IHPI 2025 Year in Review
A Note from Our Director
John Z. Ayanian, M.D., M.P.P.
Welcome to the Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation (IHPI)’s 2025 Year in Review! This report showcases the achievements and initiatives of IHPI members over the past year, illustrating IHPI’s commitment to enhancing the quality, safety, equity, and affordability of health and healthcare. Through collaborative research, ongoing learning, dissemination of evidence, and policy engagement, IHPI continues to make a meaningful impact despite current challenge to the research enterprise—explore the report to discover more about our progress.
IHPI Facts
Membership
- 831 members
- 88 new members in FY25
- 17 schools and colleges represented on the Ann Arbor campus, with members also at the UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint campuses
Research Funding
FY25 research funding for IHPI members’ health services research remained strong:
- 12.5% of U-M research volume ($270M/$2.16B in ’25) represented by IHPI members’ health services research portfolio
- $270 million in health services research spending
- 950 active health services research grants, totaling $1.5 billion
- 216 new health services research awards totaling $176 million
RESEARCH INFORMING HEALTH POLICY & PRACTICE
IHPI offers a comprehensive array of data resources, tools, and training to support timely, policy-relevant health services research. IHPI also provides translational support to help researchers from diverse fields effectively communicate their findings to policymakers and other stakeholders. By facilitating connections to decision makers, IHPI cultivates action-oriented evidence to inform solutions for major health policy and health care challenges.
Honoring Health Policy Impact
Hallie Prescott, M.D., and April Zeoli, Ph.D., M.P.H. received IHPI’s annual Policy Impact Award. Dr. Prescott was recognized for her work to improve sepsis care guidelines and outcomes for patients with sepsis at the state, national, and international levels. Dr. Zeoli was honored for translating her research into policy changes aimed at reducing firearm injury and violence at the state and national levels.
Catalyzing Rapid Response to Important Health Policy Questions
Three IHPI teams received 2024 IHPI Policy Sprint Awards for work continuing into 2025, examining key health policy issues pertaining to:
- Effects of North Carolina’s Medicaid expansion on buprenorphine use following Medicaid unwinding
- Cost-sharing related to older adults’ use of patient portals to communicate with their health care providers (see results published in JAMA Health Forum and IHPI news article)
- State policy landscapes and private equity acquisitions of fertility clinics (manuscript in progress)
Bringing Evidence to Inform and Transform Health Policy and Practice
New evidence from IHPI member research provides expert knowledge to improve health and healthcare.
Despite nearly a century of clinical and technological advances, prenatal care delivery in the U.S. remained essentially unchanged until the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional care practices. COVID safety protocols led to fewer in-person office visits for uncomplicated pregnancies and increased the use of telehealth. In response, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) partnered with the University of Michigan to convene a panel of more than a dozen maternal care, public health, pediatrics, and equity experts, as well as patient representatives, to develop recommendations for more flexible, person-centered prenatal care options for individuals with average-risk pregnancies.
This effort, spearheaded by IHPI member Alex Peahl, MD, MSc following her participation in the IHPI Policy Sprint program, led to the development of new ACOG guidance for redesigning prenatal care delivery in the U.S. Dr. Peahl co-authored the ACOG Clinical Consensus document, Tailored Prenatal Care Delivery for Pregnant Individuals, which outlines a transformative, more flexible approach to prenatal care that has the potential to improve outcomes for millions of pregnant patients across the nation.
When treating cancer, doctors must select chemotherapy drugs that maximize treatment effects while minimizing harm to patients. However, about 7% of the population carries a DPYD gene variant that inhibits their ability to process fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy drugs normally. Patients with these variants can experience severe or even fatal toxicity from these drugs, which are commonly used to treat colorectal, head and neck, and some breast cancers.
Until recently, genetic testing for DPYD variants prior to treatment was not the standard of care. But thanks to the tireless efforts of IHPI member Dan Hertz, Pharm.D., Ph.D., a participant in the 2024 IHPI Impact Accelerator Policy & Communications Training Program, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently adopted a new label on capecitabine (Xeloda) that includes a boxed warning to “test patients for genetic variants of DPYD (dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase) prior to initiating Xeloda, unless immediate treatment is necessary.”
Many IHPI members are widely recognized as experts in their fields. Their influential research extends across state, national, and international boundaries to inform health policies and improve lives. Recent work includes:
- Evaluating evidence from Michigan’s Medicaid work requirement (Renuka Tipirneni, M.D., M.S.)
- Reducing and preventing firearm violence (April Zeoli, Ph.D., M.P.H.)
- Improving sepsis care (Hallie Prescott, M.D., M.Sc.)
- Recognizing and addressing the addictive nature of ultra-processed foods (Ashley Gearhardt, Ph.D., M.Phil., M.S.)
- Understanding the implications of new evidence that shows SNAP food restrictions fail to improve health outcomes (Katherine Bauer, Ph.D., M.S.)
- Increasing awareness and optimizing healthcare and outcomes for people with SCD in the state of Michigan (Sarah Reeves, Ph.D., M.P.H.)
- Promoting “exercise snacks” during the school day to improve physical and mental health outcomes in Michigan children and adolescents (Rebecca Hasson, Ph.D.)
- Identifying suicide risk factors among Veterans and how to prevent them (Kevin Saunier, Ph.D.; Mark Ilgen, Ph.D.; Rebecca Sripada, Ph.D., ABPP; John McCarthy, Ph.D., M.P.H.; Kara Zivin, Ph.D., M.S., M.A., M.F.A.)
- Understanding the impact of health care services provided by Medicaid (John Ayanian, M.D., M.P.P.; Renuka Tipirneni, M.D., M.Sc.; Sarah Miller, Ph.D.; Helen Levy, Ph.D.; Thomas Buchmueller, Ph.D., Aaron Parzuchowski, M.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.; Kao-Ping Chua, M.D., Ph.D.; Susan Goold, M.D., MHSA, M.A.; Terrence Liu, M.D., M.S.; Edith Kieffer, Ph.D., M.P.H.)
- Examining how food insecurity affects health across the lifespan and how to address it (Katherine Bauer, Ph.D., M.S.; Eric Brandt, M.D., M.H.S.; James Buszkiewicz, Ph.D., M.P.H.; Tammy Chang, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.; Nina Hill, M.D.; Helen Levy, Ph.D.)
Four new Research Interest Groups were established in 2025 to increase opportunities for IHPI members with shared research interests to collaborate. The new health services research focus areas are food and nutrition policy, artificial intelligence and health policy, climate and health policy, and Medicaid policy.
FEATURED FINDINGS
The U.S. Administration for Community Living estimates that nearly 70% of adults aged 65 and older will need some form of long-term care during their lifetime. Yet, according to IHPI’s National Poll on Healthy Aging (NPHA), many older adults are not prepared for their future long-term care needs. In fact, fewer than half of people aged 50 and older (43%) believe they are likely to need long-term care in the future, and nearly half (48%) say they do not know how to plan for it. Findings from the Michigan Poll on Healthy Aging tell a similar story: few older Michiganders have taken steps like designating a medical power of attorney (25%) or identifying potential caregivers (24%). To share these findings and connect older adults with resources, the NPHA team and poll co-sponsor Michigan Health Endowment Fund hosted a webinar in May 2025, which drew leaders from aging organizations, health care professionals, and members of the public for a discussion on how to better support people in preparing for long-term care.
In another NPHA report, adults age 65 and older reported more positive effects of work on their health and well-being than those ages 50–64. However, 39% of adults over 50 who had not retired said disability, chronic illness, or poor health interfered with their ability to work. In Michigan, 34% of adults aged 50 and older are employed or self-employed—compared with 42% nationally—but they were more likely to say that work benefits their mental health (81% vs. 71%).
The NPHA team has collaborated with more than 75 IHPI members with expertise in aging since the poll started in 2017. Their work has produced 42 peer-reviewed publications featuring poll data, including 16 with students or trainees as first author, to reach people across the U.S. with valuable insights into healthy aging. A recent article published in the New York Times exemplifies the national reach of this important work to promote the well-being of older Americans.
New in 2025 (and ongoing through 2026), the National Poll on Healthy Aging team is partnering with the Alzheimer’s Association to field a brain health-focused survey to understand current public knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding brain health behaviors and dementia risk reduction. This work supports the Alzheimer’s Association mission to advance research and improve public understanding of brain health.
IHPI recently completed its 10-year evaluation of the Healthy Michigan Plan, Michigan’s Medicaid expansion program, with the team’s summative evaluation report to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services due to be released soon. The evaluation, conducted by a team of more than 20 IHPI members and staff, has informed important policy decisions in the state and throughout the nation and offers key insights as we look to Medicaid’s future. The evaluation found that Medicaid expansion reduced uninsurance and hospital uncompensated care, promoted the use of primary and preventive care, improved health, supported financial well-being, and strengthened the safety net for Michigan residents with low incomes.
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare continues to expand rapidly. AI applications range from alleviating clinicians’ administrative burden to revolutionizing patient care. IHPI experts are focusing on research related to incorporating digital health tools in medical education and practice, using AI to detect disease and develop personalized treatment plans, understanding the patient perspective on the use of AI in healthcare, studying how AI may worsen or improve health disparities and how to address these through policy, and ensuring that AI models are trained using representative data to reduce biased results.
IHPI provides ongoing networking and educational opportunities for members who wish to collaborate on AI-related projects, including support for the e-Health and Artificial Intelligence (e-HAIL) annual AI and Health Symposium, and a new research interest group focused on AI and health policy.
Michigan Program on Value Enhancement
The Michigan Program on Value Enhancement (MPrOVE) is a partnership between IHPI and the Michigan Medicine Quality Department that catalyzes innovations in healthcare service delivery to improve the quality and value of care.
Supported by the IHPI Innovation Fund and individual donors, the MPrOVE Fellowship Program provides early-career faculty members with an opportunity to explore new research ideas over the course of 12-18 months. In 2025, three fellows pursued projects to:
- Identify actionable next steps for regional delivery of colorectal cancer care across the University of Michigan’s statewide network of care (Calista Harbaugh, M.D., M.Sc., Research Practice Partnership Fellow)
- Increase adoption and impact of the Michigan Plan for Appropriate, Tailored Healthcare (MiPATH) to deliver more tailored prenatal care that meets patient needs (Alex Peahl, M.D., M.Sc., Research Practice Partnership Fellow)
- Increase appropriate, guideline-directed medical therapy for patients admitted to Michigan Medicine with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) to decrease length of stay and mortality (Thomas Cascino, M.D., M.Sc., MPrOVE Fellow).
MPrOVE also won three awards at national conferences this year, recognizing the program overall and specific project achievements:
- 2025 Vinod Sahney Award, Healthcare Systems Process Improvement Conference ("Bridging the Gap: Uniting Research and Practice for Healthcare Excellence & Resource Allocation").
- Overall Best Abstract, Oral Presentation, SPAQI Perioperative Medicine Summit (Using a Machine Learning Tool to Predict Suitability for Surgery at an Ambulatory Surgical Center).
- SAMBA Excellence and Innovation Award, and second place for “Overall Excellence and Innovation,” 2025 Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia’s Annual Meeting (A Machine Learning Surgical Site Optimization Tool Can Accurately Predict ASC Suitability: Saving Time for Anesthesiologists and Other Pre-Operative Clinicians).
EDUCATION, TRAINING, & CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Philanthropic Support for Career-Shaping Research
Due to a record number of applicants, and to provide additional support for IHPI members in the midst of a challenging research funding climate, five IHPI members were selected to receive this year’s Sandy-Hassmiller Early Career Health Services Research Award rather than the typical two. This award, made possible through a generous gift from Lewis Sandy, MD, and Susan Hassmiller, RN, PhD, FAAN, exemplifies how support for evidence-based research can accelerate innovations in health care to help shape future health outcomes.
Addressing the Health Impacts of Climate Change
With the support of an additional philanthropic gift from Drs. Sandy and Hassmiller, IHPI launched the Sandy-Hassmiller Climate & Health Initiative in 2025. This initiative promotes research, training, and collaboration to address the effects of climate change on human health and health care delivery and is led by Sue Anne Bell, PhD, FNP-BC, FAAN. Dr. Bell, Associate Professor at the U-M School of Nursing, is a nationally recognized expert in disaster preparedness and climate-related health impacts. Working alongside other members of the NCSP leadership team, Dr. Bell will mentor grant recipients and develop new climate and health educational modules to be piloted at U-M and shared across all National Clinician Scholars Program (see below) sites. In addition, IHPI is partnering with the Graham Sustainability Institute to offer action-oriented, interdisciplinary Catalyst Grants for IHPI members focusing on the intersection of climate and health.
IHPI Scholars: A Continuing Tradition of Professional Training
National Clinician Scholars Program:
IHPI’s two-year National Clinician Scholars Program (NCSP) trains physicians and nurses to become leaders in transforming health care through research and policy engagement. Eight continuing and five new NSCP scholars are participating in the program for the 2025-2026 academic year, and over 60 scholars have graduated from the NCSP since its inception.
This year, the U-M clinician scholars traveled to Washington, D.C. for a two-day immersion into the world of federal health policy. The trip, made possible by a generous philanthropic gift from Gary Kaplan, M.D. and Wendy Kaplan, provided hands-on exposure to the policymaking process, including making connections with policymakers and stakeholders and learning how clinician-researchers can help shape healthcare policy and practice.
Master’s Degree in Health and Health Care Research:
Clinician researchers are invited to join NCSP scholars in pursuing a master's degree in Health and Health Care Research. The IHPI’s master’s program includes rigorous training in health services research methods, policy, leadership, and communication skills. Currently, 10 IHPI master’s students are enrolled in this distinctive educational opportunity.
Lapidos and Wolfe Receive Interprofessional Education Excellence Award
IHPI’s Digital Education team, led by Adrienne Lapidos, Ph.D., clinical associate professor of psychiatry, and Jason Wolfe, M.A., IHPI program manager for education and career development, received the Award for IPE Excellence from the U-M Center for Interprofessional Practice & Education for their recent work on updating the course content of IHPI’s “Understanding and Improving the U.S. Healthcare System” residential online course. The updated course includes 29 new video interviews and lectures, and features a new focus on the behavioral healthcare system. More than 5,000 U-M learners have participated in the course over the last decade.
Exchanging Bold Ideas
Two IHPI members were selected to participate in the 2025 Emerging Scholars Exchange Program:
- Jade Burns, Ph.D., R.N., CPNP-PC, presented at the University of Pennsylvania’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics on Understanding the Impact of Stress and Masculinity on Condom Use Intentions Among Black Emerging Adult Males: A Critical Approach to STI Prevention and Health Care Delivery
- Thuy Nguyen, Ph.D., M.P.A., presented at the University of California San Francisco’s Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies on Effects of State Policies Eliminating Prior Authorization Requirements for Medications for Opioid Use Disorder on Buprenorphine Utilization.
Impact Accelerator Policy and Communications Training Program
From May 20-22, 2025, 12 IHPI members participated in an intensive training program aimed at sharpening their communication and policy engagement skills and increasing the policy and media impact of their research.
COMMUNITY AND CONNECTIONS
IHPI created many opportunities for members and staff to celebrate shared accomplishments and build community. These included popular annual events such as our IHPI Member Forum and IHPI Member Tailgate Party, as well as Early Career Faculty “Meet and Eat” sessions, seminars, networking events, and more!
Continuing our pursuit of collaboration, innovation, and discovery
As we celebrate another year filled with groundbreaking research and meaningful connections, we extend our sincere gratitude to every member of the IHPI community. Together, your dedication has driven innovative solutions that shape health policy and elevate care for individuals, families, and communities. Looking ahead, we are excited to build on this momentum, fostering new collaborations and discoveries to create an even healthier future for all.