views/healthcheck.py
+++ b/app/status/views/healthcheck.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ from flask import current_app, jsonify, request
 from redis import RedisError
 
 from app import status_api_client, version
-from app.enums import HealthStatus
 from app.extensions import redis_client
 from app.status import status
 from notifications_python_client.errors import HTTPError
@@ -14,16 +13,16 @@ from notifications_python_client.errors import HTTPError
 @status.route("/_status", methods=["GET"])
 def show_status():
     if request.args.get("elb", None) or request.args.get("simple", None):
-        return jsonify(status=HealthStatus.OK), 200
+        return jsonify(status="ok"), 200
     else:
         try:
             api_status = status_api_client.get_status()
         except HTTPError as err:
             current_app.logger.exception("API failed to respond")
-            return jsonify(status=HealthStatus.ERROR, message=str(err.message)), 500
+            return jsonify(status="error", message=str(err.message)), 500
         return (
             jsonify(
-                status=HealthStatus.OK,
+                status="ok",
                 api=api_status,
                 git_commit=version.__git_commit__,
                 build_time=version.__time__,
@@ -61,10 +60,10 @@ def show_redis_status():
             )
         except HTTPError as err:
             current_app.logger.exception("API failed to respond")
-            return jsonify(status=HealthStatus.ERROR, message=str(err.message)), 500
+            return jsonify(status="error", message=str(err.message)), 500
         return (
             jsonify(
-                status=HealthStatus.OK,
+                status="ok",
                 api=api_status,
                 git_commit=version.__git_commit__,
                 build_time=version.__time__,
@@ -77,7 +76,7 @@ def show_redis_status():
         )
         return (
             jsonify(
-                status=f"{HealthStatus.ERROR}: {err}",
+                status=f"error: {err}",
                 api=api_status,
                 git_commit=version.__git_commit__,
                 build_time=version.__time__,