Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Family and Community Medicine Assistant Professor William Calawerts, MD, has been selected as the 2026 National Academy of Medicine (NAM) State Health Policy Fellow (SHPF), a program supported by the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment (AHW).
Dr. Calawerts is one of seven fellows representing six states who will spend one year working with state legislative and executive branch offices to contribute their expertise to the development and implementation of state health policies and programs. The other states participating in the NAM SHPF program are Colorado, Louisiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
“Decisions made at the state level have a profound impact on the health and well-being of people and communities,” said NAM President Monica M. Bertagnolli. “These fellows bring deep expertise from across health, medicine, research, and nursing, along with an opportunity to learn firsthand how evidence can inform policy. By bringing these perspectives together, the fellowship helps strengthen the connection between what we know and the decisions that shape health in communities across the country.”
The Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment launched a pilot program with NAM in 2024, funding Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Medicine Assistant Professor Rachel Bernard, MD, MPH, FACP, as the inaugural Wisconsin State Health Policy Fellow that year. Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Pediatrics Assistant Professor Kellie Snooks, DO, served as the second Wisconsin State Health Policy Fellow in 2026.
By embedding health professionals in state government, the SHPF program gives policymakers access to specialized expertise and evidence to help inform decisions on complex health and health care issues. At the same time, fellows gain firsthand experience with state policy and political processes and develop skills they can carry into leadership roles throughout their careers.
Following an orientation and training session in Washington, DC, Dr. Calawerts will serve part-time in a Wisconsin state government setting. Throughout his fellowship year, Dr. Calawerts will take part in educational programming, exchange lessons across state contexts, and build a professional cohort that supports continued collaboration and learning.
Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment Interim Executive Director Cheryl Maurana, PhD, said, “The partnership between the Medical College of Wisconsin and the National Academy of Medicine represented by the AHW-funded State Health Policy Fellowship underscores the importance of knowledge-sharing between policymakers and experts who devote their careers to improving health and advancing health equity.”
AHW also continues to fund a NAM Fellowship to Advance State Health Policy. The latest recipient of this two-year fellowship is Laura Hawks, MD, MPH, associate professor in the department of general internal medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Read more about the NAM State Health Policy Fellowship program here.
.jpeg?width=300&name=headshot%20(003).jpeg)
.svg){kind=icon}
.svg){kind=icon}