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

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.

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 

Saturday, October 6, 2012 5:00 – 7:00pm

Meese Conference Room, Mason Hall, Fairfax Campus – George Mason University

$25 Alumni, Faculty and Guests, $15 Students.

View the 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.

Zeke Emanuel. Photo by Samuel Masinter from Wikipedia Commons

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, one of the architects of the Obama health reform plan,  presented his talk  ”How Obamacare Will Save American Healthcare” to George Mason University students, faculty, and staff “ on Monday, April 16 at 1:30 P.M. in the Johnson Center Cinema.

The lecture is sponsored by the Department of Public and International Affairs and the Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics.

Dr. Emanuel is an oncologist and former chairman of the Department of Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health.  From 2009 until 2011, he was a key player in the White House health reform team, assigned to the Office of Management and Budget. His brother, Rahm, was White House Chief of Staff and is now mayor of Chicago.  Dr. Emanuel’s writing on health policy issues now appears regularly in the New York Times. He is also a regular commentator on MSNBC.

CHPRE Graduate Assistant Colleen Tallant was in attendance.

Health Care Reform and the Future of American Medicine

Perspective from Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhD

 Colleen Tallant

 “Zeke,” as he is commonly known, has an extensive background from which to draw plausible solutions to the compromised United States Health Care system. His MD and PhD were both achieved from Harvard University, and Dr. Emanuel currently practices as an oncologist as well as Health Policy Advisor to President Barack Obama. Dr. Emanuel’s success is also supported by his position as Vice Provost of Global Affairs and recognition as the “University Professor” at the University of Pennsylvania.  Beyond his presentation this past Monday at George Mason University, one can find more of Dr. Emanuel’s views and opinions (through interviews and original writings) in the MSNBC archives, as well as the New York Times.

 Dr. Emanuel began his discussion about health care reform with a brief review of the country’s economic choices in this venue. Directly from his slides came the startling reality that the U.S. spent $2.6 trillion on health care alone in 2010. Although this probably was not new information for many in the audience, this fact never gets any easier to swallow. He had an interesting analogy to put this into better perspective (the sum of trillions of dollars is a concept quite difficult to grasp); if $1 bills were to be stacked one on top of another, $2.6 trillion would be 2/3 the distance to the moon.

 The United States has the fifth largest health care economy in the world; however, our life expectancy rates are not proportional to these figures. Dr. Emanuel has examined the country’s costs by “type,” and then delved further into these areas of spending to verify which have experienced the greatest proportion of growth. The highest costs were found to be in hospital care and physician/physician services payments. A considerable amount of money is also spent every year towards Medicare.  Surprisingly, fears of the “aging population” as a primary source of growth in health care spending are not supported; Dr. Emanuel stated that this aspect of medicine only accounts for about 2% of growth. Income growth, on the other hand, accounts for 5-20%. Insurance demand follows, responsible for 10% of health care spending growth.

 Health care reform has been attempted several times, unsuccessfully, in the past.  Since 1912, under Teddy Roosevelt, through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) March 23, 2010, our country has consistently been seeking out the best way to reduce costs and make our health care system more efficient.  Dr. Emanuel is convinced that by 2020 the United States health care system will in fact be better.  In terms of coverage, everyone will have access to insurance which will improve the system.  In terms of cost, the United States will move away from fee-for-service payment models, especially for those with chronic conditions.  Quality changes will include inter-operable electronic health records (EHR) and evidence-based medicine, which in turn will result in fewer medical errors and more information available to physicians.  Insurance reform will eliminate rescissions and Medicare donut holes.  Optimistic?  Dr. Emanuel agrees that his expectations are positive and hopeful, but this is what he truly believes will be the future of medicine in our country.

 What changes will be in place and how will they be implemented successfully to give rise to Dr. Emanuel’s expected outcomes?  He believes that several models are being trialed; including “Medical Homes” which have approached the health care budget concerns with structural and team changes to make medical care more efficient.  The Urban Medical Group in Boston, MA, Lean Medical Centers, CareMore Medical Group in AZ and NV, and Redlands Family Practice in CA are just some of the locations with marked outcomes.  Physicians have already started to limit their patient pools so that increased amounts of time can be spent with each individual patient to discuss and review their best treatment options.  If tests are abnormal, patients are called directly to alert them of the results and to make adjustments to their medical plan if necessary. These amendments have already resulted in a 29% decrease in Emergency Room visits, a 6% decrease in Primary Care visits, and a 1.5:1 return on investment.

Are the “Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)” of PPACA now considered an antiquated innovation?  27 ACOs have still been selected to start practice and hospital transformations as of April 1, 2012.  Dr. Emanuel expects many to fail, but not because of the projected structure of these organizations, but instead due to the fact that this is a “new” concept that many will be unable to acclimate to, or not in a beneficial amount of time.  Sacramento ACO already has results from their pilot after 1 year, with reductions in patient overuse of facilities and procedures (i.e. hysterectomies, elective knee surgeries), reductions in hospital readmission rates, and lower use of out-of-network care.  The answer then is “no,” and the results that have already been produced from the restructuring and “lean” approaches of ACOs even help to prove Dr. Emanuel’s theory that this country CAN achieve lower health care costs through innovation, instead of “rationing care.”

 “Innovation” should not be understood as new drugs or devices; it can simply mean changes to expensive procedures or practices that we have become too comfortable using. Dr. Emanuel gave an example from DePuy, an orthopedic device company (division of Johnson and Johnson). Instead of asking physicians to purchase expensive metal operating room instruments, the company devised a disposable version of these instruments at 10% of the original price.  This DOES appear to be a savings of 90% and I’m sure there are other benefits to using plastic instruments (i.e. their sterility won’t ever be questioned and it’s one less job for sterile processing of the hospital), but in my experience instrument trays used in the OR were rarely purchased. Trays instead were provided by vendors and placed on “consignment” at the hospital for future use. Vendors pay a price to keep trays on the shelves of facilities, so there’s monetary gain as well as the preservation of physician’s ability to update product usage and technology without penalty.  There may still be savings attained through the use of plastic instruments as opposed to metal ones, but I highly doubt we will ever be able to validate a reduction by as much as 90%.   Still, other innovations have indicated more than just monetary gain. Some hospitals have started to “reinvent” hospital bedside tables so that they don’t have as many corners, and are made of plastic instead of wood.  These simple modifications may help to reduce high rates of nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections by the elimination of bacteria from commonly used surfaces.

Dr. Emanuel did present an “ideal” set of outcomes for the health care community, which many may perceive to be unrealistic expectations.  From my perspective, the filled auditorium with students and adults alike, eager to listen to solutions to this country’s health care issues, is maybe a small example that the U.S. is in fact united.  It shows the promise that we will work together until resolve, and as described is already happening one hospital system at a time.

All notes were taken from Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel’s presentation at George Mason University Monday, April 16, 2012. 

 You can also view further information in a posting by GMU news through this link.

Please see the flyer through this link. Zeke Emanuel Flyer.

Promising Practices 2012

Date: May 11, 2012
Location: Marriott Fair Oaks, Fairfax, VA
More Information: Download the Event Flyer (includes invited speakers)

More than one in four U.S. veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have suffered a service-related head injury and two-thirds reported depression. The great concern is that all the problems we’re seeing with head injury, PTSD, and depression could be the tip of the iceberg. There is an urgent need for services that can promote healing, strengthen relationships, and reintegrate our warriors with their families, communities, schools, and employers.

 Click here to view more information about Promising Practices.

The third annual event will be held May 11, 2012, at the Marriott Fair Oaks, Fairfax, Virginia. For more information, contact Dr. Cathleen Lewandowski at clewando@gmu.edu. You may also review the program from the 2011 event here is a Recap of the 2011 Workshop

Check out the flyer through this link

The 19th Washington Health Policy Institute was a success!  Now it is time to plan for the 20th Washington Health Policy Institute

For 20 years, the Institute has been committed to informing students and interested attendees about Health Policy in America.

Visit this link for information about the upcoming 20th WHPI on June 4th through 8th, 2012

For additional questions, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.