Fellowships

The fellowships below are perfect for graduating students who are interested in pursuing further education and involvement in health care reform such as patient advocacy and healthcare justice. Click on the links below for more information.

The Villers Fellowship
application deadline January 10, 2012

The Villers Fellowship for Health Care Justice was created in 2005 by Philippe Villers, founder and president of Families USA. Each year, the Villers Fellow works in our health policy department and assists our organization's efforts to improve access to health coverage for all Americans, especially for low-income and other vulnerable communities. Specifically, the Villers Fellow will conduct research on a range of health care policy issues and write and contribute to publications that are relevant to health reform implementation and other health policy issues.

In creating the fellowship, Mr. Villers aspired to develop a network of young leaders who share a passion for health care justice. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a commitment to health care justice work following their year as a fellow. Additionally, in order to encourage the development of future leaders, Villers Fellows must commit to mentoring at least one person over the course of their careers. 

You can find more information, including a downloadable application form, on our 
website: http://www.familiesusa.org/about/the-villers-fellowship.html. If you have any questions, or would like to request hard copies of the application brochure, please contact me atvillersfellowship@familiesusa.org.

The Wellstone Fellowship
application deadline January 27, 2012

The Wellstone Fellow's primary responsibilities include assisting in the organization of conferences and trainings for advocates and community leaders; drafting talking points, blogs, fact sheets, and other publications; and developing content for the Families USA website and email lists. During the year, the Fellow will learn organizing and advocacy skills about health reform implementation, Medicaid, Medicare, health equity, and other important health policy issues. At the same time, the Wellstone Fellow will develop an understanding of the tactics and strategies used in state-based consumer health advocacy organizations and will work directly with our network of state consumer health advocates and organizations. 

Through this fellowship, Families USA hopes to expand the pool of talented social justice advocates from underrepresented economic, racial, and ethnic minority groups, including from the black/African American, Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, and Native American communities. 

The most important quality we seek in an applicant is a demonstrable passion for social justice. In addition, the ideal candidate will exhibit a keen interest in and commitment to developing advocacy and organizing skills, and understanding the complexities of the health care system in the United States. While we do not look for any particular coursework or experiences, your academic, volunteer, and professional background should reflect your dedication to social justice. Successful applicants should also exhibit excellent leadership capabilities and professionalism, as well as a desire to continue doing social justice work in the future.

You can find more information, including a downloadable application form, on our website:http://www.familiesusa.org/about/wellstone-fellowship.html. If you have any questions, or would like to request hard copies of the application brochure, please contact me atwellstonefellowship@familiesusa.org.

Both fellowships are year-long, full-time, salaried positions at our office in Washington, D.C. Each year, one candidate will be selected for each fellowship. Selected fellows will receive a compensatory package that includes an annual salary of $38,000 and excellent health care benefits.