Chapel Hill, North Carolina (January 4, 2024) – Beginning this month, 22 members of the North Carolina House and Senate will convene to learn from experts and one another in an effort to enrich health policy decision-making in our state.
Hosted by the North Carolina Institute of Medicine, the Legislative Health Policy Fellows program provides a unique nonpartisan environment for state legislators to dig deep into the data and information necessary to make effective health policy. The 2024 cohort includes 10 Democrats and 12 Republicans representing districts across the state. Fellows make a commitment to attending a series of educational meetings and engaging in discussion with their peers about innovative approaches to improving health for all North Carolinians.
“More than 30% of North Carolina’s budget is allocated to health-related services, so our state legislators have tremendous influence on the health of communities across the state,” said NCIOM Interim President & CEO Michelle Ries, MPH. “We are pleased to bring health data and resources to these elected officials as they take on the task of better understanding the complexities of health and health care in North Carolina, and focus on finding solutions for our state.”
Fellows in the 2024 cohort will participate in immersive sessions that include a mix of speakers, discussions, and learning activities focused on the health care workforce, social and economic factors in health, mental health, and health care financing in North Carolina. These sessions will take place in January, February, and March, with the final session topic to be determined by the fellows themselves.
Legislative Health Policy Fellows alumni have expressed appreciation for the evidence-based nature of the program.
“Not only was the material we covered extremely helpful, but I was able to get to know more personally several members from across the aisle,” said Rep. Verla Insko, District 56, a member of the 2019 cohort. “It was both necessary and natural to be drawn into the subject at hand and forget about party.”
The 2024 cohort includes:
Sen. Gale Adcock (D), 16th District, Wake
Sen. Val Applewhite (D), 19th District, Cumberland
Sen. Sydney Batch (D), 17th District, Wake
Sen. Mary Wills Bode (D), 18th District, Granville, Wake
Rep. Gloristine Brown (D), 8th District, Pitt
Rep. Terry M. Brown, Jr. (D), 92nd District, Mecklenburg
Sen. Jim Burgin (R), 12th District, Harnett, Lee, Sampson
Rep. Maria Cervania (D), 41st District, Wake
Rep. Allen Chesser (R), 25th District, Nash
Sen. Kevin Corbin (R), 50th District, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, Transylvania
Sen. Lisa Grafstein (D), 13th District, Wake
Sen. Ralph Hise (R), 47th District, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Haywood, Madison, Mitchell, Watauga, Yancey
Rep. Donny Lambeth (R), 75th District, Forsyth
Sen. Michael V. Lee (R), 7th District, New Hanover
Sen. Julie Mayfield (D), 49th District, Buncombe
Rep. Charles W. Miller (R), 19th District, Brunswick, New Hanover
Rep. Renee A. Price (D), 50th District, Caswell, Orange
Rep. A. Reece Pyrtle, Jr. (R), 65th District, Rockingham
Rep. Timothy Reeder (R), 9th District, Pitt
Sen. Benton G. Sawrey (R), 10th District, Johnston
Rep. John A. Torbett (R), 108th District, Gaston
Rep. Donna McDowell White (R), 26th District, Johnston
To learn more about the Legislative Health Policy Fellows program, including information about past sessions and alumni, click here.
The 2024 session of the NCIOM Legislative Health Policy Fellows program is sponsored by The Duke Endowment and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation.
The North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) is forward-looking and focused on solutions. The organization was founded in 1983 by the North Carolina General Assembly to serve as a source of non-partisan information and analysis to promote effective health policies focused on improving the health and well-being of all North Carolinians. Learn more at nciom.org.