Partners Health Policy Course was Inspiring!

Susannah Rudel, MBA/MPH

Deland Fellow at Brigham & Women’s Hospital

PGY1

03/19/2020

Susannah Rudel, MBA/MPH

The Partners Health Policy Course, offered through the Centers of Expertise, provided a fantastic learning opportunity! Hearing from leading health policy researchers and Partners administrative leaders made me feel inspired to keep more up-to-date on current health policies and policy changes, because I have a better understanding of how both national and state-level policy impacts the work we do within our healthcare system. More specifically, I now have a much better understanding of how the health policy context, such as different payment rates for different types of insurance, affects the day-to-day hospital operations that are so crucial to enabling us to continue providing care to our community.

The course was also valuable in providing both a macro and micro lens into health policy. For example, we learned a simple framework for the different levers that can be pulled to impact total healthcare spending, which was helpful for thinking about the macro-level, national conversation about controlling healthcare costs. At the same time, we heard from local Partners leaders about the different levers we have available at the hospital or health system level.

Looking ahead to how I will be able to apply what I learned in my career, I believe the course content will enable me to be a more effective administrator, because I better understand the policy context in which Brigham & Women’s Hospital operates. I think the knowledge I gained through the course will be crucial in making well-informed decisions throughout my career, and will also allow me to be a better consumer of health policy information and changes because I have a base understanding of the institutions and policies at the foundation of our healthcare system.