Dept of Health Policy & Management at George Washington University

We’re thrilled that Patricia MacTaggart, Teaching Instructor and Program Director of HealthInformatics@GW in our department, has been named a 2024 HIMSS Changemaker in Health Award Finalist. You can help her be named the winner by voting for her today at https://my.reviewr.com/s2/showcase/2024_HIMSS_Changemaker_in_Health_Award. Voting is open through November 28, 2023!

Mark your calendars & join us for the inaugural lecture series on inclusive excellence in the public health workforce, presented by Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity researcher and professor, Dr. Anushree Vichare. We'll see you there!

Visit go.gwu.edu/IE2023 to register

Our HPM leadership has been on the move! Dr. Anne Markus and the School's Sr. Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Global Health Dr. Adnan Hyder recently returned from Brussels where they were collaborating with the WHO Ambassador to the European Commission on health diplomacy and health policy development. Our reach is global!

**Photos courtesy of Dr. Hyder on X**

Nearly 60% of Black Americans say they trust the US healthcare system only some or almost none of the time to do what is right for their communities. Other marginalized populations report similar levels of medical mistrust, which comes with tangible, negative health consequences. Our HPM Department Chair Dr. Anne Markus argues that rebuilding trust with marginalized communities is essential if we want to be effective providers of services and equitably improve the public’s health. Read more from Dr. Markus here:

How Healthcare Leaders Can Increase Patient Confidence Through an interview with an expert, this article explores how organizations and public health officials can rebuild patient trust.

📢Stop scrolling, this is not a drill!!📢

New departmental merch just dropped! We're offering a crewneck, a quarter zip, and a tote bag specifically branded for our community to show our departmental pride! Mix and match the items you'd like and complete the order form accordingly. All orders must be in by Friday, November 10th. Submit your order today: https://forms.gle/7mUczpS7V9PV13xA9

(Please note that ordering is for DC-area folks only, as merch pick up will take place at Milken.)

In a newly filed amicus brief, GW Health Policy professors join with experts from across the country to warn of the potentially devastating effects of the Braidwood Management v. Becerra case on access to preventative health services. Should the plaintiffs win their argument that free preventive benefits guaranteed by the Affordable Care Act are unconstitutional, millions of people will lose access to critical health services, particularly mothers and children who we know are most likely to take advantage of free preventive services. Read more about the brief and the Braidwood case's potential impact on public health at:

Braidwood Management v Becerra Puts Over a Decade of Progress in Preventive Health Care At Risk | Milken Institute School of Public Health | The George Washington University Braidwood Management v Becerra Puts Over a Decade of Progress in Preventive Health Care At Risk

According to NPR, this year, at least 12 states have passed legislation to limit or ban gender-affirming health care for young people, adding to several bans already on the books. The Human Rights Campaign estimates that these bans will have a devastating effect on the 300,000 high school-aged (13-17 y/o) transgender youth living in the US today, many of whom are in need of this care.

Gender-affirming care is health care; LGBTQ+ health equity should not be based on your state of residence.

How has the 2022 Dobbs decision harmed public health over the course of the past year, and what can we do about it? Six top thought leaders weigh in via Women's Health Issues, including on: abortion research, maternal mortality inequities, medication, abortion via telehealth, medical training, contraception, & disability justice.

One year after the Dobbs decision stripped the federal right to abortion from millions of people, we've published commentaries from six teams of thought leaders on how the decision is affecting public health and what we can do to mitigate its harms. Read them to learn more about abortion research, racial inequities in maternal mortality, medication abortion via telehealth, medical education and training, access to contraception, and recommendations for building a reproductive future informed by disability and reproductive justice.
https://www.whijournal.com/article/S1049-3867(23)00107-X/fulltext

States are now in the midst of a massive “unwinding” of special Medicaid protections enacted by Congress to ensure continuous coverage during the COVID pandemic. Preliminary evidence suggests that in some states, this massive unwinding effort affecting over 90 million beneficiaries may be proceeding in ways that violate key Medicaid protections against the unlawful and arbitrary termination of coverage. Talevski thus serves as a reminder to states of their legal accountability to protect the rights of beneficiaries during the unwinding process as well as their obligation to ensure that enrollment rights are not lost even as termination proceeds for those no longer eligible. Read on: https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/hold-6-9-piece-talevski

We have a timely report out today in The Commonwealth Fund by HPM and Geiger Gibson researchers---including two of our DrPH students, Caitlin Murphy & Rebecca Morris---on how the road to maternal health during our national maternal health crisis runs through Medicaid managed care. Read on:

The Road to Maternal Health Runs Through Medicaid Managed Care To reverse the maternal health crisis in the U.S., Medicaid managed care must be central to any comprehensive maternal health redesign.

We're honored and excited to announce this year's departmental awards for graduating students:

Monroe Molesky, MPH - Chair's Award
Helen Stolll, MPH - Outstanding CE (Culminating Experience) Award
Grace Gleason, MHA - Leon I. Gintzig Scholarship Award for Academic Excellence
Macy Gimbel, MHA - Robert G. Shouldice Award for Excellence in Ambulatory Care Management

Congratulations to all of our awardees and thank you for your contributions to our field!

Put your hands together for today's featured graduate: Eliza Sheehan! Eliza is graduating with an MPH in Health Policy after specializing in health policy and operations at MITRE, a research & development organization, during her practicum. She continued on at MITRE after her practicum, working full time while finishing her degree. Upon graduation, Eliza is thrilled to be staying in DC to continue her journey as a health policy analyst at MITRE. Congratulations, Eliza!!