From the National Program Office |
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On behalf of the National Program Office, we would like to express our sincerest gratitude to all of you for your continued support of the Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program. Our growing network of Fellows and funders has created and continues to foster a strong community for collaborations that advance initiatives and policies focused on healthy aging. Across a wide range of disciplines and policy priorities, our Fellows are bridging science, policy, and practice to advance the goals of the program.
Since our last newsletter in the Fall, Maureen Henry has joined the HAPF National Program Office team as Deputy Director for Fellowship Programs. Maureen has 20 years of cross-disciplinary experience in health policy, quality improvement, performance measurement, and complex patient populations. As a 2012-2013 Health and Aging Policy Fellow, Maureen worked as a healthcare staffer in Virginia Senator Mark Warner’s Washington, DC office, where she met with constituents in DC and Virginia and assisted with negotiating and drafting the Care Planning Act of 2013. Most recently, Maureen was a Senior Program Officer with the National Academy of Medicine, where she served as Study Director for the Global Roadmap for Healthy Longevity. In her role as Deputy Director for Fellowship Programs, Maureen contributes to developing program engagement opportunities and mentoring Fellows as they pursue their policy work throughout the course of the year. She also serves as Deputy Director for the International Longevity Center – USA, within The Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center and the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. Maureen’s arrival has expanded our team’s capacity to support our growing community of nearly 200 Health and Aging Policy Fellows and build links with other aging policy efforts within Columbia University. With Maureen’s focus on current Fellows, Deputy Director Kathy Pike has shifted the concentration of her efforts to enhancing our alumni engagement opportunities. We are thrilled that Maureen is part of our team and look forward to continuing our work with all of you.
We are currently recruiting for the 2023-2024 Class of Fellows. Please share this newsletter with colleagues and friends who might be interested in learning more about the fellowship, or are planning to apply this year or in the future.
We look forward to sharing more program updates with all of you during the current fellowship year and beyond.
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Call for Applications: 2023-2024 Fellowship Year |
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We are recruiting for the 2023-2024 Class of Fellows. Click here to learn more about how to apply, and here for an overview of the fellowship.
Applications for the 2023-2024 Fellowship year are due Monday, April 17, 2023.
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Information Sessions for the 2023-2024 Fellowship Year
If you are interested in becoming a Health and Aging Policy Fellow and have questions, we are holding information sessions via Zoom.
The remaining schedule is as follows (in EST):
- Wednesday, March 1, 2023 from 12–1 PM
- Monday, March 27, 2023 from 4–5 PM
For further questions, or to arrange a call with Dr. Harold Pincus or Dr. Kathleen Pike to discuss applicant eligibility or the application specifically, please contact the Program Coordinator at hapfell@nyspi.columbia.edu.
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2022-2023 Health and Aging Policy
Fellowship Placements
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Maria T. Carney, MD, FACP, is Chief of the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine and Medical Director of Continuing Care (Post Acute) at Northwell Health, and Professor of Medicine at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Maria has a dual placement with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Maria will be assessing the requirements for and use of care plans across CMS programs. Utilizing lessons from AHRQ’s work on care planning, the goal will be to create a strategy moving forward on how care plans can be better aligned across CMS to foster better care coordination.
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Laura Cepoi, MA, is Executive Director of the Olympic Area Agency on Aging. Laura's placement is with the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, with a focus on the Elder Justice Initiatives, and the cross integration of benefits of the Senior Nutrition taskforce.
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Jonathan Cohen, JD, MPHIL, is Clinical Professor and Director of Policy Engagement with the Institute on Inequalities in Global Health at the University of Southern California. Jonathan's placement is with Senator Ben Cardin's (D-MD) health team, where he is supporting Senator Cardin’s work on global health. This includes a resolution for World Oral Health Day and a bill on Health Systems Strengthening, both of which present timely opportunities to include older adults in US global health policy.
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Emerson Ea, PhD, DNP, MS, is Clinical Professor and Associate Dean for Clinical and Adjunct Faculty Affairs at New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing. Emerson's placement is with the Administration for Community Living (ACL), where he will be working on key issues related to ACL’s efforts to support the vision of the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers, with a particular focus on advancing equity in the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander older adult population.
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Emily Franzosa, DrPH, MA, is a Research Health Science Specialist in the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx, NY and an Assistant Professor in the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Emily's placement is with the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, where her focus will be on key issues for the committee including nursing home safety and quality, ageism, and prescription drug pricing.
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Christian D. Furman, MD, MSPH, AGSF is Medical Director for the Trager Institute/Optimal Aging Clinic, Professor of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, and the Margaret Dorward Smock Endowed Chair for Geriatric Medical Education at the University of Louisville (UofL). Christian's placement is with the Office of Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), where she will be part of both the Oversight and Investigations team and Health Policy team.
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Brystana Kaufman, MSPH, PhD, is a Health Services Researcher with the Durham VA HSR&D, Assistant Professor of Population Health Sciences at Duke University, and core faculty in the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy. Brystana's placement is with the CMMI Cross-center Palliative Care Strategy Team, and her objective is to develop recommendations for a center-wide value-based payment (VBP) framework for supporting seriously ill beneficiaries in alignment with the center’s specialty strategy.
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Trisha Milnes, AuD, MHA, is the Chief of Audiology and Speech Pathology at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center. Trisha has a dual placement with the VA Central Office: Office of Health Equity, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). At the Office of Health Equity, Trisha will focus on identifying potential disparities in consults to audiology and speech pathology services. At AHRQ, Trisha will be working with them on the coordination of care for multiple chronic conditions and strategic planning for the 2025 budget.
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Celeste Peay, MD, JD, is a fourth-year Psychiatry Resident in the Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital Adult Psychiatry Residency Program. Celeste's placement is with the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging's oversight team, with her current work focused on nursing home survey agencies across the 50 states and territories.
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Adam Perry, MD, is Regional Medical Director of DispatchHealth. Adam has a dual placement with ATI Advisory and The Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (CTAC). At ATI Advisory, Adam will focus on improving care for complex older adults. At CTAC, Adam will be working with the CTAC Regulatory Taskforce on responses to recent CMS Parts C, D, and PACE proposed rule changes.
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Melinda Power, ScD, is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. Melinda's placement is with the Office of Congressman Matt Cartwright (D-PA), managing a portfolio of key health and aging issues with duties similar to those of a legislative assistant.
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Laurence M. Solberg, MD, is a Geriatrician and Implementation Science Researcher at the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, NF/SG VHS, Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC); and Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. Laurence's placement is with the VA Veterans Benefits Administration, working on the policy development and implementation of the PACT Act, which expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances.
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Benjamin F. Springgate, MD, MPH, is Professor of Medicine and Health Policy and Systems Management at LSU Health Sciences Center, and
Director, Center for Healthcare Value and Equity; Chief, Community and Population Medicine; and Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs in the Department of Medicine at LSU School of Medicine. Benjamin's placement is with the Office of Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA). Through his placement in Senator Cassidy’s office, Ben looks forward to supporting legislative efforts across both the Senate Finance and HELP Committees.
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E. Foy White-Chu, MD, CWSP, AGSF is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University, a Geriatrician, and the Medical Director for the Wound Healing Program at the Portland VA Health Care System. Foy's placement is with Oregon Health Authority, where her primary focus is implementation of the 1115 Waiver, a newly granted 5-year waiver that will support health-related social issues such as housing, transportation, and food security. Foy's role is to ensure that older adults are part of the conversation.
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We deserve care that prioritizes what matters to us as we age - that's the foundation of age-friendly care. The John A. Hartford Foundation president Terry Fulmer discusses how focusing on what matters helps improve health outcomes and combats ageism with WebMD’s John Whyte in a new video.
The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) has released a request for applications for their "State Policy Institute to Improve Care for People with Serious Illness." Apply by February 24.
The 2023 Call for Applications is open for the NAM Scholars in Diagnostic Excellence in collaboration with the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS). Apply by March 1.
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) is inviting health systems to join the next Age-Friendly Health Systems Action Community that starts in March 2023.
Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP) has released a new collection of Age-Friendly Care at Home resources and standards.
The Serious Illness Messaging Toolkit is an online resource for public messaging about care for serious illnesses. The purpose of the toolkit is to support the way organizations talk to the public, and is based on a decade of research into what the public really thinks.
Health Services Research (HSR) is publishing a series of papers as part of an Age-Friendly Health Systems Special Issue. The journal will be released in hard copy in February, the papers are also available online.
Health Affairs has announced it is refreshing its call for submissions with a new cycle of papers that will run through June 30, 2025. The JAHF-sponsored series, "Age-Friendly Health," has the overarching goal to improve care for older adults by helping to guide the federal, state, and local policy agenda through empirical studies and thoughtful, incisive commentary.
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Taking Specialty Geriatric Care Beyond the ER
West Health has partnered with San Diego’s largest hospital, Sharp Memorial, to develop an integrated geriatric care model spanning the entire health care continuum, from the emergency department and operating room to primary care. “Already, hospital systems are seeing the positive impact of geriatric specialty care in emergency settings and operating rooms,” says Shelley Lyford, CEO and Chair of West Health. “Just think of the impact when that level of care extends throughout the entire system in an intentional and coordinated manner.” Read more.
Survey Shows Doctors Are Hesitant to Use Telehealth with Older Adults…And That’s a Problem
A sweeping national survey of doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers reveals that nearly 60 percent believe it’s “dangerous” to provide telehealth to older adults due to patients’ medical complexities, while another 60 percent say telehealth is an unrealistic option for seniors with physical or cognitive challenges. The results not only shed light on perceived concerns that can impact care but point to the need for industry-wide guidance on how to improve telehealth for this fast-growing patient population. The study, led by West Health, was published in the peer-reviewed journal Telemedicine and eHealth.
Don’t Miss the Multisector Plan for Aging National Symposium at On Aging 2023
Will you be attending On Aging 2023 in Atlanta? Then be sure to participate in the Multisector Plan for Aging National Symposium on Monday, March 27. The workshop, sponsored by West Health, the SCAN Foundation and The John A. Hartford Foundation, builds on significant momentum nationwide to implement comprehensive plans for addressing the needs of aging populations. Learn from how to get started, hear strategies for engaging a wide field of stakeholders, and get practical tips on tracking data and measuring success.
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The fellowship is made possible with the commitment and generous support of our funders. Over the last few years, we have deepened our collaboration with The John A. Hartford Foundation, who partnered with Atlantic Philanthropies to broaden and extend the fellowship program; and with West Health, who has been essential to establishing and expanding our alumni program. At the same time, we have been able to further develop our partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR)-funded programs at University of Washington and Northwestern University, and The Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, among others.
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The National Program Office (NPO) for the Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program is based at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, in New York City.
Harold Pincus, MD
National Program Director
Kathleen Pike, PhD
Deputy Director, Alumni Programs
Maureen Henry, JD
Deputy Director, Fellowship Programs
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