Program educates lawmakers on healthcare issues to assist them in policymaking
(ATLANTA) – State Representative Terry Rogers (R-Clarkesville) recently completed the Legislative Health Policy Certificate Program (LHPCP). This program, sponsored by the Georgia Health Policy Center (GHPC) at Georgia State University, is a comprehensive training program to prepare Georgia legislators to address state health policymaking.
“I am very appreciative for the opportunity to participate in Georgia State University’s Legislative Health Policy Certificate Program,” says Rep. Rogers. “An overwhelming number of Georgians have said that health care is their top priority. This program has prepared me to deal with important healthcare topics, especially the issues that plague rural Georgia. House district 10 is facing many of the same problems that other rural parts of the state are dealing with, including the opioid crisis and closing hospitals. After completing this program, I feel better equipped to tackle these issues, and I look forward to working with my House colleagues in the upcoming legislative session to help find solutions.”
LHPCP was created for legislators who want to improve their understanding of health and health care. The program consists of four sessions that provide legislators with evidence-based information so that they can assess different variables involved in making policy decisions. Session topics are based on the priorities of program participants to ensure that the content is timely and relevant to the most pressing challenges legislators face.
As part of the program, members of the Georgia General Assembly must complete at least three sessions to receive a certificate from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. The program consists of the following 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; and Special Health Topics, which may include childhood obesity, behavioral health, Georgia’s trauma care system and public health.
Legislators who complete the program are recognized by their respective legislative body during the legislative session.
The Georgia Health Policy Center (GHPC) has been offering objective information on health policy, financing and insurance coverage to the Georgia General Assembly since 2008. The goals of the LHPCP are to increase opportunities to reinforce learning, broaden participation beyond health committees to ultimately affect health outcomes beyond the health care sector and ensure that program design meets legislators’ needs and can be directly applied to their work.
To date, more than 120 legislators and staff have attended the LHPCP, and the certificate program serves as a national model for encouraging legislators to engage in a broader, more systemic approach to health policymaking.
To learn more about the Legislative Health Policy Certificate Program visit https://vimeo.com/111209199.
