2. Programs
  3. Quality Enhancement Plan
  4. Healthcare Policy for Health Professionals
  5. From Curriculum to Enculturation

From Curriculum to Enculturation

Blue background with text From Curriculum to Enculturation Building Healthcare Policy Education for Health Professions April 30 2026 9 am dash 2 pm Beth Robertson Auditorium ampersand Zoom UTHealth Houston logo, On right side of screen decorative image of a brain with symbols for a graduation cap and a book above a person's hand holding a smartphone

“From Curriculum to Enculturation: Building Healthcare Policy Education for Health Professionals,” was a free, hybrid forum held from 9 AM–2 PM (CDT) on April 30, 2026.

Attendees and presenters explored innovative health policy education initiatives developed at UTHealth Houston, part of a 5-year, campus-wide effort impacting thousands of students. Through talks and demonstrations, attendees gained practical insights, discovered ready-to-use curricular resources, and connected with others passionate about teaching and learning about healthcare policy.

The event was held at the Beth Robertson Auditorium, Institute for Molecular Medicine, UTHealth Houston (1825 Pressler, Houston, TX), and live-streamed via Zoom.

 
Time Topic Speakers
8:30 am Breakfast
9:00 am Welcome Remarks Melina R. Kibbe, MD
President, UTHealth Houston
Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair
9:15 am About Healthcare Policy for Health Professionals (HP2) Angela P. Gomez, EdD, MBA, MS
McGovern Medical School and Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)-HP2 Co-Director
9:40 am Implementation of Health Policy Education in a Health Systems School Jessica N. Wise, PhD, MPH; Angela P. Gomez, EdD, MBA, MS; & Shane Cunha, PhD
HP2 Leadership Team
10:30 am Virtual Interprofessional Policy Simulation: A Novel Program to Engage Policy Education Across the Professions Rachel Jantea, MD, MS, & Robert Coghlan, III, PhD, RN, MA, MSN, CNS, FNP
Center for Interprofessional Collaboration
11:10 am Community Collaborations through Simulation: Integrating a Poverty Simulation Across Professions Monica Kodakandla, MD, McGovern Medical School, & Jamie Alford, School of Public Health
11:40 am Advocacy 101: Educating on Taking Actionable Steps in Policy Sandy McKay, MD, FAAP, McGovern Medical School and HP2 Leadership Team
12:10 pm Closing Remarks: Why Health Policy Education Matters – and How Universities Can Lead the Way Sandy McKay, MD, FAAP, McGovern Medical School and HP2 Leadership Team
12:30 pm Lunch and Networking with Shared Resources and Demonstrations
(in-person only)
2:00 pm Adjourn