2026 Award Recipient

Ninez Ponce headshot
Board Member, Member

Ninez A. Ponce, Ph.D., M.P.P.

Director, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research - UCLA Fielding School of Public Health AcademyHealth Board Vice Chair

Ninez A. Ponce, Ph.D., M.P.P., is Director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and Professor and Fre... Read Bio

Read more about Dr. Gail Wilensky and the inaugural award here.

Overview

To commemorate the life and impact of Dr. Gail Wilensky, who passed away in 2024, AcademyHealth created the Impact in Health Policy Award, Sponsored by NORC. The award will be presented at the 2026 Annual Research Meeting. Dr. Wilensky dedicated her life to advancing health care reform and served as a health economist and senior fellow at Project HOPE for more than 40 years. Dr. Wilensky was a former chair of the AcademyHealth Board of Directors and trustee on the NORC Board of Trustees. Throughout her career, she directed Medicare and Medicaid programs, served in the White House as a senior advisor on health and welfare issues, co-chaired the Bipartisan Policy Center’s initiative on the future of health care, and was an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.

This new award honors Dr. Gail Wilensky’s legacy by recognizing leaders in health policy who have made a positive impact on the American health care system through the development and use of evidence to shape U.S. health policy. Awardees must be mid- to senior-career professionals with a demonstrated track record of policy impact and a commitment to advancing health for all. In celebrating their accomplishments and recognizing exceptional leadership, the award will continue Dr. Wilensky’s legacy and preserve her memory for future generations of policy experts.

Nomination Timeline

Nominations open: January 12, 2026
Nomination deadline: February 18, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.
Selected awardees notified: Week of March 30, 2026
ARM 2026: May 30-June 2, 2026

Eligibility and Nomination Criteria

  • Nominees from a wide variety of backgrounds, disciplines, political affiliations, and work settings are encouraged.
  • Demonstrated influence on health and health policy is required.
  • This is not a research award. Experience producing research is important but must be combined with a track record of translating research for policy use.
  • Nominators must be individual members of AcademyHealth or be employed by an organizational member of AcademyHealth.
  • Self-nominations will be accepted.
  • Nominees do not need to be affiliated with AcademyHealth unless they are self-nominated. Self-nominators must be individual members of AcademyHealth or be employed by an organizational member of AcademyHealth.
  • Nominations (whether self-nominated or not) must include:
    1. A letter of recommendation or personal essay (for self-nominations only), no more than two pages, reflecting on the contributions of the nominee, including a description of the nominee's specific contributions to the use of evidence in the development and implementation of health policy (described in sufficient detail to distinguish these from generic activities). Nominators should describe the corresponding significance and/or impact of these contributions, especially as they to the review criteria (below).
    2. A resume or curriculum vitae.

Review Criteria

  1. Policy Impact

To what extent has the nominee helped develop, support, implement, or enhance policies that improve health and health care in the United States? Has their work or influence led to better access to health care, or improved the effectiveness, value, or efficiency of service delivery? What specific policy initiatives did they influence and how? Types of impact could include:

  • Legislative Success: Contribution to the passage of significant health-related legislation at the state or federal level.
  • Administrative Influence: Development or implementation of impactful health policies through administrative agencies.
  • Measurable Outcomes: Demonstrated improvements in public health and/or other health and health care objectives (i.e. access, cost, quality) because of the nominee’s work.
     
  1. Commitment to Evidence-Based Decision-making

To what degree has the nominee demonstrated a commitment to evidence-based policymaking? Did they use health services research in their work, if so, what area of research and what policy activities did they apply it to? Did they use the levers of policy to ensure the federal or state funding and data access necessary to develop and use relevant research? Commitment could look like:

  • Use of Data and Research: Demonstrated reliance on empirical evidence, data, and rigorous research to inform policy decisions.
  • Evaluation and Adaptation: Demonstrated commitment to evaluating the outcomes of policies and adapting them based on findings.
  • Scientific Integrity: Advocated for the integration of scientific principles and methods in the policymaking process.
     
  1. Leadership

To what extent is the nominee considered a leader in state or federal health policy? What is the impact of their leadership in this area relative to the wider context of policy influences? Would the policy impact(s) for which they are being nominated have happened without their direct involvement? Leadership may look like:

  • Influence: Is a recognized leader in national or state health policy and politics.
  • Leadership Roles: Occupied key leadership positions in government, advocacy organizations, academia, or think tanks. Served on governmental advisory committees and boards.
  • Coalition Building: Ability to unite stakeholders across partisan or sectoral lines to advance health policy initiatives.
     
  1. Influence and Problem Solving

Does the nominee demonstrate notable skill and accomplishment in using policy levers to influence health and health care? Does their work reflect an ability to engage productively across party lines to achieve policy goals? Areas of influence could include:

  • Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to work with an ideologically diverse set of actors to identify and achieve shared goals. Ability to effectively translate research for diverse audiences and advocate for evidence informed policies.
  • Patient/Consumer Advocacy: Championed patient rights and the incorporation of patient voices in policymaking.
  • Advancing High Value Health and Health Care for All: Focused efforts on reducing health disparities and improving access to care for marginalized populations.
     
  1. Longevity and Sustained Effort

How do the nominee’s contributions demonstrate sustained impact, or the potential for sustained impact, over time? Consider:

  • Career Longevity: A track record of sustained contributions to health policy.
  • Durability of Impact: Policies or initiatives continue to yield benefits.

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