We recently checked in with Trachtenberg School alumna Elizabeth Linderbaum (MPP ‘22) for insights on her career in regulatory policy. Linderbaum is the Deputy Director of Regulatory Affairs at the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) in Bethesda, Maryland.
With an active slate of health policy issues in recent years, Linderbaum has been working on pressing matters including the 340B Drug Pricing Program which provides discounted drugs to safety net providers that serve vulnerable populations. She also engages with policies and legislative proposals that aim to advance health care equity in Medicare and Medicaid, and policies to extend telehealth flexibilities in Medicare. Looking to the near future, artificial intelligence technologies have great potential for increasing health care access and improving patient outcomes. Linderbaum is interested in engaging with AI regulation design as policymakers begin developing plans to promote the use of AI safely and effectively.
Completing internships as an undergraduate with the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and U.S. House of Representatives deepened Linderbaum’s interest in public policy, and the GW Trachtenberg School was an ideal place to develop her skills for a policy career. “GW intentionally sought after professors who also worked a policy job simultaneously while teaching - this allowed them to integrate their timely, real world experience into lessons which I particularly appreciated,” Linderbaum said.
Taking Professor Susan Dudley’s Regulatory Comment Clinic was a highlight of her MPP program. A capstone with Professor Joseph Cordes featured an engaging project that analyzed the Energy, Social, and Governance (ESG) policies and practices of a global energy corporation. The project team recommended steps the company should take to address ESG risks and opportunities across its operations in the U.S., UK, EU, China, and Mexico. A class on Value-Based Payment Reform with Joshua Traylor was also very influential in helping Linderbaum build expertise in regulatory actions of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services which she uses daily in her role at NACHC.
When she’s not working, Linderbaum enjoys hiking, yoga, weightlifting, and playing semi-competitive co-ed softball. With graduate courses no longer filling her evenings, she has gotten to spend more time cooking and baking and enjoys trying out new recipes.
The Regulatory Studies Center is delighted to have another recent alum working on health care regulations and policies! Elizabeth is in good company among a wide network of GW graduates putting their talents to work for the public interest.