MORRISVILLE (January 16, 2018) — The North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) has launched the Legislative Health Policy Fellows Program to provide General Assembly members with resources and data to inform health policy decision-making and priorities. The inaugural 2018 class of Legislative Health Policy Fellows is comprised of 22 state legislators (see full list of participants below).
North Carolina allocates over 30% of the state’s budget toward health-related services. Given the large portion of the state budget dedicated to health care, decisions regarding health policy have tremendous impact on North Carolina’s economy and the health of communities across the state. These decisions are among the most important responsibilities of state legislators.
“As legislators, we come to this work with a wide variety of backgrounds, but health care legislation is one of the more important things we do,” said Sen. Angela Bryant (D-District 4). “Even as a legislator with over a decade of experience, I continue to learn about the ins and outs of Medicaid and health care financing.”
Over three full-day sessions, Fellows will learn about health issues facing North Carolina, structure and financing of the state’s health care system, priorities for health care delivery and opportunities for improving health. Sessions will provide information on public and private health care financing, the role of Health and Human Services agencies, and resources for health policy data and research. In addition, the program will allow participating legislators to identify their health care priority topics for later sessions and provide opportunity for dialogue with colleagues and experts on how best to approach health policy decision-making for North Carolina.
“Over the past two years in the General Assembly, I have come to appreciate the nonpartisan, evidence-based approach to health policy from the NCIOM,” said Rep. Greg Murphy (R-District 9).
The NCIOM will host the first session of the Legislative Health Policy Fellows Program on Jan. 22, which will cover topics including “Drivers of Health” and “The U.S. Health System: An Overview of Insurance, Access, and State Performance.” Speakers include Dr. Laura Gerald, president of the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust; Rep. John Burris, former Arkansas state representative; Sara Collins, Ph.D., vice president for health care coverage and access at The Commonwealth Fund; and Lanier Cansler, president of Cansler Collaborative Resources and former North Carolina state representative and Secretary of Health and Human Services.
"The most exciting thing about this opportunity for the NCIOM and the Fellows is the opportunity to share data, resources and evidence-based policy tools to inform health policy legislation,” said Adam Zolotor, president and CEO of the NCIOM.
The Legislative Health Policy Fellows Program is funded by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, Cone Health Foundation, Commonwealth Fund and The Duke Endowment.
2018 Legislative Health Policy Fellows:
Representative Cynthia Ball, D, District 49 – Wake
Representative MaryAnn Black, D, District 29 – Durham
Senator Angela Bryant, D, District 4 – Halifax, Nash, Vance, Warren, Wilson
Representative Deb Butler, D, District 18 – Brunswick, New Hanover
Representative Carla Cunningham, D, District 106 – Mecklenburg
Representative Josh Dobson, R, District 85 – Avery, McDowell, Mitchell
Senator Chuck Edwards, R, District 48 – Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania
Senator Rick Horner, R, District 11 – Johnston, Nash, Wilson
Representative Pat Hurley, R, District 70 – Randolph
Senator Joyce Krawiec, R, District 31 – Forsyth, Yadkin
Senator Paul Lowe, D, District 42 – Forsyth
Representative Graig Meyer, D, District 50 – Durham, Orange
Representative Greg Murphy, R, District 9 – Pitt
Senator Paul Newton, R, District 36 – Cabarrus, Union
Senator Louis Pate, R, District 7 – Lenoir, Pitt, Wayne
Representative Larry Potts, R, District 81 – Davidson
Senator Jeff Tarte, R, District 41 – Mecklenburg
Representative Evelyn Terry, D, District 71 – Forsyth
Senator Terry Van Duyn, D, District 49 – Buncombe
Representative Donna White, R, District 26 – Johnston
Representative Shelly Willingham, D, District 23 – Edgecombe, Martin
Senator Mike Woodard, D, District 22 – Durham, Person, Caswell
The North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) is an independent, quasi-state agency that was chartered by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1983 to provide balanced, nonpartisan information on issues of relevance to the health of North Carolina’s population. For more information, visit nciom.org.
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