The College of Health (COH) established the Institute of Health Policy and Politics (IHPP) in September 2021. According to IHPP Director Eduardo J. Gómez, a professor in the department of community and population health, the IHPP was formed in response to the government’s politized response to the pandemic both in the U.S. and globally.
“This situation motivated me to find a way of bringing together faculty and students at Lehigh to study the intersection of health politics and policy; to provide data and analysis to domestic and international health policymakers; and to provide guidance and support to our communities,” Gómez said.
Through research, teaching, and service, members of the IHPP have raised awareness about the role of domestic and international health policymaking and the broader political contexts influencing population health.
As one of the four research centers and institutes overseen by the College of Health, the IHPP is open to all Lehigh University colleges and has included faculty from the COH, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Business.
New Student-Based Journal
In Fall of 2023, the IHPP published the inaugural issue of Health Policy & Politics, a student-based journal that discusses the complex intersection of health policymaking and politics within the U.S. and abroad. Topics included the effect of the 2009 healthcare reform in China on access, the workforce, and quality of services; plus the failure of governments around the world to make lasting changes that will enable healthcare workers to provide effective care.
Lehigh student Max DeCaro, who is also the IHPP’s Research and Administrative Assistant, was the Co-Editor alongside Eduardo J. Gómez. College of Health students served as associate editors. Gómez emphasized that students acquire leadership and teamwork experience by having opportunities to be involved in this journal. The second issue is expected to be published in Spring 2025.
Events and Resources
Additionally, the IHPP has brought experts in the field to Lehigh to share their research and discuss key issues. In April 2022, the IHPP hosted U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine at the COH’s Health, Science and Technology Building as the inaugural keynote speaker.
Levine, the nation’s highest ranking, openly transgendered public official, shared how she was working to help the nation overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. In her talk, “Challenges and Opportunities Facing Public Health Perspectives from the Assistant Secretary for Health,” she addressed gender and identity insecurity, public health initiatives and misinformation, and the inequities exposed by the coronavirus pandemic.
In the 2022-23 academic year, the IHPP and the College of Health co-sponsored a Colloquium Speakers series on the topics of women’s health and nutrition. These sessions were open to the community and featured experts from Lehigh, Washington University, University of Connecticut, and the Medical Women’s International Association, to name a few.
Further, the IHPP provides resources to faculty and students by sharing opportunities about grants, internships, and employment opportunities in the health policy field through a bi-weekly email.
Future Plans
Gómez is planning to grow the Institute by developing a new Policy Fellows program for mid-career professionals to study at Lehigh for a semester. “This would provide a research experience for people who are working in the health policy sector to come study health politics and policy issues,” he said.
Over the past three years, the IHPP has advanced health policy scholarship by sharing research and insights through the Health Policy & Politics journal, increasing faculty and student awareness of opportunities, co-sponsoring the Colloquium series on important issues in population health, and more.
The IHPP is aspiring to always find creative ways to have more of an impact, Gómez added.
