Class Photo on Capitol Hill © Laura Sikes Photography

The 21st Washington Health Policy Institute

Registration is now open! 

If you want a true insiders’ view of what health care policy is about, how it is made, and who makes it, you should not miss the Washington Health Policy Institute (WHPI).

Students have the unique experience to learn from top Health Policy professionals, visit Capitol Hill and their representatives, and gain graduate credits or continuing education credits at the 21st Washington Health Policy Institute.

Registration is open today

WHPI student network at the reception © Laura Sikes Photography

The 20th Washington Health Policy Institute was such a success last year. Students from all over the country collaborated, building both their personal and professional networks.

HAP 605 students watch Len M. Nichols' powerpoint while listening to the course lecture © Laura Sikes Photography

Click here for further information about the 21st Washington Health Policy Institute  About the Institute .

For common questions about the event click our FAQ page.

Dr. PJ Maddox of GMU and Dr. Veronica Feeg of Molloy College (our first WHPI cohort) take a moment to pose by the WHPI poster © Laura Sikes Photography

Please feel free to reach out to any of our event planners with other questions, comments, or inquiries at chpre@gmu.edu

Dr. Todd Olmstead is an associate professor in the School of Public Policy at George Mason University where he conducts economic analyses and research in behavioral health. His current research projects include: (1) estimating the demand for illicit drugs, (2) cost-effectiveness of substance abuse interventions, (3) cost-effectiveness of early intervention programs for youth who are at risk of  future interactions with the mental health and/or juvenile justice systems, (4) cost-effectiveness of providing mental health services to low-income pregnant and parenting women living in public housing systems, and (5) the impacts of
gambling treatment on healthcare service utilization. Prior to joining Mason, Dr. Olmstead was a member of the faculties of the University of Connecticut and Yale University, and he was a Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Business and Government. Dr. Olmstead holds degrees in public policy (Ph.D., Harvard University, 2000), operations research (M.S., UNC-Chapel Hill), and industrial engineering (M.S., B.S., SUNY-Buffalo).

Click here to view the full flyer.

This months speaker is the Director of Evaluations at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

Please click here to view the flyer: Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Records

On February 6, 2013 at 12pm, CHPRE will host its first twitter chat featuring CHPRE Director Len M. Nichols. Our topic for this discussion is Health Reform Changes Facing Virginia in 2013. Please join us at 12pm on 2/6 using hashtag #CHPREGMU and following @LenMNichols.  Click here to view the flyer CHPRE Twitter Chat Flyer 2/6/13

Aging and Long-Term Care Policy

Mark R. Meiners, Ph.D., is a Professor of Health Administration and Policy in the College of Health and Human Services at George Mason University. Dr. Meiners specializes in the areas of aging and health with emphasis on financing and reimbursement issues. He is nationally recognized as one of the leading experts on financing and program development in long-term care. His most recent work focuses on improving community care coordination between medical and social service providers. He is also working to replicate Long-Term Care Insurance Partnership programs in states across the country.
Among his noteworthy accomplishments is his leadership of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Medicare/Medicaid Integration Program, an initiative designed to help states develop new systems of care that better coordinate acute and long-term care. In addition he has led the RWJF Partnership for Long-Term Care, an innovative state-based long-term care insurance program, since its beginning in 1987. His path-breaking research on long-term care insurance has been a major catalyst to the current interest in this topic and his work on Medicare/Medicaid integration has helped advance chronic care improvement strategies for all aged and disabled populations.

Dr. Meiners presentation will focus on the economics of aging and long-term care as it relates to health reform and highlight new opportunities for multi-disciplinary research. The emergence of chronic illness as a key driver in health care costs has prompted new interest in lessons learned from research on long-term care financing and delivery system reform strategies.  Accountable Care Organizations and Medical Homes are just two examples of strategies supported by  the Accountable Care Act that draw on insights gained over many years of research on Medicare and Medicaid and their uneasy relationship with long-term care. The integration of acute and long-term care, cash and counseling payment strategies, long-term care insurance, and informal support strategies are examples of research and program development threads that are being woven together to improve care for seniors and people with disabilities supported by Medicare and Medicaid.

Click here to view the event flyer: HAP CHPRE Seminar December 3rd.

Denise G. Osborn-Harrison, JD, MPH

Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Authorized by the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA), health insurance exchanges will give millions of people and small businesses access to health coverage.  With less than two years until exchanges must be fully operational in every state, most states have already started planning for and building their exchanges.  However, many policy decisions and implementation challenges remain before these state health exchanges can be up and running by January 1, 2014. Decades of policymaking provide insight to the challenges of interagency collaboration between government entities. The most masterful change agents within State government have championed orderly, focused interagency collaboration between entities such as the Governor’s Office, State Medicaid Agency, the Department of Insurance, the Department of Health and the Department of Financial Services and the State Health Exchange.  This presentation will discuss two examples of state health exchanges that are being developed in Maryland and Oregon. Then, it will provide an overview of key issues for other states in building a health insurance exchange, including building a statewide health information technology (HIT) infrastructure and achieving stakeholder engagement. Finally, the presentation will conclude with suggestions for policymakers.

Denise G. Osborn-Harrison JD, MPH serves as a health insurance specialist at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Division of State Systems Team, Data and Systems Group of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS). Denise works with state policy makers, federal agencies and technology vendors helping to create statewide information technology infrastructures for eligibility and enrollment systems.  These systems directly enable Medicaid expansion and health insurance Exchanges as defined within the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  She has provided expertise to stakeholders including state agencies, federal agencies (SAMSHA, CDC, HHS, NHTSA and HRSA) non-profits and healthcare providers both nationwide and abroad. As a continuing education provider she has trained nurses and physicians on how to conduct root cause analysis to support enterprise wide patient safety and quality initiatives.  For over twenty years Denise has been adjunct faculty for college level paralegal and healthcare administration programs.  She attributes her commitment to and interest in health policy to the time that she spent working as a staffer on The Hill for a member of the U.S. Congress.   Denise is an alumnus of U.C. Irvine, the University of San Diego Law School and the George Washington University School of Public Health.  She holds a license to practice law from California and was admitted to the United States Court of Appeals for the 9^th Circuit.

To view the event flyer click here: HAP CHPRE Seminar Flyer – Denise Osborn-Harrison

Bradley Herring, Ph.D.

Johns Hopkins University

Wednesday, October 10, 2012 

12:00 – 1:30pm

Johnson Center Gold Room

State Health Exchanges and Medicaid Expansions

Denise Osborne-Harrison, J.D., MPH

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Monday, November 19, 2012

12:00 – 1:30pm

Johnson Center Gold Room

Aging and Long-Term Care Policy

Mark Meiners, Ph.D.

George Mason University, HAP Faculty

Monday, December 3, 2012

12:00 – 1:30pm

Johnson Center Gold Room

Click to see the Save the Date flyer 

By Caryn Sever

Class Photo on Capitol Hill © Laura Sikes Photography

The halls of the Senate and House buildings rang with even more heal clacks on June 7, 2012, when students attending the 20^th Washington Health Policy Institute hosted through George Mason by the College of Health and Human Service and the Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics, visited their representatives during their annual Capitol Hill Day. In addition to their visits, the students were treated to high level speakers including: Patience Wiggins, Health LA for Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Dominic Storelli, Professional Oversight Staffer at the US House of Representatives, David Hallock, Deputy Chief of Staff for Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Monica Popp, Professional Staff at the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, Purvee Kempf, Council to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Dan Elling, Majority Staff Director, House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, Erin Richardson, House Ways and Means, and Katie Boyd, Communications Staffer for Speaker Boehner.

WHPI students began their day with Capitol Hill Day coordinator Sharon Brigner, who briefed the group on what lay ahead for them. After a light breakfast, students met with their various representatives from several states. The Massachusetts group was able to meet with Senator Scott Brown, who spoke with them about their Health Care concerns and autographed pictures and

Students Meeting Senator Scott Brown © Laura Sikes Photography

books as souvenirs of their experience. One student remarked: “[I enjoyed] the variety of opportunities to observe firsthand how things operate in our government. All government employees were approachable and enjoyable to talk with. I feel I better understand how to communicate with congressmen [and] legislators and am more confident about this. It was an incredible experience.”

The students enjoyed sandwiches at lunch while listening and interacting with speakers who held various positions on Capitol Hill. Patience Wiggins, Health LA, encouraged students to read up on their particular issues, find out who co-sponsors the bills, and follow up with potential ways to pay for the initiatives.

Dominic Storelli of the Committee on House Administration outlined 7 key tips for speaking with your representative.

1. Make sure that your issue is grounded in sound public policy
2. Make sure that your issue meets a sense of urgency, timing is key
3. Your issue should be an engagement of proper policy, personal causes are important but if is not relevant at the time or to the representative, then it may not go far. You are looking for someone to champion your issue and representatives who are actively working on the initiative or are openly interested, are the best choice for advocates.
4. Stay on target with the issues
5. Make sure that your research is focused and that you have information to back up exactly what you are lobbying for.
6. Be prepared to ask and answer questions when you meet your representative, it is difficult to make any headway if you do not know your issue well.
7. Do something about the issue itself. Engage your community and explain what efforts you have personally taken to your representative when you meet with them.

Storelli also explained that the best way to find out if a particular representative is interested or working on an issue, was to call the office directly and ask to speak with their Communications Coordinator or Director of Communications for more information in addition to checking the regular websites and search engines.

One of the highlights of the day was the speech and Q & A with Senator Warner’s Deputy Chief of Staff, David Hallock. Hallock remarked “technology has a role to play in accessible information over a multitude of formats” however, he explained that though this may be true, the bombardment of technology and information is not always helpful and may hinder the populous at times. He went on to outline the current delivery system in the United States, submitting that it is not really hospital centric and that there has been an increase in specialty care while primary care continues to decrease. Furthermore, he reminded the students that there was a shortage in the Health Care workforce which may be exacerbated by state budget cuts which limit choices.

Both Monica Popp and Purvee Kempf of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce provided a clear picture of the legal matters associated with Health Care Reform and Medicaid and Medicare in America. Students received well thought out, plain English examples and explanations from these speakers. Their presentations were followed by a panel debate from Dan Elling and Erin Richardson of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittees, allowing students to witness, in a micro sense, what types of dialogue takes place in the Subcommittees. Since these two presenters represented both sides of the aisle, students received a holistic view of the debate and information.

The day finished up with Katie Boyd of Speaker Boehner’s office. Ms. Boyd outlined the importance of communication in Government and the mobile and dynamic forms that the Speakers office implements. Their outreach includes a dynamic website with a blog, consistent and constant tweeting, Facebook posts, flicker picture posts, and YouTube videos. This type of outreach allows a feeling of direct access to the Speaker and the ability to keep up to date with the office and its projects.

While the students headed to the steps of the Capitol to take their group picture, they reflected upon what they learned that day. Tired but well informed they all felt that their time on the Hill was one of the most valuable experiences that they learned throughout the conference.

Mason Graduate, Sharon Brigner, Shares Experience and Advice to Health Policy Students

 By Caryn Sever

Sharon Brigner Official Bio Pic

This year, Mason graduate Sharon Brigner, MS, RN will contribute to the George Mason University, College of Health and Human Services as a speaker and Capitol Hill coordinator for our Washington Health Policy Institute students in June 2012. As a Mason graduate, nurse,  policy maker and lobbyist, Ms. Brigner brings a unique perspective to students, speakers, and health care professionals. Her experience and advice is invaluable for students looking to balance or even transition from bedside nursing to a career in public policy.

Brigner’s interest in health policy began when she was the President of the Student Nurses Association. There, she experienced policy and law making in action, by aiding in the passage of resolutions, working on state and national legislation, and attending lobby days with nurses. However, it was a lecture on entrepreneurial opportunities in nursing that really sparked her passion, “at that point, I realized you could be an advocate for patients away from the bedside and do public policy.”

Brigner credits her experience at George Mason University as the foundation for her career in health policy. She chose George Mason for her graduate degree specifically to work with the Center for Health Policy (currently the Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics, led by Dr. Len Nichols) former Director Dr. Mary Wakefield whom she heard speak at a nursing conference. Brigner felt that it was important to choose a school and a program with a “field of leaders in public policy” and the presence of the Center and Dr. Wakefield was the right fit. The information conveyed in her Mason courses provided the skills to help articulate and interpret the complicated structure of policy and law making, however, it was Brigner’s experience with the Center for Health Policy that she believes truly prepared her for her career.  Watching someone with incredible expertise (Wakefield) actually operate in real time proved to be the most valuable training she could receive, it was “being mentored by Mary Wakefield, which was invaluable”, Brigner remarked.

In 1999, Brigner was asked to speak at the White House about Social Security and Medicare, as well as introduce President Bill Clinton by the American Nurses Association.  As soon as she heard the news, she called Dr. Wakefield and asked for advice; Wakefield in turn helped Brigner craft her speech for the event.  This became one of the most memorable experiences in Brigner’s career; Brigner explained that “the Center was instrumental in preparing me for this experience.”

Brigner’s experience at George Mason and in Health Policy is also invaluable to students and faculty. This year during our 20^th Washington Health Policy Institute (WHPI), she will lead students in (in many cases) their first experience navigating and speaking with their representatives on Capitol Hill. Brigner has scheduled several speakers and activities for WHPI students so that their experience on the Hill can be a holistic one; not only meeting with their representatives but attending hearings and open meetings. Meetings with Representatives have the potential for career opportunities, Brigner suggests, “you can’t get enough experience, look at where your interests are, if you have a particular issue or family member with an, issue get involved.”

Ms. Brigner’s advice to students who are looking to have a career in Health Policy is simple “I don’t know if I have a good recipe for success, but I would say that finding a good mentor, not always one, maybe it’s a mentor that you don’t meet with all the time, or you have constant contact with over a short period of time; looking for mentors, enhancing education, looking for volunteer opportunities and staying very positive.” Bringer also suggests that using your personal experience and your passion will help to support your position and advertise yourself.

Ms. Brigner is a Deputy Vice President for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) in Washington, DC. Prior to this position, Brigner worked as a senior health policy analyst for the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare and a lobbyist for the seniors’ association. Brigner held several other positions in health care and policy including an internship at the Congressional office of Senator Chuck Robb, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Center for Health Policy (Currently the Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics CHPRE) right here at George Mason University.

Sharon Brigner and Len Nichols at WHPI 2011

About the Washington Health Policy Institute:

2012 marks the 20^th Washington Health Policy Institute (WHPI); as in the past years WHPI is intended for health care professionals, health organization and association staff, health and policy scholars and educators, policy analysts, congressional staff, interest group members, and others involved in health policy activities. The institute focuses on the policy-making process through a careful examination of programs and policy issues at both the state and federal level. Meet and hear speakers from the delivery and financial corners of the policy world, including insurance executives, physicians, nurses and more. We feature officials not only from federal and state health agencies, but also from Congress and state legislatures. In addition, journalists will explain health policy communications strategies that work.

Click this link Washington Health Policy Institute to find out more about WHPI and register for credit courses or CEUs.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN