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Oversight Unit

Health Care and Public Health Program Area

The Health Care and Public Health (HCPH) program area examines the delivery of preventive, primary, and specialty health care across the life course, focusing on issues such as patient safety, workforce development, and health care financing. Our work also examines public health systems, including surveillance, and promotes population health improvement.

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Extensive series of patients, doctors and nurses of various ages and ethnicities in a modern exam room. Used for: A Long COVID Definition A Chronic, Systemic Disease State with Profound Consequences

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News and Updates

Clinicians Should Focus on Symptom Evaluation and Continuity of Care Following Jet Fuel Releases in Oahu, Says New Report Examining Health Risks from Potential Exposures

News Release

A new National Academies report recommends guidance for clinicians caring for individuals who were potentially exposed to drinking water contaminated by jet fuel accidently released on Oahu, Hawaii, in November 2021. The report also calls for continued environmental oversight of the drinking water system, health research, surveillance of the exposed community, and other efforts to rebuild trust.

Mar 19, 2026
Aerial view of Pearl Harbor and Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, USA. From front to back - Pearl City Penninsula, (front right) Middle Loch with remnants of WWII mothball fleet, Ford Island, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Honolulu International Airport with Hickam Field to right, Honolulu, and Diamond Head. Photographed August 9, 2012, by 2018 the mothball fleet was gone.

Anne Styka Awarded Cecil Award for Veterans Health Work

Update

Anne Styka, a senior program officer and consensus study director with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, recently received the National Academy of Medicine’s Cecil Award for Individual Excellence for her work on both U.S. Veterans Affairs-directed and congressionally mandated reports on military exposures and health.

May 27, 2026
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News and updates

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Anne Styka Awarded Cecil Award for Veterans Health Work

Update

Anne Styka, a senior program officer and consensus study director with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, recently received the National Academy of Medicine’s Cecil Award for Individual Excellence for her work on both U.S. Veterans Affairs-directed and congressionally mandated reports on military exposures and health.

May 27, 2026

Call for Perspectives: Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery and Late Effects for Social Security Disability Evaluation

Update

The National Academies Committee on Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery and Late Effects for Social Security Disability Evaluation is inviting people with traumatic brain injury (TBI), caregivers, and community partners to anonymously share their experiences and perspectives on living with TBI or caring for individuals with TBI. The committee is interested in hearing about lived experiences, especially with respect to care and management following TBI and long-term effects from TBI (i.e., effects lasting more than 12 months from the time of injury), and (if applicable) your experience applying for or supporting a survivor’s application for disability benefits for TBI through the Social Security Administration.

May 13, 2026

The National Cancer Policy Forum at 20: Cross-Sector Collaboration to Reduce the Burden of Cancer

Update

2026 marks the 20th anniversary of the National Academies’ National Cancer Policy Forum, a trusted, neutral venue to identify high-priority policy issues in cancer research and care and collaboratively examine those issues through convening activities focused on opportunities for action in the United States and beyond.

May 4, 2026

Opportunities to Prevent Pregnancy-Related Cardiovascular Disease and Maternal Mortality Identified in New Report

News Release

Cardiovascular conditions are a leading cause of pregnancy-related death for women in the United States. A new National Academies report makes recommendations to help reduce mortality and improve maternal health outcomes throughout the reproductive period.

Apr 21, 2026

Pregnant Black Female Measuring Blood Pressure Having Low Tension Indoor

Approaches to Address Unmet Research Needs in Traumatic Brain Injury Among Older Adults

Update

This interactive webpage translates findings from the Forum’s recent workshop into a dynamic, visual format. Sessions highlighted issues from better understanding comorbidities and recovery trajectories to gaps in data and representation, while pointing to opportunities to strengthen evidence and care for TBI in the older adult population.

Apr 13, 2026

HMD-HSP-21-08. traumatic brain injury

Action Collaborative on TBI Care

Update

Members of the Forum’s Action Collaborative on TBI Care have published guidance to support outpatient management of TBI in adults able to care for themselves at hospital discharge or who did not require acute hospitalization (available from Annals of Family Medicine and Journal of Neurotrauma). Developed for primary care and frontline clinicians, these resources identify priority clinical actions spanning diagnosis, risk assessment, patient education, symptom management, return-to-activity, and referral to specialty care, providing a structured approach to management in the first months after injury.

Apr 13, 2026

Participants engage in a group therapy session, sharing and listening to each other's stories.

Mental Health After TBI – From Evidence to Integrated Care: A Workshop

Update

On May 11-12, 2026 the Forum on Traumatic Brain Injury will convene a virtual workshop exploring factors affecting mental health after TBI and practical strategies to improve screening, care delivery, and outcomes for patients and families.

Apr 13, 2026

Neurologist showing brain scan to young woman in clinic

Understanding TBI as a Chronic Condition

Announcement

Building on the Forum’s recent workshop, the Brain Injury Associations of America and the National Academies cohosted a webinar examining TBI’s long term effects and the need for awareness, research, and care models spanning acute care through recovery to better address persistent symptoms after injury.

Apr 13, 2026

Medium full shot of cheerful Black woman physician supporting senior female patient holding her hand while sitting in hospital room

Clinicians Should Focus on Symptom Evaluation and Continuity of Care Following Jet Fuel Releases in Oahu, Says New Report Examining Health Risks from Potential Exposures

News Release

A new National Academies report recommends guidance for clinicians caring for individuals who were potentially exposed to drinking water contaminated by jet fuel accidently released on Oahu, Hawaii, in November 2021. The report also calls for continued environmental oversight of the drinking water system, health research, surveillance of the exposed community, and other efforts to rebuild trust.

Mar 19, 2026

Aerial view of Pearl Harbor and Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, USA. From front to back - Pearl City Penninsula, (front right) Middle Loch with remnants of WWII mothball fleet, Ford Island, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Honolulu International Airport with Hickam Field to right, Honolulu, and Diamond Head. Photographed August 9, 2012, by 2018 the mothball fleet was gone.

Commissioned Paper Now Available: Accountability in Graduate Medical Education, Exploring Federal Investment, Policy Momentum, and Strategic Workforce Planning

Update

This discussion paper is intended to inform a national dialogue on the future of accountability in GME financing and serves as background material in advance of the March 24-25 Workshop.

Feb 5, 2026

National Institutes of Health Need Agencywide Strategy to Prioritize and Fund Pediatric Research, Says New Report

News Release

Childhood health is foundational to lifelong well-being. A new National Academies report makes recommendations on how NIH and Congress can best support pediatric health research and improve health outcomes through childhood and beyond.

Jan 28, 2026

A young Asian mother is holding her baby daughter on her lap. She is sitting on an examination table in a clinic. The woman has bought the child to a routine medical appointment. The pediatrician is a black woman. The doctor is using a stethoscope to check the baby's heart and lungs.

New Report Calls for Increased Focus on Mariner Health and Well-Being, Prohibition of Alcohol for Crew of U.S. Vessels

News Release

The health and safety of crew are crucial to the U.S. maritime industry, a sector of critical importance to the nation’s economy and defense. A new National Academies report examines policies and practices pertaining to the use of alcohol and other substances on ships and makes recommendations to support mariner well-being.

Jan 15, 2026

Two female naval architects wearing hardhats standing together on starboard side of tugboat during inspection

Improving Diagnosis in Rural Communities

Feature Story

People who live in rural communities often face additional hurdles in accessing health care, which can hinder timely diagnosis and treatment of illness. A recent National Academies workshop explored these challenges and ways to improve diagnostic care in rural America.

Nov 12, 2025

Doctors talking with senior male patient in CAT scan room. Surgeon discussing MRI scan results with senior man in hospital.

CDC’s Vaccine Safety Monitoring Office Performed Well During COVID-19 Pandemic; Steps Needed to Safeguard Office’s Independence, Improve Communications

News Release

Throughout COVID-19 pandemic, CDC’s Immunization Safety Office performed well and carried out scientifically robust, timely, and effective monitoring and evaluation of the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. A new National Academies report identifies steps needed to safeguard office’s independence and improve communications moving forward.

Oct 7, 2025

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To Improve Breastfeeding Rates in U.S., Report Recommends Creating National Strategy, Enacting Paid Federal Family and Medical Leave

News Release

A new National Academies report makes recommendations to promote and support breastfeeding in United States, including a national strategy to ensure mothers and families have access to effective breastfeeding support and resources.

Sep 10, 2025

front view portrait of a confident Black mother looking tender her little baby in her arms while breastfeeding sitting in the sofa during a regular day at home. concept family and motherhood

Congress and Federal Health Agencies Should Take Steps to Better Align U.S. Investment in New Disease Therapies With Americans’ Unmet Medical Needs

News Release

A new report calls for changes and congressional action to address the misalignment between the true burden of disease in the U.S. and areas of therapeutic development in which research funders invest.

Jul 14, 2025

Improving Support for Family Caregivers

Feature Story

Roughly 53 million people in the U.S. provide care to a family member such as a child with complex medical needs, an aging parent, or a spouse who is seriously ill. A recent workshop explored how to better support them by offering respite, integrating their needs and knowledge into health care systems, and lightening financial burdens.

Jul 2, 2025

Collaborative members author NEJM piece on Addressing Health Care Cost Growth - Why and How States Should Lead

Update

May 21, 2025

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