The Role of SBM Health Policy Ambassadors in Influencing Federal Policy

Lisa LaRowe, PhD¹; Roger Figueroa, PhD, MPH, MSc²; Elizabeth Adams, PhD³; Kristi E. White, PhD, ABPP⁴; SBM Health Policy Ambassadors

In Summer 2020, SBM launched the Health Policy Ambassador Program. This program recruits and trains SBM members to serve as ambassadors, bridging the gap between science and policy. SBM ambassadors build relationships with lawmakers and their congressional aides through regular contact, and, together, engage in evidence-based decision-making. SBM ambassadors serve as content experts in three priority areas, which include 1) child nutrition, 2) climate change, and 3) pain management/opioid misuse. In prior years, a rural health policy priority area was also included. However, considerations pertaining to rural health are now collectively addressed by all SBM ambassadors, obviating the need for a distinct priority area for such policies.

To influence federal policy within each of the three priority areas, ambassadors educate lawmakers about relevant scientific evidence, and lawmakers educate ambassadors about their needs on specific issues and the policy making process. When specific needs are identified, our team of ambassadors develops talking points and/or position statements that are delivered to members of Congress and their congressional aides. To date, ambassadors have formulated more than 10 sets of talking points that have guided their conversations with lawmakers. Several of these talking points subsequently evolved into position statements, which were endorsed by numerous professional organizations and widely disseminated on social media. Moreover, many of these talking points/position statements reflect collaborative efforts across priority areas. For example, the child nutrition and climate change ambassadors collaborated on a Food Is Medicine position statement related to the 2023 Farm Bill re-authorization, and the child nutrition and pain management/opioid misuse ambassadors collaborated on a position statement advocating for passage of the RESTORE Act. The pain management/opioid misuse ambassadors have also worked with ambassador experts in rural health to develop talking points related to legislation that would address opioid use disorder in rural communities.

Through their experiences, the SBM Health Policy Ambassadors have learned that effective communication about scientific evidence is essential for influencing federal policy. Although the traditional metrics of success in academic settings include presentations and publications, translating scientific evidence into health policy change requires other avenues for disseminating scientific findings, such as communications with lawmakers, engagement with community members, and policy position statements. Academic professionals possess important content expertise that is helpful for ensuring policies are grounded in science. However, advocating for science-informed policy often requires a different skillset that is not provided in most graduate training programs. SBM has afforded our ambassadors unique opportunities to receive training and experience with these important forms of science communication. For example, generous donations to the SBM Policy Advocacy Fund have allowed several of our ambassadors to attend AcademyHealth’s Health Policy Orientation, the American Public Health Association’s Policy Action Institute, and the Rally for Medical Research on Capitol Hill. SBM Ambassadors consistently demonstrate the importance of this training and the benefits of utilizing less traditional forms of science communication in their engagement with policymakers and congressional aides.

We would like to highlight personal experiences from some of the ambassadors to demonstrate the important role that the SBM Health Policy Ambassador program plays in influencing federal policy:

Roger Figueroa, PhD, MPH, Chair of SBM Advocacy Council and SBM Health Policy Ambassador Program; Assistant Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences in Nutrition, Cornell University: In my role as SBM’s Advocacy Council Chair, I lead a group of SBM members in translating evidence into actionable strategies to address SBM’s policy priorities. The Advocacy Council also houses two committees—The Organizational Partnerships Committee chaired by Dr. Kristin Schneider and the Position Statements Committee chaired by Dr. Megan Shen. As a former SBM Health Policy Ambassador, I take great pride in supporting the progress of fellow ambassadors and council members in their advocacy efforts on behalf of SBM, as well as engaging SBM’s leaders and the general membership to raise awareness about the impact ambassadors are having influencing federal policy collectively as a result of SBM Health Policy Ambassadors’ Program.

Elizabeth Adams, PhD, Lead Ambassador for Child Nutrition Policy Priority Area; Assistant Professor, Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina: My role as a Child Nutrition Ambassador has been such a joy. This program has allowed me to apply skills in a new way by learning more about the policy making process, writing for policy makers, building strong collaborations with other ambassadors, and most importantly - feeling a deep sense of accomplishment and reward through the impact of our position statements and relationships with lawmakers. Many scientists want to have large-scale policy impact through their work, and some may not know where to start. This program has undoubtedly provided this catalyst for me and opened up so much possibility.

Kristi E. White, PhD, ABPP, Lead Ambassador for Climate Change Policy Priority Area; Clinical Health Psychologist and Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota Department of Medicine: One of the things that motivated me to apply to graduate school many years ago was the hope that one day, I might be able to apply my expertise to help people improve their health and well-being on a broader scale. Becoming a Health Policy Ambassador has given me an opportunity to fulfill that hope and to be of service to the wider community in a way that is different from my other professional activities. So much of what influences health and well-being has to do with our environment: what we’re exposed to and what we have access to. While individual behaviors are certainly important, our experiences and the environments within which we operate have a huge effect on our behaviors. Dr. Anetta Arno put it so perfectly during the AcademyHealth Health Policy Orientation when she said, “The choices we make are shaped by the choices we have.” This role has given me a mechanism for trying to help create more equitable opportunities for health and well-being by facilitating systems-level changes that will enable greater access to individual behavior change.

Lisa LaRowe, PhD, Lead Ambassador for Pain Management/Opioid Misuse Policy Priority Area; Instructor, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School: Joining the SBM Health Policy Ambassador program has helped me to understand the pivotal role scientists can – and should – play in federal policymaking. It has been inspiring to witness my fellow pain management/opioid misuse ambassadors make real progress towards health policy change. For example, our ambassadors have developed informational and advocacy materials for congressional members to share with other offices (e.g., the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) and provided feedback on proposed legislation. They have also facilitated collaboration between members of Congress and fostered bipartisan partnerships in support of shared objectives. I am incredibly grateful to SBM for teaching me that researchers can play an essential role in bridging the gap between science and policy, and for providing the training and support needed to communicate effectively with policy leaders.

As evidenced by these experiences, the SBM Health Policy Ambassador program fills a major gap between science and policy by training members to develop longer-term relationships with legislative staff. These relationships influence federal policy by ensuring that evidence-based science is an integral part of lawmakers’ decision-making. To date, we have had over 350 contacts (e.g., email, video conferences, in-person meetings) with legislative staff across all priority areas. We hope that the personal experiences described in this article begin to demonstrate how fostering connections between scientists and politicians can critically influence federal policy. To sustain these efforts over time, it will be important for institutions to recognize the value of this work and make it “count” towards achieving professional goals.

More information about the SBM Health Policy Ambassador program can be found on our website. If you are interested in becoming involved in the program, you may email Roger Figueroa (rf453@cornell.edu). If you are interested in supporting the program, you may donate to the SBM Policy Advocacy Fund. The Health Policy Ambassadors truly appreciate your support in creating transformative change.

Affiliations

1. Division of Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
2. Division of Nutritional Sciences, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University
3. Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina
4. Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota

 

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the current Health Policy Ambassadors:

Child Nutrition Policy Priority Area

Elizabeth Adams (University of South Carolina)

Talya Gordon (Yeshiva University)

Matthew Landry (University of California Irvine)

Sara St. George (University of Miami)Rizwana Biviji (Arizona State University)

Jennifer Mandelbaum (Tufts University)

Pain Management/Opioid Misuse Policy Priority Area

Lisa LaRowe (Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard University)

Rashelle Hayes (Virginia Commonwealth University)

Rebecca Kilpatrick (Medical University of South Carolina)

Paul Schneider (Washington: Private Practice)

Skye Margolies (University of North Carolina)

Amy Goetzinger (University of North Carolina)

Seema Patidar (University of North Carolina)

Taylor Crouch (Virginia Commonwealth University)

Kristen Fox (Nationwide Children’s)

Climate Change/Health Policy Priority Area

Kristi White (University of Minnesota)

Brooke Bell (Tufts University)

Don Edmondson (Columbia University)

Elissa Epel (University of California San Francisco)

Katie Alegria (University of California San Francisco)

Karl Maier (Salisbury University)

Alison Phillips (Iowa State University)

Sara Fleszar (University of Miami)

Rubi Gonzales (Washington University)

Alex Holland (University of Texas)

Leticia Nogueira (American Cancer Society)