2026 LFDP Conference - Day 2 (May 7)

Health Policy Annual Meeting, Luncheon Keynote Address with Monica Bharel, 2026 Reede Scholar Symposium

The 2026 Leadership and Faculty Development Conference opened up day two of the program with the Health Policy Annual Meeting, where the 2025-2026 cohort of Commonwealth Fund Fellows presented their year’s work. The Health Policy Annual Meeting is designed to expose health professionals, students, residents, staff and individuals from community agencies and organizations to health care and health disparities issues impacting the nation, with emphasis on disadvantaged, vulnerable, and uninsured populations.

The Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Health Policy Leadership at Harvard University is a one-year, full-time, academic degree-granting program designed to prepare physicians to become leaders who improve the health for all, with emphasis on disadvantaged, vulnerable, and uninsured populations. Fellows focus on transforming health care delivery systems and promoting innovation in policies, practices and programs that address health equity and the social determinants of health.

The Joseph L. Henry Oral Health Fellowship in Health Policy Leadership is a collaborative effort between the Office for Culture and Community Engagement (OCCE) at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM). The Oral Health Fellowship is a one-year, full-time, academic degree-granting program designed to create oral health leaders who will pursue careers in health policy, public health practice, and academia.

Monica Bharel is wearing a green blazer and necklace made of kukui nuts. She is standing in front of a projector screen in the Waterhouse Room and speaking.

Day two’s lunchtime keynote address was led by Monica Bharel, Global Clinical Lead, Public Health at Google. Her talk was titled, “The Intersections of Public Health and Artificial Intelligence.”

After lunch, the Reede Scholars conducted their 17th Annual Health Equity Symposium around the theme, “The Role of AI in Whole-person Health & Healthcare Policies.” The Reede Scholars, Inc. is a group of physicians, dentists, and mental health professionals who are the combined graduates of the Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Health Policy Leadership, the California Endowment Scholars in Health Policy, and the Joseph L. Henry Oral Health Fellowship Program at Harvard Medical School.

Watch the recording: