Julie Carmalt

From left, Richard Southby, Sloan '67; Richard Namerow, Sloan '82; Penny Mills, Sloan '82, Arnaub Chatterjee, Sloan '07; and Clifford Barnes, Sloan '74, discuss the Affordable Care Act and how it would continue to transform health care services and the delivery of care, at a panel that was part of a Sloan student trip to Washington, D.C., Jan. 19-20.

Students in the Sloan Program in Health Administration traveled to Washington, D.C., for the 2012 Intersession Health Policy Symposium Jan. 19-20, where they gained real-world insights from leaders in the field -- including a group of alumni who are responding to federal health care reform legislation.

While in the capital, students and program faculty members attended eight sessions given by health administrators, policy analysts, educators and physicians, who offered insights into the latest developments in health administration and health policy.

At a networking event and alumni panel discussion on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, they heard varied perspectives on this landmark legislation of the Obama Administration and how it would continue to transform health care services and the delivery of care.

Panelists included Clifford Barnes, Sloan '74, partner at Epstein, Becker and Green; Arnaub Chatterjee, Sloan '07, special assistant in the office of the chief technology officer in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Penny Mills, Sloan '82, executive vice president and CEO of the American Society of Addiction Medicine; and Richard Namerow, Sloan '82, managing director of the Huron Consulting Group. Richard Southby, Sloan '67, executive dean and distinguished professor of global health emeritus at the George Washington University Medical Center, moderated the discussion.

"This was by far the highlight of the intersession," said Alyssa Schoen, Sloan '13. "The alumni panelists provided dynamic perspectives on the topics."

Sean Looby, Sloan '13, added that the session offered a practical view on how the changes from the Affordable Care Act will continue to unfold.

"As health care moves from a fragmented system that rewards volume to a more integrated system that focuses on value and quality," Looby said, "a big picture understanding of how all the segments of the industry operate will be crucial in succeeding as emerging health care leaders."

Just as valuable as these insights were opportunities to network with leaders in the health care field, according to students. Schoen described meeting so many talented experts as "inspirational and humbling," while Rachna Badlani, Sloan '13, added, "The passion of the speakers is not only apparent, but also contagious."

Additional session topics included an overview of the health care legislative process, consumer perspectives on health policy, health care IT and innovations, and accountable care organizations.

"As students, I think we all broadened our awareness and knowledge of policy issues in health care," Schoen said.

The Sloan Program, located in the Department of Policy Analysis and Management in the College of Human Ecology, offers a Master of Health Administration degree, a dual degree MHA/MBA with the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell, and an accelerated bachelor's and masters degree program.

Christa Nianiatus '13 is a writer intern in the College of Human Ecology.