Kumhee Ro, DNP, ARNP, FAANP, Assistant Professor of Nursing, was named one of only six health care professionals across the country for the 2022-2023 class of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Health Policy Fellows, administered by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM).
Ro will spend a year-long fellowship in Washington, D.C., participating in the policy process at the federal level. The RWJF Health Policy Fellows were competitively selected from highly accomplished national health, behavioral and social science professionals who have an interest in policy.
“I am tremendously honored and humbled by this opportunity to learn at the highest level of policy to build equitable health care through the nursing workforce,” said Ro. “I hope to use this invaluable experience to promote social justice and improve health care access for our underserved populations.”
The fellowship program will commence with an intensive three-month orientation by the National Academy of Medicine, followed by a nine-month assignment in a congressional office, on a committee or in the executive branch, where the fellows will be involved in health-related legislation and programs.
“During this time of turbulence in health care, Dr. Ro will be in Washington, D.C., working to improve federal policies. We are so proud of Dr. Ro and look forward to the great skills she will bring back to lead the nursing profession in redressing inequitable access to high quality health care for all,” said Kristen M. Swanson PhD, RN, FAAN, Seattle University College of Nursing Dean and Professor.
Ro’s scholarship has focused on identifying factors supporting diversity within the health care workforce as a means of promoting care and outcomes for traditionally marginalized populations.
Rev. Michael J. Garanzini, S.J., president of the Association of Jesuit College and Universities’ (AJCU), said, “AJCU is grateful for the leadership of Dr. Ro, co-founder of the Jesuit Diverse Nursing Faculty Network. Through her work, faculty at nursing schools across the country now have opportunities for greater support, as well as professional development, in nursing.”
The Fellows’ experience in Washington, D.C. will position them to examine how federal and state governments relate to the mission of their home institutions and will enrich their understanding of the federal policy formation process. Fellows are expected to use the experiences, leadership skills, and relationships gained through the experience to advance health care policy and equity at the national, state, and/or local levels.
“Every day for the past two and a half years, we have been reminded about how public health and health care impact our daily lives and sense of security,” said Gregg Margolis, director of the RWJF Health Policy Fellows program at the National Academy of Medicine. “These exceptional health and health care experts will bring to Washington, D.C. experience that enriches the policy process and adds a ‘front line’ perspective to policy discussions. This amazing cohort will help shape health decisions that impact us all.”
According to the press release, the RWJF Health Policy Fellows program is the nation’s most prestigious learning experience at the nexus of health, science, and policy in Washington, D.C. Since 1973, this nonpartisan fellowship has offered exclusive, hands-on policy experience with the most influential congressional and executive offices in the nation’s capital. Over 300 fellows from across the nation have worked hand in hand with the best and brightest in federal health policy to gain an insider’s perspective of the political process, develop unmatched leadership skills, and build a professional network that lasts a lifetime.
Read more about Dr. Ro’s work to build equity and inclusion in health care in the Winter/Spring 2022 Issue of Seattle University Magazine.