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Health Policy Expert Interview Paper

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Health Policy Expert Interview Dr. Richard Martin Ruiz, MD, FACS has the background that can influence health policy at the local, state, and national level. The information that is gained through the research projects, he shares through national publications as well as through oral presentations at state and national conferences. By being a voting member of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)/Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) Minority Affairs Committee, Dr. Ruiz can influence health policy. UNOS is “the private, non-profit organization that manages the nation’s organ transplant system under contract with the federal government” (UNOS, 2017). OPTN is the “public-private partnership that links all professionals …show more content…

Dr. Ruiz’s current research interest is combined liver and kidney transplantation and hepatorenal syndrome. He has published a total of 24 peer review articles which can be viewed at this link (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Ruiz+RM.) He makes approximately four presentations a year: American Transplant Conference, Liver Disease Conference, American Association of the Study of Liver Diseases, and the American Surgical Association. Dr. Ruiz’s current activity is running the Baylor Hispanic Kidney Transplant Clinic.
Official’s Involvement in Health Policy and The Official’s Current Health Policy
Objectives
The UNOS Minority Affairs Committee detects and considers the characteristics of organ transplantation, including distribution with the possible effect of minority populations. As a member, Dr. Ruiz offers a contribution to the committee on specific projects. Then, the committee reports the results to the Board of Directors.
How This Official Decides to Support or Not Support Issues, and Who Influences His
Perspectives
Dr. Ruiz explains that the course is complex. Once a policy has been created by the committee, it is generated for public comment. Then, it is sent back to the committee for any modifications. Ultimately, it is delivered to the Board of Directors for a vote and execution. Therefore, there are numerous levels of input. He mentioned that from a personal standpoint, his decision is to support policy issues from what he

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