You might imagine an orthopedic surgeon with a very successful professional career would be satisfied with their resume, but if you made that assumption about Dr. Heather Phipps you would be incorrect.
Phipps, DO, MBA, of Kennewick, Washington, just completed an additional segment of an already impressive medical education. Dr. Phipps is a recent graduate of the Osteopathic Health Policy Fellowship, a national program that prepares
leaders to engage in the formulations, analysis, and advocacy of policy that seeks to improve population health.
I chose to apply for and join the 2019-2020 class of the Osteopathic Health Policy Fellowship to develop a new skill set that provides the opportunity to care for patients in a broader manner,” said Dr. Phipps. “It is important for physicians to learn how the art and practice of medicine is applied through health policy and how to reach out to policymakers.”
Dr. Phipps is an Orthopedic Surgeon with Benton Franklin Orthopedic Associates in Kennewick, WA. She now joins the ranks of more than 260 osteopathic physicians and other health care professionals to complete the program.
Dr. Phipps said, “I wanted to learn how to work with policymakers to create the best possible policies for patient care. The best way to achieve this goal is to understand both sides of the coin.”
As with many activities during recent times, the program was modified due to the pandemic and was transformed to a virtual program that lasted longer than the normal year, but ended with graduation on December 6, 2020. The graduates of the program join a cadre of health policy experts from which the profession can draw to staff committees and task forces at the federal and state levels, testify on issues relevant to osteopathic medicine and education, and develop policy positions.
Dr. Phipps, the immediate past chair of the board of trustees at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Yakima, Washington, is glad she made the time and effort to participate in the prestigious program established in 1994. “The Fellowship was a fantastic experience, and I would encourage my colleagues to become involved with health policy,” she said.
Alumni of the program have served as policy advisers in public and private forums to the profession, legislators at the local, state, and national levels, diverse health-centered institutions, and other health leadership groups. The program has distinguished itself by creating a prepared leadership bench and network for important roles in the future of osteopathic medicine and healthcare.
Dr. Phipps continues to serve as a member of the PNWU Board of Trustees as well as other service roles in her community and related to her profession. She has been active in precepting PNWU-COM students and students from other programs in her Benton Franklin Orthopedic Associates office in Kennewick. She recently completed four years of service at Kennewick General Hospital as the chief of surgery and had served as a board member of the Benton Franklin County Medical Society. She now serves as a delegate to the Washington Osteopathic Medical Association as a District V Trustee.
Dr. Phipps received her DO degree from Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens, Ohio. Her internship was completed at Doctor’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and residency training in orthopedic surgery at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in Stratford, New Jersey. Dr. Phipps is board certified in orthopedic surgery.