The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) today announced the selection of five fellows for the 2025–26 class of its State Health Policy Fellowship (SHPF) program. The fellows will spend one year working in state legislative and executive branch offices in Colorado, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin, where they will contribute to the development and implementation of state health policies and programs. The NAM is collaborating with the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) on this fellowship designed to strengthen state health policy capacity.
“State policies play increasingly important roles in determining health care and health for local populations. These fellows are stepping into a vital position at that intersection of health and policy,” said Victor J. Dzau, President of the NAM. “Their leadership and dedication will serve their host states and demonstrate the power of preparing health professionals to influence state policy in ways that touch millions of lives.”
The fellowship will be administered in partnership with the University of Colorado’s Eugene S. Farley Jr. Health Policy Center, the University of Pittsburgh Health Policy Institute, the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment at the Medical College of Wisconsin, The University of Texas System, and Emory University in Georgia. Generous support from these organizations, along with Arnold Ventures, makes this fellowship possible.
The 2025–26 SHPF fellows are:
- Kimberly C. Avila Edwards, MD, MSHCT, FAAP, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin
- Erin Poe Ferranti, PhD, MPH, RN, FAHA, FPCNA, FAAN, Associate Professor of Nursing, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University
- Bryant Shuey, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
- Kellie C. Snooks, DO, MPH, FAAP, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin
- Kristina Wilson MD, MPH, FAAP, Associate Professor of Clinical Practice in Orthopedics and Medical Director, Sports Medicine Center, Children’s Hospital Colorado
By embedding health professionals in state government offices, the SHPF program provides policymakers with valuable expertise and context for local decision-making. At the same time, fellows gain firsthand experience with state policy and political processes, developing the skills to influence health policy throughout their careers. The SHPF model builds on the NAM’s long-standing RWJF Health Policy Fellows program, which has placed health professionals in federal policymaking roles since 1973.
After completing an orientation and training session in Washington, DC, fellows will serve as health policy advisers in gubernatorial offices, state legislatures, or other state public health agencies. Throughout the year, they will share lessons across state contexts and build a professional cohort that will continue to support program alumni.
“These fellows represent the best of what this program has to offer: talented professionals eager to bring their knowledge into the state policy arena and learn from the experience,” said Gregg Margolis, Director of the NAM’s Health Policy Fellowships and Leadership Programs. “Their work this year will show how meaningful it is when health experts and policymakers collaborate closely at the state level.”
