Partnership with the American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship Program

The Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program is delighted to be able to partner with the APSA Congressional Fellowship Program, a highly selective non-partisan program in the nation’s Capitol. Founded in 1953, the APSA Congressional Fellowship Program is the nation's oldest and most prestigious congressional fellowship. More than fifty years later, the program remains devoted to its original objective of expanding knowledge and awareness of Congress throughout the United States and worldwide.

Partnership with the John Heinz Senate Fellowship in Issues of the Aging

The John Heinz Senate Fellowship Program provides an opportunity for mid-career professionals in aging to learn public policy as a member of the US Senate staff. Intended as a career development opportunity for professionals in the field of aging, the program will provide first-hand knowledge in the development and advancement of public policy and legislation that will improve the quality of life for older Americans.

The John Heinz Senate Fellowship Program was authorized on September 30, 1999 through Senate Resolution 180, enacted in the 106th Congress. This resolution stipulates that the program will be administered with the assistance of the Heinz Family Foundation. Recipients of the Heinz fellowships will be selected by a board of trustees composed of former staff directors of the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging and former members of the Senator's senior staff.

Beginning in 2008, the Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program has partnered with the John Heinz Senate Fellowship in Issues of the Aging. Our programs have combined to create the joint John Heinz/Health and Aging Policy Fellowship. Each year, one individual will be designated the John Heinz/Health and Aging Policy Fellow. The John Heinz/Health and Aging Poliyc Fellowship is funded by the United States Senate, the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Foundation, the Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program and administered by the Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program.

Partnership with the Healthy Aging Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The mission of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is to promote health; prevent disease, injury and disability; and prepare for new health threats.  Given the dramatic aging of our nation’s population, CDC’s efforts to promote and preserve the health of older adults are of primary importance. 

CDC’s Healthy Aging Program is a cross-cutting program focused on improving the health and quality of life of older adults.  Our Program, under the direction of Lynda A. Anderson, PhD, is located within the Office of the Director of the Division of Adult and Community Health within CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.  We have nine professional staff (including a PhD behavioral scientist and several staff with advanced degrees in public health), and two consultants based in Washington DC with longstanding expertise in aging and public health policy.  We link closely with national partners such as AARP, the American Medical Association, and the Alzheimer’s Association.  In addition, we interact on a regular basis with our CDC colleagues in programs focusing on such areas as preventive services, (e.g., adult immunization, cancer prevention and control), injury prevention, and disabilities.  We support the Healthy Aging Research Network, a consortium of eight academic institutions around the country that conduct public health research on strategies to preserve and promote the health of older adults. This vital and unique network works closely with communities to translate evidence-based strategies into practice.

The Healthy Aging Program welcomes the active participation and contributions of a non-residential Health and Aging Policy Fellow to focus on policy issues related to one of the following areas.  Specific responsibilities will be determined in consultation with a prospective Fellow, depending on his or her interests, experience, and expertise.

• Increasing the Use of Clinical Preventive Services – There exists a considerable gap between those for whom potentially lifesaving preventive services (e.g., immunizations, chronic disease screenings) are recommended and those who actually receive them. This is particularly true for adults between the ages of 50 and 64, and thus not yet eligible for Medicare.  A Fellow concentrating in this area will have the opportunity to consult with our Program’s two Washington, DC-based consultants (including the CDC/AARP Liaison) to build on the momentum of our recently released report “Promoting Preventive Services for Adults 50-64:  Community and Clinical Partnerships” (www.cdc.gov/aging).  The Fellow may also collaborate with such partners as the American Medical Association, the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, and the SPARC Program (Sickness Prevention Achieved through Regional Collaboration).

• Enhancing Mobility for Older Adults – A growing body of research points to the influence of policy and the “built environment” on the ability of older adults to pursue healthy behaviors. Issues related to ensuring mobility (e.g., walking, safe driving) for older adults are gaining increased attention as key factors in keeping older people independent and socially engaged. CDC’s Healthy Aging Program is working closely with Healthy Aging Research Network scientists and public health and aging services professionals to assist communities in ensuring that policies and environmental elements are in place to facilitate and promote mobility.  A Fellow concentrating in this area will have the opportunity to consult with academic partners in the Healthy Aging Research Network and the Network’s Physical Activity Interest Group. Examples of other potential linkages include CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

• Promoting Mental Health Among Older Adults – CDC and the Healthy Aging Program are increasingly focusing on mental health as a critical component of overall health.  Promoting positive mental health, screening and treatment for depression, and preventing and slowing cognitive impairment are among the issues on which a Fellow working in this area will focus.  The Fellow may collaborate with CDC’s Mental Health Workgroup, the Healthy Aging Research Network, the Alzheimer’s Association, and other organizations with a vested interest in working to preserve and promote the emotional and cognitive health of older adults. 

A Health and Aging Policy Fellow consulting with CDC will have the opportunity to meet with CDC Healthy Aging Program staff and key partners in Atlanta, Georgia, approximately three times during the year-long fellowship.  In support of their work and depending on needs and interests, the Fellow may also have the opportunity to meet with key partner(s) in locations other than Atlanta, e.g., Washington DC.

The John A. Hartford Foundation

The John A. Hartford Foundation has provided generous support for Strategic Communications and Planning to provide a communications skills workshop for the fellows. (Please see Core Program Components.)

Founded in 1929, the John A. Hartford Foundation is a committed champion of training, research and service system innovations that promote the health and independence of America's older adults. Through its grantmaking, the Foundation seeks to strengthen the nation's capacity to provide effective, affordable care to this rapidly increasing older population by educating "aging-prepared" health professionals (physicians, nurses, social workers), and developing innovations that improve and better integrate health and supportive services. The Foundation was established by John A. Hartford. Mr. Hartford and his brother, George L. Hartford, both former chief executives of the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, left the bulk of their estates to the Foundation upon their deaths in the 1950s.

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