Penn Nursing doctoral students are learning to transform their research into bold public policy, empowered by a prestigious scholars program.
2 min. read
Penn Nursing Presidential Ph.D. Fellow Miller Celestin recalls sitting on a bus in Chicago when he realized the next step in his nursing career would be pursuing a Ph.D. “I was reading an article about Obamacare being restricted in certain states and how that would actually impact the people,” he says. “I was thinking, 'What can I do about this?' There were people at risk of suffering, of dying. I have to do something, right?”
Celestin was accepted to Penn Nursing’s doctoral program—and selected as a Health Policy Research Scholar (HPRS) shortly thereafter. HPRS, a prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) program, helps doctoral leaders turn evidence-based research into policy solutions for communities in need. Combining these two powerhouse educational opportunities will equip Celestin to influence policy through his doctoral research: analyzing how emergency room care models shaped by the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act unintentionally contribute to health disparities, and exploring policy innovations—like hospital-initiated Medicaid enrollment—that better integrate emergency care with the broader system. His research is rooted in insights gained during over half a decade of emergency room experience, but what he does with that research will be informed by what he’s learning at Penn Nursing and will learn through the HPRS program.
The HPRS program fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration. Celestin says, “It’s not just nurses. I’m working with people who are doing Ph.D. work in psychology, social work, public policy, and engineering. I’m connecting with areas outside the hospital and seeing what’s happening from the perspective of all these different backgrounds and fields. We all have to work together to make health care work for everyone.”
Launched in 2016 by RWJF, HPRS recruits diverse doctoral students with ties to at-risk communities and supports them in using research to challenge the status quo and drive policy change. Since its inception, the program has built a community of over 300 participants, with about 150 active scholars. Celestin’s is the final cohort before the program sunsets, but he’s already seen its impact through three change-making Penn Nursing scholars selected for HPRS before him.
This story is by Avione Lee. Read more at Penn Nursing.
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