Northwestern Health Sciences University to launch new health policy center

January 13, 2011 — Northwestern Health Sciences University is set to launch a new initiative, the Center for Health Care Innovation and Policy. The mission of the center is to inform and influence public policy in the areas of natural, integrative and evidence-informed health care, service delivery and public health.

The initiative will kick off with a health policy forum on campus later this winter. The event is being planned for legislators who will be serving on new Minnesota House and Senate committees in the current session. The Center will work with several community partners in hosting the event.

The forum “Innovating Minnesota Health Care through Communication, Collaboration and Integration” will focus on:

• Different and current models for integrated care;

• Ideas for involving non-allopathic providers in healthcare homes;

• State of the research in CAM therapies; and

• Identifying healthcare issues that can be addressed through clinical integration.

“This is an effort to raise the profile of natural health care,” reports Mark Zeigler, DC, president of Northwestern Health Sciences University. “In light of healthcare reform, we have a unique opportunity to help shape evidence-informed policy from the perspective of integrative healthcare disciplines.”

Charles Sawyer, DC, senior vice president at Northwestern; Michele Maiers, DC, MPH, associate dean of research and knowledge transfer at Northwestern; and Dave Kunz, a lobbyist for Northwestern, will work as a team to accomplish objectives, collaborating with others as needed to promote the center and better position Northwestern to influence public policy.

The Center will serve as a resource for information related to integrative health and healthcare delivery, according to Maiers. It will provide a platform for Northwestern to position themselves as an authority on the evolution of complementary and alternative medicine and integrative disciplines in the greater context of health and wellness.

Sawyer says the center will also enhance Northwestern’s ability to have a potential impact on developing public policy in areas relevant to the university programs and professions. In addition to the public health forum, short term objectives include preparing evidence-informed talking points for use during the 2011 legislative session, and supporting the legislative initiatives of our professional associations.

Source: Northwestern Health Sciences University, www.nwhealth.edu/nwtoday/index.html