Brookshield Laurent, D.O., Joins Health and Human Services Advisory Committee

The U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) has appointed Brookshield Laurent, D.O., to serve on the Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry (ACTPCMD).

Laurent, who is the associate dean of population and public health for New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University (NYITCOM-Arkansas), was nominated by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) and will serve a three-year term on the committee. AACOM is a national organization that represents and advocates for all osteopathic medical schools across the United States.

The ACTPCMD provides advice and recommendations to the HHS secretary concerning policy and program development and other matters of significance concerning medicine and dentistry activities. Additional activities include developing and implementing performance measures and recommending funding levels for certain federal programs. The committee includes 14 members representing a broad spectrum of stakeholders in the medical and dental communities.

“We are very proud and excited to see the appointment of Dr. Laurent,” says AACOM President and CEO Robert Cain, D.O. “It is critical that osteopathic medicine has a seat at the table where policy recommendations and program funding discussions that impact medical education and the medical profession are taking place. Dr. Laurent also brings a vital perspective from her work in rural and underserved communities and on health equity. She will be a great asset to the committee and a strong representative for osteopathic medicine.”

Laurent has served as a faculty member at NYITCOM-Arkansas since its inception in 2016. In addition to leading the medical school’s population health and health education efforts, Laurent previously served as the chair of the department of clinical medicine and is a board-certified family medicine physician.

“Dr. Laurent is an absolutely perfect fit for this role, and our profession is very fortunate to have her serve in this capacity,” says Shane Speights, D.O., site dean of NYITCOM at A-State. “Dr. Laurent’s passion for and commitment to public health are unmatched by any other physician I know, and she will thrive in this position.”

In 2019, Laurent founded NYITCOM’s Delta Population Health Institute (DPHI), which serves as the medical school’s community engagement arm. The DPHI leverages resources in education, research, policy, and community engagement to bring about policy, system, and environmental change through programs such as the Delta Care-a-van mobile medical unit, the Community Champions of Health initiative, and the Delta Health Policy Fellowship.

“Our healthcare systems require integrated and holistic policy interventions that provide high quality, affordable, and equitable opportunities of health for all,” Laurent says. “I am honored to serve as an osteopathic family medicine physician on the ACTPCMD Federal Advisory Board to contribute toward its great mission and advance health in this country.”

By Casey Pearce