State Health Policy Fellowship
Program Description
The State Health Policy Fellowship (SHPF) program partners with states to place health professionals in state government offices and provide subject matter expertise and context to local policy deliberations.
Fellows will spend one year, part-time, embedded in local/county government, state legislative branches (such as office of a state legislator, legislative committee staff, or a state commission), or the executive branch (such as the office of the Governor, State Secretary of Health/State Health Officer, State Medicaid Director, senior health gubernatorial appointments, or other senior state health officials) contributing to the development and implementation of state health policies and programs. Fellows will learn to participate in state policy and political processes, and obtain the skills and knowledge necessary to influence policy throughout their careers. Fellows will share learnings across state contexts throughout the fellowship year and form a cohort to foster continued growth and support for program alumni.
For its pilot program, the NAM is partnering with organizations in Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin 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 providing funding to support the fellowship with additional support being provided by the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) and the University of Texas System.
This program is in its pilot phase and is open to additional states interested in participating. Each state partner is funding this effort, and we welcome inquiries and interest to expand the program.
Educational Content Included:
- 1-week orientation and introduction to health policy program hosted by the NAM in Washington, DC
- Regular virtual learning sessions with fellowship cohort
- Cohort visits to each participating state capitol
- Visits to each fellow’s home state U.S. Congressional Delegation
Inaugural Fellows
Brandi Freeman, MD, MS
2024-2025 State Health Policy Fellow (Colorado)
Dr. Brandi Kaye Freeman is a physician dedicated to eradicating the health inequities that impact vulnerable populations through evidence-based practices and improved quality of health care delivery. She is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and the Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Department of Pediatrics as well as an Attending Physician at the Child Health Clinic at the Children’s Hospital of Colorado. In these roles, she is a practicing primary care physician and health services researcher whose research portfolio includes developing approaches to improve Diversity and Equity in the Healthcare and investigating best practices to help children thrive in early childhood. As a community leader and advocate, Dr. Freeman dedicates numerous hours to improving the health and wellbeing of minority communities. She is a National President Emeritus of the Student National Medical Association and has been a mentor for the Tour for Diversity in Medicine since its inception in 2012. Dr Freeman is the former Speaker of the House of Delegates of the National Medical Association and current Region VI Trustee.
Dr. Freeman received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with minors in Chemistry and French from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. After completing post-baccalaureate work at the Mayo Clinic, she received her Doctor of Medicine from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. Dr. Freeman completed pediatric residency training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Children’s Center as part of the Harriet Lane Housestaff. She was a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania and received her Master of Science in Health Policy Research from the Perelman School of Medicine.
Dr. Freeman strives to be an effective leader of the highest caliber. She is a graduate of The Links, Inc Scott Hawkins Leadership Institute, the AAP Women Equity Leadership (WEL) program and the Children’s Hospital Colorado Provider Leadership Development Program. Most recently she completed the AAMC Healthcare Executive Diversity and Inclusion Certificate (HEDIC) program. She has received multiple awards including the AMA Inspiration Award from the Women’s Health Section and has been recognized as both as a NMA Post Graduate Top Physician Under 40 and NMQF 40 Under 40 Leader in Minority Health.
Meredith Hughes, JD, MPH
2024-2025 State Health Policy Fellow (Pennsylvania)
Meredith’s background in health policy and regulation makes her an excellent fit for the NAM State Health Policy Fellowship. She worked in Washington, DC as a Policy Analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), where she co-authored a series of reports on health care spending growth and cost containment and helped advise the BPC Governors’ Council on Medicaid policy issues. As a JD/MPH student, she served as a regulatory consultant in the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, working on Medicaid payment policy, regulatory reform and benefit design. She spent four years at Sellers Dorsey, a leading state Medicaid consultancy, where she focused on the implementation and ongoing operations of Pennsylvania’s Medicaid Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) program.
Meredith’s fellowship placement is with the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, Senate Aging & Youth Committee and House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee. Her fellowship experience will center on Pennsylvania’s new 10-year master plan for aging, Aging Our Way, PA.
Rachel Bernard, MD, MPH, FACP
2024-2025 State Health Policy Fellow (Wisconsin)
She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In this role, she co-directs the Endocrinology-Reproduction course for medical students and provides primary care services for Milwaukee-area residents. She has special clinical interests in reproductive health and substance use treatment. In 2024, she completed the Leadership in Health Policy program with the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM), and she is active on health policy committees for SGIM and the Wisconsin chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP).
Placement: WI State Health Officer and WI Medicaid Director
Eligibility
- Exceptional early- and mid-career health professionals with a deep interest in state health policy.
- Fellows must be from an academic institution, state/local government, or eligible not-for-profit organizations willing to sponsor them during the fellowship period.
- Applicants must have earned an advanced degree in one of the following disciplines: medicine; nursing; public health; allied health professions; biomedical sciences; dentistry; economics or other social sciences; health services organization and administration; social and behavioral health; or health law.
- Applicants whose official job description or responsibilities are primarily government relations or advocacy are not eligible for this fellowship.
- Selected fellow will be required to disclose all potential conflicts of interest. Some placements may not be possible due to unreconcilable conflicts and fellows must agree to refrain from any/all advocacy roles during the fellowship period.
- Applicants must be U.S. Citizens or permanent residents at the time of application.
Timeline
- September 2024 | State Health Policy Fellowship Orientation (Washington, DC)
- October 2024 | Scholars’ Introduction to the Membership at the NAM Annual Meeting
- December 2024 | State Visit #1
- January 2025 | State Visit #2
- March 2025 | State Visit #3
- April 2025 | Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine Forum
- May 2025 | State Visit #4
Program Administration
Inquiries about the NAM State Health Policy Fellowship program should be directed to:
Gregg S. Margolis, PhD
Director, Health Policy Fellowships and Leadership Programs
National Academy of Medicine
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 334-1506
Email: [email protected]
