DECEMBER 2023
The Supreme Court has recently agreed to review a lower court decision that would make mifepristone, the commonly used abortion pill, less accessible. A decision is expected by summer, 2024. Abortion and contraceptive access are areas that IHPS faculty have a long history of researching.

Eleanor Schwarz, MD, MS and colleagues recently published their findings on medication abortions provided by family planning clinics in California.

Cynthia Harper, PhD, Jennifer Yarger, PhD and colleagues shared their findings that present new evidence that state of residence plays an important role in young people’s ability to realize their contraceptive preference. Young people in Texas, with lower insurance coverage and more limited access to safety net programs for contraceptive care than in California, have lower use of preferred contraception. It has become urgent in states with abortion bans to support young people’s access to their preferred methods.

Mara Decker, DrPH, and colleagues looked at whether comprehensive sexual health education that provides information on clinical services can change adolescents' perceptions of barriers, facilitators, and intention to use services and whether changes in perceptions differ by participant characteristics.
Claire D. Brindis Award
for Community Engagement and Service
in Health Policy Research
The inaugural Claire D. Brindis Award for Community Engagement and Service in Health Policy Research was awarded to Valerie Yerger, ND. This award recognizes UCSF faculty who are engaged in policy-focused research and advocacy which address social, health, and, ethnic, and racial disparities; this research and advocacy serve to improve community wellbeing, and are exemplified by the stakeholder-focused contributions which are a hallmark of Dr. Brindis’ career.
Photo: Valerie Yerger (l) Claire Brindis (r)
IHPS Faculty Spotlight
Jayme Congdon MD, MS is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Affiliated Faculty at the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies. She conducts community-engaged research to develop and test innovative models of health care delivery that promote equitable access to high-quality preventive care. Her current research projects focus on integrated newborn and postpartum health services, trauma-informed and family-centered pediatric primary care, and adolescent opioid use disorder treatment. She works clinically and teaches pediatric residents and students in the UCSF Mission Bay newborn nursery.
Upcoming Events
IHPS Grand Rounds: Adoption and Exnovation of Patient Engagement Strategies by Primary Care Practices in the United States

Hector Rodriguez, PhD, MPH
University of California, Berkeley

Jan 9, 2023, 12 - 1 pm PT
In-person Mission Hall 2103
Zoom here
Research Highlights
Media Mentions
Philip R. Lee Fellowship Fund Endowed
Since its founding 50 years ago, IHPS has been dedicated to training the next generation of leaders in interdisciplinary research to solve our most important health policy issues. In celebration of our 50th anniversary and to honor our founders, Phil Lee and Lew Butler, we established an endowment fund for the Philip R. Lee Fellowship. We are pleased to announce the fund has been endowed! We hope to continue to keep this fund and our fellowship program robust. Please consider donating at our dedicated webpage!