Guiding the Next Generation: Reflections on The Washington Center’s 2025 Health Policy Immersion

This past weekend, I had the honor of serving as a faculty fellow for The Washington Center’s 2025 Health Policy Immersion in Washington, D.C. Over four days, students from across the country came together to examine the systems, structures, and shifting priorities that define today’s health policy landscape. My role was to help frame the daily discussions, moderate key sessions, and support students as they engaged directly with national leaders.

A Program Framed by Urgency and Opportunity

The immersion began with an exploration of how health policy is shaped in a politicized age. Journalists from The Washington Post discussed the challenge of covering healthcare when trust and truth feel under constant strain. We then heard from the incoming president of the American Medical Association, who underscored the turbulence—and potential—of this transitional moment in U.S. healthcare.

On Friday, the agenda dove into the frontlines and fault lines of health reform. I had the privilege of moderating conversations with policymakers like Congresswoman Diana DeGette, who walked students through the legislative road ahead, and experts from Brookings and Georgetown who unpacked the future of Medicaid and Medicare. Later that day, panelists from NASADAD and the National Academy for State Health Policy highlighted how federal, state, and local systems must adapt in an era of shifting needs.

Saturday turned toward the future of advocacy and innovation. I moderated sessions with nonprofit and private-sector leaders on the role of advocacy in shaping policy and facilitated an inspiring discussion on the future of mental health policy—a topic deeply connected to my own work. The day closed with an “in-the-field” exercise that challenged students to test what they had learned through applied problem-solving.

Finally, Sunday placed the spotlight on careers in health policy. Students took part in the RePlay Health simulation, then joined a panel with leaders from AARP and UC San Diego to envision how they might build careers at the intersection of policy, practice, and advocacy. I wrapped up my faculty fellow role by moderating the conversation and joining in the program’s closing reflections.

What I Took Away

The experience reaffirmed my belief that the next generation of health leaders is not only ready to take on these challenges but eager to ground their work in equity, access, and innovation. Their questions went straight to the heart of the matter: How do we balance cost and compassion? How do we ensure reproductive rights, mental health, and prevention don’t get lost in political crossfire?

As someone who has spent much of my career helping to negotiate contracts, shaping responses to the opioid crisis, and working at the intersection of behavioral health and policy reform, I found it energizing to see students apply fresh eyes to entrenched problems.

Looking Ahead

The Washington Center’s Health Policy Immersion shows what’s possible when students are given the tools, the access, and the encouragement to step into complex conversations. Programs like this matter because they don’t just teach the “what” of policy—they invite students to wrestle with the “why” and to practice the “how.”

At NorthStar BH Advisory, I remain committed to advancing reforms that take on complex social systems—whether through payment innovation, parity enforcement, or integrated behavioral health systems so that all communities may thrive. But just as important is investing in the people who will carry this work forward. The students I met last week are proof that the future of health policy is in good hands.