Welcome!

Hello! Thanks for coming to my Beehiiv!

The daily news is almost always saturated with political controversy and crises from the local level to Capitol Hill. Health policy is a main focus on controversy, specifically, because it affects a large scope of the population. But what is science and, more specifically, health policy? Who makes health policy decisions? Are they qualified? How does the decision making process work? Can we trace real issues in our world to specific health policies? How do socio-economic disparities develop? Can they ever be truly resolved?

These questions widen the scope of the health policy debate, changing the focus from what decisions are made to why decisions are made. While we often criticize policy makers for making “the wrong decision,” what influences our perception of what is right or wrong? Can we ever be 100% certain that something is true? How can we balance personal beliefs with the utilitarian framework of helping the most people (if that is even the framework we should be using)?

My name is Vinay Sudarsanam and I am a pre-Health Policy and Management student at UNC Chapel Hill. The questions I raise above are ones I hope to tackle in the coming weeks as I explore the field of health policy and its larger effects on American society and culture.

If this is something that interests you, please subscribe and join this journey with me! If you are looking to explore a specific topic I bring up, I intend on including links at the bottom of each journal.

And, if you have specific questions, reach out, and please share with friends and family if they might be interested!