ATLANTA (July 20, 2021) – Brenda Baker, PhD, JM, RN, FAAN, assistant professor at Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, has been named to the 2021-2022 class of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Health Policy Fellows by The National Academy of Medicine (NAM).
This fall, Baker and other fellows will begin a year-long assignment to participate in the federal health policy process in congressional and executive branch offices and work on regulatory and legislative issues related to public health. Baker brings more than 30 years of experience in maternal and infant care with a focus of providing prenatal education, labor support and postpartum help to incarcerated women.
“I’m excited and humbled by this tremendous honor,” Baker said. “This fellowship provides an opportunity to work at the highest level of policy. I hope to apply what I learn to benefit women’s and children’s health for years to come.”
Baker, a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (2020), holds a B.A. in Healthcare Administration from Mary Baldwin College, an M.N. and J.M. from Emory University, and a Ph.D. from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is a registered nurse in Georgia and holds various other certifications in neonatal nursing and obstetrics.
RWJF Health Policy Fellows are chosen from a highly competitive field of health and behavioral/social science professionals who have interest in health policy. Since 1973, the non-partisan fellowship has offered exclusive, hands-on policy experience with the most influential congressional and executive offices in Washington D.C.
“Nursing is much more than tending to patients at the bedside,” said Dean McCauley, Dean of the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. “Nurses are an important voice of change. This
fellowship shows how important Dr. Baker’s work is to eliminating health disparities around the country. We are very proud to call her a colleague, teacher, and nurse.”
About the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing has committed to educating visionary nurse leaders and scholars for more than 100 years. Today, the school offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and non-degree programs, bringing together cutting-edge resources, distinguished faculty, top clinical experiences, and access to leading healthcare partners to shape the future of nursing and impact health and well-being. Graduates go on to become national and international leaders in patient care, public health, government, research, and education.
About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
For more than 45 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. The foundation works alongside others to build a national Culture of Health that provides everyone in America a fair and just opportunity for health and well-being.
About the National Academy of Medicine
Founded in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) is one of three academies that make up the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the National Academies) in the United States. Operating under the 1863 Congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academies are private, nonprofit institutions that work outside of government to provide objective advice on matters of science, technology, and health.