What is a Fellow?

This past weekend I received word that I was selected as a national Health and Aging Policy Fellow. The Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program is a unique opportunity for professionals in health and aging to receive the experience and skills necessary to make a positive contribution to the development and implementation of health policies that affect older Americans. The program is directed by Harold Alan Pincus, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University (in collaboration with the American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship Program) and made possible by the generous support of The Atlantic Philanthropies. For more information on the program, visit Health and Aging Policy.

I have received a number of congratulations from colleagues and friends.

After congratulations I am asked “what exactly does that mean?”
I believe it is a fair question. Fellowships are commonplace in academia and research, but not as common elsewhere. A fellowship gives an individual an opportunity to explore an area of study in depth and gain experience through networking and collaborative projects.

Throughout this Fellowship I will blog my experiences through United Front. More often these blogs will include commentary or insight on the policy project I crafted. I am primarily interested in funding of aging services. As the population continues to age and in a few short years older adults outnumber children, what does this mean for our public and private infrastructure?

Rajean Moone, Contributor
Independence Consultant
Greater Twin Cities United Way