The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) today announced the inaugural class of fellows in a pilot State Health Policy Fellowship (SHPF) program. Starting in September, three health professionals will spend a year in state legislative and executive branch offices in Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin as contributors to the development and implementation of state health policies and programs. The NAM is collaborating with the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) to create this nationally coordinated fellowship to expand state health policy capacity.
“It is evident that many, if not a majority, of health policies are made and implemented at the state level and have significant impacts on health outcomes — we have seen this play out around COVID-19 and reproductive health services,” said NAM President Victor J. Dzau. “This first-of-its-kind fellowship addresses an unmet need in developing a pipeline of talent at the state level and focusing on state health policy with the capacity for interstate training and knowledge sharing.”
The NAM will partner with organizations in each participating state to administer the fellowship: the University of Colorado Eugene S. Farley Jr. Health Policy Center; the University of Pittsburgh Health Policy Institute; and the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Each organization is also providing funding to support the fellowship in its pilot year. Additional support is being provided by the University of Texas System.
The three inaugural SHPF fellows are:
Brandi Freeman, MD, MS
Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Department of Pediatrics
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Meredith Hughes, JD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management
University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health
Rachel Bernard, MD, MPH, FACP
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
Medical College of Wisconsin
By placing health professionals in state government offices, the SHPF program will provide subject matter expertise and context to local policy deliberations. In turn, fellows will learn to participate fully in state policy and political processes and obtain the skills and knowledge necessary to influence policy throughout their careers. The SHPF model is based on the NAM’s premier RWJF Health Policy Fellows program, which has been placing exceptional health professionals in federal policymaking offices since 1973.
Following orientation and training provided by the NAM in Washington, D.C., SHPF fellows will serve as health policy advisers in gubernatorial offices, state legislatures, or other public offices. Fellows will share what they learn across state contexts throughout the fellowship year and form a cohort to foster continued growth and support for program alumni.
“The resources and experience of the NAM, the cohort nature of this program, and the contacts and context provided by the state partners make this a unique opportunity for exceptional midcareer health professionals,” said Gregg Margolis, director of the NAM’s Health Policy Fellowships and Leadership Programs. “We are grateful to our state partner organizations for seeing the incredible potential in this effort and look forward to the SHPF program becoming a permanent part of the NAM fellowship portfolio.”
