Health Policy Track

"Now more than ever, we need skilled physicians working for their patients in both the exam room and the halls of the legislature.  Just as patients need their primary care physician fighting on their behalf with insurance companies, they also need us as their representatives in the legislative process to ensure that the conversation is intensely patient-focused and primary care centric. There is no one more qualified to do this task than passionate primary care specialists. This need was recognized 6 years ago by Dr. Petrany, the current department chair, who established this program as the first-in-the-nation Family Medicine Health Policy Track. Since then 4 residents have completed the program with interests as varied as Family Medicine national leadership, Public Health, state legislative work, and policy research.

This track is flexible, allowing you to pursue your passion within Health Policy.  We leverage our resources and connections with national Family Medicine leadership, the national and state legislatures, public health officials, state and local public health departments, WV Medicaid, among others, to help you pursue your interest in health policy.

While this program gives you ample opportunity to pursue your policy interests on a local, state, or national level, we first train you to be a well-rounded, competent, and caring Family Medicine Physician.  Requests for consideration for application into the track should be forwarded to the contacts below.  Acceptance is competitive and based on interviews with the Health Policy Faculty.  Option to pursue MPH during residency is available.  

Contact christiansen@marshall.edu or petrany@marshall.edu for more information.

"The track allowed me to understand the process behind, and subsequently to get involved and have a voice in, developing the policies that affect how we deliver health care."

-- Kimberly R. Becher, MD

Participants in this track are expected to:

  • Meet with program faculty in PGY1 to discuss track options and determine a track plan for residency
  • During PGY2 and PGY3 host 6 Health Policy lectures per year for the Department of Family and Community Health.
  • During PGY2 and PGY3 host one Health Policy Speakers Forum per year open to School of Medicine and local community.

Participants in this special track will be provided the opportunity to:

  • Work directly with faculty and diverse management and healthcare leaders.
  • Conduct research on a range of health care access and affordability issues inclusive but not limited to prevention efforts, access to care issues, health disparities among disadvantaged populations, etc.
  • Survey state agencies with administrative responsibilities in the health care field -State Insurance Commission, Department of Health and Human Resources, Higher Education Policy Commission, etc.
  • Attend agency and legislative committee meetings pertinent to health policy issues
  • Attend National Health Policy Conferences
  • Participate in seminars directed towards special topics in health policy

Residents in the Health Policy Track will be provided a $5000 incentive during each of their 2nd and 3rd years of training to support expenses related to special educational activities."

Health Policy at Work

As director of the WV Office of Drug Control Policy, Associate Professor Matthew Christiansen, MD, testified before the Select Committee on Economic Disparity & Fairness in Growth in March 2022 for a roundtable discussion on substance abuse and addiction. Dr. Christiansen provided insights on the importance of funding and support of addiction recovery.   

Health Policy Curriculum Elements:

  • Health Economics
    • Health Systems/Services Financing
    • Physician Payment Systems
  • Health Workforce (Human Resources Planning)
  • Health Law and Regulation
  • Ethical Issues in Health Care
  • Quality Measurement and Outcomes Analysis of Health Care
  • Medicine and the Deployment of Technology
  • Political Process
    • Health Policy Development (Legislative Process)
    • Recent Trends in West Virginia and National Health Policy
    • Leadership in Health Care

Faculty


Dr. Petrany


Dr. Christiansen


Jennifer Plymale

Residents


Sydney Sheppard, MD

WV State Capital is less than an hour's drive from University


Participants in this special track will be provided the opportunity to:

  • Work directly with faculty and diverse management and healthcare leaders.
  • Conduct research on a range of health care access and affordability issues inclusive but not limited to prevention efforts, access to care issues, health disparities among disadvantaged populations, etc.
  • Survey state agencies with administrative responsibilities in the health care field -State Insurance Commission, Department of Health and Human Resources, Higher Education Policy Commission, etc.
  • Attend agency and legislative committee meetings pertinent to health policy issues
  • Attend a National Health Policy Conference 
  • Participate in seminars directed towards special topics in health policy

Residents in the Health Policy Track will be provided a $5000 incentive during each of their 2nd and 3rd years of training to support expenses related to special educational activities