Legislative Education Initiative
Legislative Education Initiative
State legislatures across the country must make health policy and financing decisions regarding access to care, health status, and insurance coverage, all of which impact their constituents. The Georgia Health Policy Center (GHPC) has been offering objective information on health policy, financing, and insurance coverage to the Georgia General Assembly for two decades. Since 2008, GHPC has offered a unique legislative education initiative, applying systems thinking to state health policymaking.
Legislative Health Policy Certificate Program
The Legislative Health Policy Certificate Program (LHPCP) was designed by GHPC to prepare state legislators and staff to address the complex health issues before them. Members of the Georgia General Assembly completing three of the sessions receive a certificate from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies and are recognized by their respective legislative body. The program consists of four sessions:
- Evaluating Health Policy from a Systems Thinking Perspective: Why Health Matters to Our State
- Health Financing: Challenges and Opportunities
- Health Coverage, Access to Care, and Prevention
- Special Health Topics (may include childhood obesity, behavioral health, Georgia’s trauma care system, and public health)
Advanced Health Policy Institute
GHPC created the Advanced Health Policy Institute in 2012 to further refine legislators’ skills in creating high-leverage solutions for adaptive health policy challenges. This two-part series is open to legislators and staff who previously attended the certificate program. Attendees received additional content information focused on:
- Health care financing
- Issue framing
- Systems thinking
- Conversational capacity
- Leadership
To date, 166 legislators and key staff members have attended the Legislative Health Policy Certificate Program, with 140 completing the required four sessions to earn a certificate. Additionally, 110 attendees have progressed to the Advanced Health Policy Institute, with 61 earning commendation for completing the two required sessions. For more information, email us at [email protected].