Health Policy Forums
In January 2022, the QEP team began a series of Health Policy Forums to present the UTHealth Houston community with panels to address healthcare policy and policy-making issues.
Upcoming Forums
On April 30, 2026, the team will host a hybrid forum free and open to all members of the UTHealth Houston and Texas Medical Center communities, as well as the general public and outside institutions and organizations.
From Curriculum to Enculturation: Building Healthcare Policy Education for Health Professionals
April 30, 2026, 9 am – 2 pm (CDT)
Beth Robertson Auditorium, Institute of Molecular Medicine (1825 Pressler, Houston, TX 77030), and Zoom
Register for in-person or online attendance at https://go.uth.edu/healthcare-policy-education.
See the agenda and list of speakers.
Past Forums
The Importance and Impact of Healthcare Policy on the National Library of Medicine
September 7, 2023, 12 – 1 pm
Introduction by Susan Fenton, PhD, RHIA, FAHIMA, McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, and the Quality Enhancement Plan, UTHealth Houston.
Moderated by Quality Enhancement Plan Co-directors Sandy McKay, MD, FAAP, and Angela Gomez, EdD, MBA, MS, both with McGovern Medical School.
Special guest, Patricia Flatley Brennan, RN, PhD, Director of the National Library of Medicine, who was joined by six UTHealth Houston students as Q&A panelists:
- Samina Asfandiyar, Cizik School of Nursing;
- Thi Tran, McGovern Medical School;
- Chase Hutchins, MD Anderson-UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences;
- Hannah Cooley, School of Dentistry;
- Morgan Foreman, McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics; and
- Jessica Wise, School of Public Health.
How Did Healthcare Fare During the Last Legislative Session?
April 8, 2022, 12 – 1 pm
Introduction by Rebecca Lunstroth, JD, MA, Associate Professor and Associate Director, McGovern Center, and Quality Enhancement Plan Director, UTHealth Houston
Moderated by Kara Crawford, Vice President of Government Relations at UTHealth Houston
Panelists:
- Jamie Dudensing, RN, MPA, chief executive officer of Texas Association of Health Plans
- Lindsay Lanagan, BS, vice president of government relations and public affairs at Legacy Community Health Houston
- Eric Woomer, MPA, principal and founder of Eric Woomer Policy Solutions, a governmental affairs practice
What Is a Lobbyist, and Why Should We Care?
January 14, 2022, 12 – 1 pm
Introduction by Rebecca Lunstroth, JD, MA, Associate Professor and Associate Director, McGovern Center, and Quality Enhancement Plan Director, UTHealth Houston
Moderated by Scott Forbes, Senior Vice President of Government Relations at UTHealth Houston
Panelists
- Denise Rose, Partner at the Jackson Walker law firm and former Assistant Vice President for Legislative Affairs at Texas A&M Health Science Center
- John Pitts, Founder and Managing Principal of Texas Star Alliance, a bipartisan government affairs group
- Clayton Travis, Director of Advocacy and Policy for the Texas Pediatric Society