La Follette School of Public Affairs
Inspiring evidence-based policymaking
Former Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle and Board of Visitors Member Theola Carter pose for a photo with Forum attendees
La Follette School director Susan Webb Yackee speaks at a podium during the 2020 La Follette Forum.
Keynote speaker Mia Keeys presents to an audience in the Monona Terrace during the 2020 La Follette Forum
A pile of buttons that say "I love Public Policy"
Theresa Pichelmeyer speaks on the Caring for an Aging Population panel during the 2020 La Follette Forum

La Follette Forum: Health Policy | 2020

March 2, 2020
Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center

The words "Research," "Policy," and "Practice" in a circle.The La Follette School welcomed more than 300 people to its inaugural La Follette Forum, funded by the Kohl Initiative, on Monday, March 2.

The daylong conference on critical health policy topics drew participants from across Wisconsin. Policymakers, practitioners, community leaders, and researchers engaged in conversation about innovative solutions for improving the health of Wisconsin residents. Forum recap

Download conference program (pdf)

Keynote Addresses

The Biggest Issues in Health Policy, as Told in 11 Tweets

Drew Altman, President & CEO, Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
Introduction by former Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle

Drew Altman addresses a crowd from a podium.

The Equity Impact of Health Policy in Action and Inaction

Mia Keeys, Director of Health Equity Policy & Advocacy, American Medical Association
Introduction by Linda Vakunta, Deputy Mayor, City of Madison, Wisconsin

Mia Keeys smiles while looking at her presentation slides during her keynote address.

Panel Discussions

Healthcare Coverage and Access

Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and Patient Awareness

Healthcare access panel discussion photo.

Caring for an Aging Population

Quality, Workforce, and the Patient Experience

Aging panel discussion photo

Consumer-Driven Healthcare

Impacts and Engaging Patients and Families

Consumer-driven healthcare panel photo

Personalized Medicine

Innovation, Implications, and Access

Personalized medicine discussion photo.

Societal Determinants of Health

New Models of Partnerships in Housing

Housing panel discussion photo.

Strategies for Rural Communities

Collaborations to Strengthen Health

Rural health panel discussion photo.

Image gallery

Mia Keeys of the American Medical Association listens to Kaiser Family Foundation President & CEO Drew Altman give the opening keynote
Mia Keeys of the American Medical Association, right, speaks with Lilliann Paine of the Milwaukee Health Department
Betsy Abramson of the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging asks a question during a panel discussion
Networking was a major component at the La Follette Forum: Health Policy on March 2, 2020, at the Monna Terrace Community and Convention Center
Attendees prepare for the La Follette Forum: Health Policy
David Pate of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee shares his expertise during a panel discussion on Consumer-Driven Healthcare
La Follette School alumna Jamie Crespo of Public Health Madison and Dane County prepares for a panel discussion
La Follette School alumna and Outreach Director Lisa Ellinger welcomes attendees to the closing keynote by Mia Keeys of the American Medical Association
La Follette Forum: Health Policy participants network during a closing reception at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center
Helen Marks Dicks, left, and JoAnna Richard chat during a break
Barbara Nichols of UW–Madison chats with a fellow attendee
La Follette School graduate students Ron Steinhoff, left, and Shireen Ohadi-Hamadani talk during lunch
Christina Orr of the Milwaukee VA Medical Center stands beside the sign for her panel discussion
An attendee at the La Follette Forum: Health Policy on March 2, 2020, takes notes during one of the conference’s six panel discussions
Attendees listen during a panel discussion at the La Follette Forum: Health Policy
Attendees had many outstanding questions during each of the six panel discussions
An attendee asks a question during a panel discussion at the La Follette Forum: Health Policy
Gwyn Pauley of UW–Madison autographs the sign for the Healthcare Coverage and Access panel discussion
Chris Rasch of the Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers in Milwaukee chats with a fellow attendee
Several La Follette School students attended the La Follette Forum: Health Policy on March 2, 2020, at the Monna Terrace Community and Convention Center
La Follette School Professor Tim Smeeding greets students
Wisconsin Sen. Jeff Smith listens to panelists during the La Follette Forum: Health Policy
Brian Stamm of the Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Fund networks at the La Follette Forum: Health Policy
Linda Vakunta, deputy mayor of the City of Madison, right, responds to questions from Mia Keeys, closing keynote speaker
La Follette School alumnus John VanderMeer networks during the La Follette Forum: Health Policy on March 2, 2020