News

CHRT’s 2025 Health Policy Fellowship recently wrapped up, concluding several months of learning for this year’s cohort of fellows. The fellowship brings together emerging leaders from research, policy, nonprofit, academic, and health care spaces to deepen their understanding of how health policy works at the local, state, and federal levels.

Throughout the program, fellows had the opportunity to hear directly from policymakers, researchers, journalists, advocates, and community leaders who shared their expertise and experiences shaping health policy in Michigan and beyond.

Last month, fellows traveled to Washington, DC to learn more about how health policy works at the federal level. During the visit, they met with policymakers, media experts, and health policy leaders who offered an on-the-ground perspective on how research, policy, and communications intersect in today’s health landscape.

CHRT thanks the many speakers and experts who shared their time and knowledge during the Washington, DC visit, including:

• Simeon Niles
• Shawn Gremminger
• Neil Canfield
• Eileen Kostanecki
• Elizabeth Trombley
• Emma Casey
• Gabrielle Minarik
• Michael Spero
• Meg Rorke
• Julie Rovner
• Alice Miranda Ollstein
• Lizzy Lawrence
• Neda Jasemi
• Kate Massey
• Jake Quinton, MD, MS, MPH

Another key part of the fellowship each year is Detroit Day, where fellows learn directly from community leaders and organizations working to address health and social challenges on the ground.

Detroit Day began with a bus tour led by Reverend Simmons, who shared insights into the challenges faced by Detroit communities while also highlighting the progress that advocacy and community-led efforts have made across the city.

Fellows also heard from leaders working across food insecurity, poverty, maternal and child health, and community care. Eric Candela discussed the impact of food insecurity in Michigan, noting that one in seven Michiganders experience food insecurity and that a significant amount of food grown is never consumed. Luke Shaefer shared how programs such as Rx Kids in Flint have demonstrated meaningful benefits for families while also reducing long-term costs.

Doug Stewart and Shelly Visek spoke with fellows about the challenges faced by Detroit families and how the MiSide program supports residents through early childhood education resources. Fellows also heard from LaShanda, a MiSide participant, who shared how the program helped support her as a young mother of twins.

During lunch at Sweet Potato Sensations, owner Epsy Thomas shared how a family recipe became the foundation for a successful business and decades of community impact in Detroit.

The day concluded with a visit to the Community Health and Social Services Center (CHASS), a federally qualified health center serving Southwest Detroit with affordable and bilingual health and social services.

CHRT is grateful to all of the speakers, organizations, and community leaders who contributed to this year’s fellowship experience. Their willingness to share their work, stories, and perspectives continues to make the fellowship a meaningful and transformative opportunity for Michigan’s emerging health policy leaders.