HPM student selected as Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholar
| July 02, 2012 | |
Jessica Broadus
Jessica Broadus, rising senior in health policy and management at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, was selected this spring as a 2012 Barbara Jordan Health Scholar. The Barbara Jordan Scholars Program provides opportunities for recent graduates and college seniors to work in congressional offices in Washington, D.C., where they learn about health policy issues, particularly ones that affect racial and ethnic minorities and underserved communities. Through an 11-week program, scholars learn about legislative procedures and develop critical thinking and leadership skills.
Broadus will serve through August in the office of U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine, where she works with on health-related hearings and policy projects with Sen. Snowe’s health legislative assistant, Amy Pelligrino.
“Currently, we are helping with Medicare payment reform discussions,” Broadus said. “As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Snowe has the opportunity to be involved in several sustainable growth rate roundtables. I have been helping with her briefing materials. I also attend congressional briefings or hearings on topics related to health care and assist the health legislative assistant with her projects.”
Broadus already has learned a lot about the legislative process. “I have witnessed the steps involved in drafting a bill or an amendment, securing support, getting to a vote and following through with implementation,” she said.
Broadus said her undergraduate work prepared her well for the program. “I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to see, firsthand, the legislative process at work — especially during such a pivotal time in health policy,” she said. “Being part of the BSPH program has equipped me with a solid understanding of the challenges in the health care system and has allowed me to fully engage my time on the Hill.”
The Barbara Jordan Health Scholars Program was established through The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, in partnership with Howard University, to honor the legacy of former foundation trustee and congressional representative Barbara Jordan. Jordan’s career was distinguished by her tireless advocacy on behalf of vulnerable populations.
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: Linda Kastleman, communications editor, (919) 966-8317 or linda_kastleman@unc.edu
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