HPM News
Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health adds graduate certificate program
Graduate students interested in maternal and child health (MCH) can now add another credential to their resume. The University has approved a graduate certificate program in MCH. Supported by the Center for Health Equity, the 15-credit MCH certificate will prepare students to lead efforts to advance the health and equity of women, children and families.
Understanding a looming crisis: HPM’s Kreider studies the economics of home care workers
Amanda Kreider, PhD, assistant professor of health policy and management, studies the economics around health care workers. Her research focuses on home care workers – people like personal care aides who provide long-term, in-home care to older adults and people with disabilities, helping them with the most basic aspects of daily life, such as getting dressed, eating and bathing.
Bridging theory to real-world results: Practicing public health in non-traditional settings
Last summer, HPM student Nishi Thawani (MPH ’26) joined the Willis Towers Watson's Health, Equity and Wellbeing team for her practicum, taking on the challenge of balancing client-facing responsibilities with internal strategy development while also providing her with hands-on experience in both the analytical and relational sides of consulting.
HPM alum Mark Sevco one of 20 Pitt people named to the Pittsburgh Power 100
Twenty Pitt leaders and alumni — including HPM alum Mark Sevco — are among the Pittsburgh Business Times’ 2026 Pittsburgh Power 100, an annual list recognizing the region’s most influential business leaders.
State of denial: How insurance companies impact health care today
Millions of Americans are struggling to access medical care—unable to afford high premiums, burdened by steep deductibles, or denied coverage for necessary tests and treatment by health insurance companies—according to a report by Erin Moriarty of 48 Hours on CBS Sunday Morning. “All of us are vulnerable to being denied, and not all of us can weather the storm as easily when it comes to appealing and overcoming barriers,” said HPM Assistant Professor Miranda Yaver, who was interviewed for the piece.
Health Director Iulia Vann joins Pitt Public Health’s Health Policy and Management Department
Allegheny County Health Director Iulia Vann, MD, MPH, has been appointed adjunct associate professor of health policy and management at Pitt’s School of Public Health, as part of a previously announced partnership between the Allegheny County Health Department and the school to create an academic public health department.
HPM team takes podium finish at Seton Hall case competition
A year after a double podium finish, an HPM team was back on the podium at the Seton Hall case competition.
The team of first-year MHA student Michaela Frey and first-year MHA/MBA student Ella Valencia came back from New Jersey with a third-place finish.
Mayor and Pitt alumna Alyia Gaskins’ healthy outlook
Long before the meetings, community events and the shifting demands of city leadership begin, Mayor Alyia Gaskins (HPM ‘11) starts her day with the same awareness that has guided her since childhood: health shapes every moment. For Gaskins, now the first Black woman to serve as mayor of Alexandria, Va., health has never been confined to the doctor’s office. It is rooted in the places we live, the food we eat, the stress we carry and the systems that shape our daily lives.
The business of caring for older Americans is in a deepening crisis
According to a 2025 study, older adults in need of assistance were 5 percent less likely to get home care after a significantly lower cap on refugee admissions this year. Amanda Kreider, study co-author and assistant professor of health policy and management professor at the School of Public Health, says the findings reflect "chilling effects." (Subscriber content.)
2025 Public Health Practice Showcase
The 2025 Public Health Practice Showcase featured 15 graduate students representing each of Pitt Public Health’s seven departments, who presented work done in collaboration with community partners. Awards were also presented to faculty, staff and community partners who exemplify public health practice excellence.
In her opening remarks, Dean Lichtveld spoke of the importance of “making sure our science works for communities. Otherwise, our science doesn’t work.”
In Memoriam: Patricia Maryland, DrPH
Patricia A. Maryland, DrPH, a 1982 Pitt alumna, died October 24, 2025 at 72. Before earning her doctorate in public health from the Department of Health Services Administration (predecessor to Health Policy and Management), Maryland earned her bachelor’s in applied mathematics from Alabama State University and a master’s in biostatistics from the University of California—Berkeley.
AI could make it harder to establish blame for medical failings, experts say
Professor of Health Policy and Management Derek Angus, MD, MPH, said it was important that funding was made available for the performance of AI tools in healthcare to be properly assessed, with investment in digital infrastructure a key area. “One of the things that came up during the summit was [that] the tools that are best evaluated have been least adopted. The tools that are most adopted have been least evaluated.”
Christine McClure received a Distinguished Alumni Award from Point Park University
Christine McClure, a senior research scientist in the Department of Health Policy and Management, was honored with a 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award from her alma mater Point Park University.
Map shows highest health insurance premium rises by US state
Coleman Drake, a professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the University of Pittsburgh, told Newsweek that "increases in premiums caused by the expiration of enhanced subsidies will cause millions of marketplace enrollees to become uninsured because they will no longer be able to afford health insurance. These coverage losses will be largest among lower income enrollees, as they are the most sensitive and vulnerable to premium increases."
COVID-19 vaccination: Pitt Public Health experts answer your questions
Although the federal public health emergency ended in 2023, COVID-19 continues to evolve and affect health worldwide. The virus remains part of our daily lives and still poses risks, especially for people vulnerable to severe illness. Vaccination remains a key tool for protecting individuals and communities, much like with influenza.