Sophia is pursuing a Master of Public Health in Health Policy at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she focuses on Medicaid policy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy Analysis/Anthropology from Pomona College in Claremont, California. Sophia brings to LTQA and the MLTSS Association experience in behavioral healthcare, health policy consulting, and state-level quality assurance initiatives. Her research and policy interests include long-term care financing, state innovations in home- and community-based services, and integrated behavioral healthcare.

Gabriela is pursuing a Master of Science in Public Health in Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She brings over four years of experience from Esperanza Health Centers in Chicago, where she led data-driven initiatives in quality reporting, COVID-19 response, and infrastructure development to improve care in underserved communities. At Hopkins, she serves as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Roger and Flo Lipitz Center, focusing on long-term care policy, caregiver workforce issues, and social determinants of health, while also supporting community-engaged learning as a Public Health Practice Program Assistant. She actively contributes to equity-centered initiatives through the SOURCE Governing Board and Latino Public Health Network. Her interests include Medicaid LTSS reform and leveraging data to enhance access, equity, and quality in aging services.

The G. Lawrence Atkins LTSS Policy and Research Fellowship (hereafter “Atkins Fellowship”) with Long-Term Quality Alliance (LTQA) and the affiliated National MLTSS Health Plan Association is a funded fellowship opportunity for graduate students with a demonstrated interest in Medicare, Medicaid and/or long-term services and supports (LTSS) to gain experience in advancing LTSS policy through research, policy analysis, and engagement with a broad range of stakeholders. This fellowship is named for G. Lawrence Atkins, PhD, who previously served as the Executive Director of LTQA and the MLTSS Association. Dr. Atkins is a veteran of more than 30 years of health and social policy analysis, policy development, and legislative representation at the local, state, and federal levels, including as Staff Director of the federal Commission on Long-Term Care.