Vice Admiral Jerome M. Adams, U.S. surgeon general, will speak Oct. 3 at the second UNMC Health Policy in Action Conference. The conference will be held virtually via Zoom.
Dr. Adams’ talk will focus on the federal pandemic response and the nation’s rural opioid crisis. As the surgeon general of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Dr. Adams oversees the operations of more than 6,000 uniformed health officers who serve in nearly 800 locations around the world, promoting, protecting, and advancing the health and safety of the nation.
The conference, which is targeted toward students, is open to anyone within the university.
Mary Woolley, CEO and president of Research!America, also will speak. Wooley will provide dialogue on her advocacy relating to federal policy and ongoing vaccination efforts. Research!America is the nation’s largest not-for-profit advocacy organization committed to making medical and health research a higher national priority.
Additionally, panel discussions including public health directors from across the state, medical professionals, and university leadership from the Minority Health Disparities Initiative will discuss current issues on health policy.
Participants will learn from government leaders and health officials about:
- Federal policy and pandemic responses;
- Public health response in surge and non-surge communities;
- Health disparities and public policy; and
- How to be a health care advocate.
“Policy shapes our work as clinicians, researchers, and public health leaders. It is important to understand the mechanism of health policy to better advocate for our patients and collective professions,” said Jed Hansen, a PhD candidate and family nurse practitioner student in the UNMC College of Nursing. “This year’s conference will provide an excellent opportunity for students and university personnel to hear from national and state leaders on the subject.”
The conference will be hosted by the UNMC Primary Care Progress Student Chapter and UNMC student delegates from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 3. See more information and register. Liliana Bronner, UNMC Department of Family Medicine assistant professor, serves as the faculty advisor for the UNMC chapter.