Thomas Tsai, MD, MPH, selected as Senior Policy Advisory for the White House COVID-19 Response Team

Thomas Tsai, MD, MPH (2014-2015 Fellow) has been selected as Senior Policy Advisory for the White House COVID-19 Response Team, which was established during the presidency of Joe Biden to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. In this role, Dr. Tsai serves as the Testing and Treatment Coordinator directing the federal COVID-19 testing, therapeutics, and Test to Treat efforts.

Click here to read more about Dr. Tsai’s selection for the team.

Jing Wang, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN elected to RWJF Board of Trustees

Jing Wang, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN (2020-2021 Fellow) has been elected to The Board of Trustees of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), which strives to improve health and healthcare in America, especially for those most in need, and is dedicated to building a Culture of Health that provides everyone in America a fair and just opportunity for health and well-being. Jing is preparing the next generation of nurses for a digital transformation of healthcare, and her insights and experiences will contribute significantly to the Foundation’s aforementioned mission.

Click here to read the announcement of Dr. Wang’s election to the board.

Fridays for Aging Policy – The 2020-2021 Health and Aging Policy Fellows Webinar Series

For their fellowship year Policy Symposium, the 2020-2021 Health and Aging Policy Fellows organized a special three-part webinar series called Fridays for Aging Policy. The series features experts who are shaping policy for the next decade on the timely and important topics of rural healthcare, health technology, and long-term care. The webinar recordings are available here:

1. Aging in Rural America: Addressing the Healthcare Shortage – Friday, September 10, 2021

2. Health Technology: Bridging the Technological Divide – Friday, September 17, 2021

3. Long-Term Care: Building Better Post-Pandemic – Friday, September 24, 2021

Dr. Jane Pederson appointed to Minnesota Board on Aging (MBA)

Dr. Jane Pederson (2018-2019 Fellow) has been appointed to the Minnesota Board on Aging (MBA) by Governor Tim Walz. The Board advises on and coordinates government plans around aging to ensure that Older American’s Act requirements are met. The MBA administers state and federal funds and also creates public awareness, encourages research on aging issues and provides technical assistance and grants to local aging organizations. By participating in board and committee meetings, MBA members work to create a collective vision that represents the best interests of older Minnesotans. Jane is looking forward to incorporating her expertise in long-term care and the learnings from her fellowship placement with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) into this appointment.

2019-2020 Fellows panel discussion on the Biden Healthcare Policy Agenda

On June 3, 2021, Angela Mattie (2019-2020 Fellow) moderated a Quinnipiac University webinar, featuring Thomas Eagen and Alison Hernandez – Fellows from her cohort (2019-2020) – to discuss the Biden healthcare policy agenda and current happenings at Capitol Hill. Following their fellowship year, all three Fellows have “paid it forward”: Angela has created a new course at Quinnipiac University called “Healthcare Policy and Politics” (HM 671), as a result of her work on Capitol Hill during her fellowship year; and both Thomas and Alison have remained on Capitol Hill as Legislative Assistants, sharing their wisdom of current healthcare policy matters of importance on the Hill during this webinar. Click here to watch the full panel discussion.

 

Dr. Adriana Perez in “Fast-Forward”, a John A. Hartford Foundation-sponsored PBS documentary on aging and health

Dr. Adriana Perez (2011-2012 Fellow) provided expert commentary on aging issues often overlooked by Americans of all ages in Fast-Forward, a new PBS documentary on the crucial role of family conversations and planning in healthy, successful aging. Click here to read the press release from the University of Pennsylvania Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, where Dr. Perez is an Assistant Professor of Nursing. Dr. Gregory Hinrichsen (2008-2009 Fellow) was also interviewed in the documentary.

This film is sponsored by The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.