Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement

The Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement is committed to increasing the visibility of nurses, their invaluable expertise, and unique perspectives in media, policy, and research. Developing the right health and social policies for the nation depends upon doing so. The Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement is committed to:

• Educating nurses, allied health professionals and students in health policy and media.
• Using research and scholarship to inform policy discussions and solutions.
• Designing curricula, experiences and mentorships that support nurses and allied health professionals as leaders in advancing the health of populations and policies that improve delivery systems for high-quality care.
• Increasing knowledge and skills of nurses and allied health professionals in using the media to disseminate research and informed perspectives that will shape health policy.
• Engaging the public in discussions of health policy with nurses, allied health professionals and journalists.

Led by Associate Dean for Clinical Practice & Community Engagement and Executive Director, Richard Ricciardi, our strategic location in Washington, D.C., provides proximity to government agencies and policymakers, policy professionals, lobbyists and think tanks. Nurses have an important perspective on health policy, given their daily firsthand experience with the effects of regulations and laws on patient care.

Nurses constitute up to 80 percent of the health care workforce, with 3.6 million working in the U.S. Numerous annual Gallup polls show they are the most respected of all health care providers. That gives nurses clout as advocates and means it is time for nurses to move beyond the bedside to shape the future of health policy.

Through the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement, a pillar of the school's mission, GW Nursing is emphasizing the importance of nursing's voice in health debates, while weaving policy into curricula and advocating for patients at every level. 

Mission and Goals

Policy in Action

The efforts of GW Nursing's faculty, students and staff to influence policy are supported by our other efforts in research, education and service initiatives. Faculty and students work together to conduct research that informs public health policy decisions.

In Conversation with Richard Ricciardi about Office-Based Patient Safety

This interesting and informative interview on patient safety in office-based care setting between CHPME director, Dr. Ric Ricciardi, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has a companion co-authored article on the same topic.

GW Nursing Research Seeks to Reduce Disparities in Maternal Mortality

Drs. Y. Tony Yang and Sherrie Wallington were recently awarded a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant to study maternal mortality in Washington D.C., focusing on the fathers' role and involvement in pregnancy and postpartum care.