Osteopathic Health Policy Fellowship

About the Osteopathic Health Policy Fellowship

Welcome to the Osteopathic Health Policy Fellowship. Now in its 29th year, the OHPF is a ten-month long training program that empowers leaders within the osteopathic profession to actively contribute to shaping health policy affecting patients and populations. 

Graduates join a cadre of health policy experts from which the profession draws to staff committees and task forces at the federal and state levels, testify on health policy issues of importance to improving patient and population health, and work in various capacities to develop evidence-based policy positions. Many graduates who hold academic appointments contribute to health policy instruction at their colleges. OHPF Alumni include DOs, MDs and other clinicians (PAs and nurses, e.g.); non-clinical faculty and administrators; state osteopathic association and foundation directors and hospital administrators.

During the year, Fellows attend six sessions, including an intensive four-day academic orientation in Columbus, Ohio, and a three-day session in Washington, DC. The four remaining two-and-a-half-day sessions (arrive Thursday evening and finish Saturday late afternoon) are held at select colleges of osteopathic medicine and provide insight into policy issues pertinent to their location. The remaining four sessions are held virtually during non-travel months. Virtual weekend sessions are typically held on a Friday (12-7 p.m. ET) and Saturday (12-5 p.m. ET). Between monthly seminars, fellows are expected to devote a minimum of 20 hours to reading, researching and completing written assignments. 

Program Focus

The OHPF curriculum is designed to afford Fellows a broad range of tools applicable to health policy, including:

• Foundations of health policy
• Information systems for research and communication
• Policy analysis and formulation
• The foundation of evidence in policy formation and analysis
• Interpretation of statistical reporting
• Writing skills for presentation and publication
• Media training
• The relationship between politics and policy
• Advocacy

At each session, guest facilitators, who are experts on issues or representatives from policy-relevant institutions and agencies, present overviews of policy issues in their fields that form the basis of the interactive weekend seminars throughout the year. Many of these facilitators go on to serve as resources for group and individual assignments. Policy areas have included:

• Local, state, tribal, and federal health policy
• Health inequities and disparities
• Uninsured and vulnerable populations
• Healthcare workforce
• Quality of care and patient safety
• Economics of health policy
• Rural, urban, and other health-disparate populations
• Multicultural medicine
• Medical education
• Global comparative health policy
• Healthcare reform

Fellows participate in policy meetings, including workshops to develop strategies to influence policy. Fellows will also participate in leadership training workshops focused on public speaking, communicating with the media, and effective negotiation strategies.

For additional information, please email the Co-Directors at ohpf2023@gmail.com.