In Fall 2023, the Zahava and Moshael Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought offered a new course on health policy taught by Senior Scholar Dr. Tevi Troy, who served as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services during the presidency of George W. Bush. This introductory course examined how policy is made, implemented, and reformed, and the role government plays in various aspects of health policy, in areas like innovation, protecting the public health, and defense against bioterrorism. In addition to presentations, activities, and assignments, students learned from a series of seven distinguished guest lecturers from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, many of whom drew upon deep experience working in the field.

In September, Dr. Joel Zinberg presented on COVID-19 policy. Dr. Zinberg, a physician and lawyer who served in the Trump administration in the Corona-era Council of Economic Advisors, focused primarily on the bureaucratic failures of the coronavirus, which he associated with structural issues in the construction of contemporary health agencies. Another lawyer, J. Eric Wise, a partner at Alston & Bird, spoke about bankruptcy law and the financial side of the healthcare industry. Dr. Bob Goldberg, a prominent healthcare innovation expert, challenged the notion that the United States necessarily pays more than other countries for healthcare. Dr. Goldberg discussed the strategic advantages of the U.S. healthcare system, emphasizing its role as a first mover and adopter of medical innovations.

In November, students had the privilege of hearing from Jay Lefkowitz, a litigation partner at Kirkland & Ellis P.C. Lefkowitz touched on the intersection between policy and politics in bioethics, drawing upon his political experience, which includes service in two White House administrations: General Counsel in the Office of Management and Budget, Deputy Director of Domestic Policy, and Special Envoy to North Korea. In another class, Stewart Simonson, the Assistant Director General at the World Health Organization, provided an insider’s look to students on the functions and breadth that the WHO provides to America and the world. After 9/11, Simonson had joined the Bush administration and was the Assistant Secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness at HHS.

In December, Noam Neusner, a former White House speechwriter and communications adviser, shared his thoughts on the role of journalists in health policy. Neusner shared his personal journey from journalism to speechwriting for President Bush and his career in communications, and he reflected on the importance of effective and honest communication in realms of great complexity such as healthcare. Along the way, he fielded many questions from the students on questions ranging from his insider experience in the White House to his perspective on the implications of artificial intelligence for the communications industry.

In the final session of the semester, Dr. Troy welcomed veterinarian Dr. William Karesh, an expert on zoonotic diseases who has worked in over 55 countries, for a mock bioterrorism response meeting in which the classroom recreated the White House situation room: Dr. Karesh played President of the United States with Dr. Troy as his Vice President. Students in the class all played roles as members of the cabinet informing “President” Karesh about a hypothetical anthrax outbreak.

“The guest lecturers, the Jewish and non-Jewish ones alike, embodied the Straus Center’s mission of bringing the best Western and religious thought into practical application, in this case in helping the United States government navigate some of its most significant health challenges,” reflected Dr. Troy. “The students gained a great deal of practical wisdom from these examples of people who devoted substantial parts of their careers to advancing the interests of the United States government and its people.”