Hepatitis B Policy Fellowship

Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations

Hepatitis B Policy Fellowship

Deadline to Apply: March 2, 2009

For further questions regarding eligibility or the application process, please contact

hepBfellow@aapcho.org or call 510.272.9536 x 103.

Purpose: The Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations

(AAPCHO) is establishing a Hepatitis B Policy Fellowship Program in 2009.

In the United States, an estimated 2 million people are living with chronic hepatitis

B, with a disproportionate impact on the Asian American and Pacific Islander

community. It is thought that over 800,000 Asian Americans in total are living with

the disease, comprising more than 40 percent of all cases in the United States.

Recent studies have found that 10 percent of foreign‐born Asian Americans are

chronically infected with hepatitis B.

Approximately 25 percent of people with chronic hepatitis B develop chronic liver

disease, cirrhosis or primary liver cancer – this is unnecessary and unacceptable

chronic hepatitis B is a treatable disease. Many are unaware of their condition

because hepatitis B can progress without noticeable symptoms. Without awareness,

screening and diagnosis, these people are not receiving treatment that could slow

the disease, and may unintentionally be exposing others to the hepatitis B virus. The

lack of routine screening in Asian American communities in the United States is one

of the main reasons why rates of liver cancer are significantly higher in these

communities compared to other ethnic groups.

Program Description: The fellowship is a year‐long program based in Washington

D.C. and will be awarded to a medical, public health, or policy professional who is

interested in strengthening the collaboration between key stakeholders and the

federal government in order to achieve practical solutions for the disparate impact

of hepatitis B on Asian American and Pacific Islanders. Key goals of the fellowship

will be:

1) To facilitate collaboration among grassroots efforts, health organizations and

governmental entities to advance healthcare policy and practices that are designed

to support effective screening, treatment and prevention initiatives for hepatitis B in

the Asian American and Pacific Islander community; and

2) To inform and support efforts by the Congressional Asian Pacific American

Caucus (CAPAC) members and other Congressional members to adopt a policy

platform and legislative agenda that effectively reduces the prevalence of hepatitis B

and increases care and treatment programs in heavily impacted communities.

Eligibility: All applicants are required to meet the following criteria:

♦ Applicants must be a citizen or legal resident of the United States;

♦ Applicants must be at a mid‐career level with at least five years of

management responsibility;

♦ Applicants must have completed a master's degree or doctorate (or the

equivalent thereof) in health services research, clinical services (including

providers), health administration, health law, health policy or a related

discipline such as economics or political science;

♦ Applicants should have demonstrated expertise in health policy issues,

particularly hepatitis B, and track record of informing health policy through

research, policy analysis or clinical leadership

Selection Criteria and Process: Fellows must be able to participate in the program

from March 2009 through March 2010 and reside / relocate to the Washington DC

metropolitan area. Applications should be submitted to AAPCHO and will be

reviewed by a selection committee. Final selection of the fellow will be made in

February 2009.

A prospective fellow must demonstrate professional experience and competence in

hepatitis B advocacy, financing and/or clinical services. Fellows must also

demonstrate significant interest in public policy and activities of the Legislative

branch and exemplify strong interest in applying hepatitis B field knowledge to

crafting and driving targeted policies to reduce the burden of hepatitis B amongst

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Fellows must be able to work in a fast‐paced

environment with minimal supervision, communicate effectively on a wide variety

of topics and be able to work cooperatively with a diverse group of individuals and

organizations.

Application: Please note that the deadline for receipt of applications for the 2009

fellowship is March 2, 2009. Applications should be submitted electronically to

AAPCHO at hepBfellow@aapcho.org and should include the following materials:

♦ A resume or curriculum vitae providing information about educational

background, professional employment and activities, professional

publications and presentations, public policy and legislative experience and

committee and advisory group appointments, particularly when related to

hepatitis B;

♦ A statement of no more than 750 words addressing the applicant's interests

in the fellowship, career goals, contributions the applicant believes he or she

can make as a hepatitis B professional to the legislative process and what the

applicant hopes to learn from the experience;

♦ A list of three professional references from the applicant's previous

institution(s) or organization(s) who can comment on the applicant's ability

to work with the CAPAC and other members of U.S. Congress as a special

legislative liaison.

For further questions regarding eligibility or the application process, please contact

hepBfellow@aapcho.org or call 510.272.9536 x 103.

Compensation: The fellowship stipend will be up to $75,000 per year plus benefits,

including health insurance and dental insurance. The stipend will be based upon

years of advanced experience. A portion of the relocation and transportation costs

may be covered.

About AAPCHO

AAPCHO is a national association representing community health organizations

dedicated to promoting advocacy, collaboration and leadership that improves the

health status and access of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders

in the United States. Since its inception in 1987, AAPCHO has advocated for policies

and programs that improve the provision of health care services that are community

driven, financially affordable, linguistically accessible, and culturally appropriate. As

a unified voice of its membership, AAPCHO shares its collective knowledge and

experiences with policy makers at the national, state, and local levels.

Victoria Tung | Executive Director | Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus | Congressman Michael M. Honda

1713 Longworth HOB | Washington, D.C. 20515 | (w) 202-225-2631 | (f) 202-225-2699