HSR Investigator Selected as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow

Research News

June 27, 2024

Congratulations to A. Rani Elwy, PhD, a Research Career Scientist at HSR's Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (CHOIR) at VA Bedford Healthcare System and multiple principal investigator of two QUERI programs-Bridging the Care Continuum for Vulnerable Veterans, and the Evidence, Policy, and Implementation Center (EPIC)! Dr. Elwy is one of seven individuals who have been selected for the 2024-2025 class of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Health Policy Fellows at the National Academy of Medicine.

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. RWJF fellows are chosen in a national competition for highly accomplished health and behavioral/social science professionals who have an interest in health policy. Beginning in September, Dr. Elwy will spend a year in Washington, working on health-related legislative and regulatory issues with members of Congress and the executive branch. Her experiences as a fellow will provide on-the-ground policymaking training that will enrich her understanding of federal policy formation and how federal and state governments relate to the mission of her home institutions and local communities.

Dr. Elwy is a health psychologist, health services researcher, and implementation scientist who examines patients' access to and uptake of mental healthcare; the effectiveness and implementation of complementary and integrative health services for treating mental health disorders and pain; and crisis and risk communication between patients, families, providers, and health systems.