The health policy journal club is an interdisciplinary, inter-professional group convened monthly by the Farley Health Policy Center to discuss timely topics in health policy. A curated selection of high-yield articles provides the basis for discussion. Past topics have included income inequality and health, professionalism in medicine, patients as consumers, and adjusting payment for measures of social risk. This page presents the reading list from the most recent journal club. 

This month's health policy journal club will further examine the transforming healthcare landscape under the Trump Administration. We discussed environmental health deregulation, food and nutrition policy shifts, potential changes to vaccine protocols, public trust under current administration, and public awareness of threats to public health. 

Environmental health and EPA deregulation 

First WH, Angell SY, Ebi KL, et al. Critical steps to address climate, health, and equity. Health Affairs. 2025; 44(2):171-178. 

EPA Launches Biggest Deregulatory Action in U.S. History. March 12, 2025. News release. 

Groom N, Volcovici V. Environmental lawyers get ready to pounce on Trump's energy deregulation moves. Reuters. April 22, 2025. 

Friedman L, Tabuchi H. Out at the EPA: Independent scientists. In: Approving new chemicals. NYT. May 2, 2025. 

Food and Nutrition 

Cancryn A, Brown M. RFK Jr.'s food stamp plan fuels tension with USDA. Politico. March 27, 2025. 

Roubein R, Weber L. As RFK Jr. pledges food victories, he faces the realities of governing. The Washington Post. May 6, 2025. (see video in the middle of the article as well)

Vaccines 

Stein R. RFK Jr. to require placebo-controlled studies for new vaccines. NPR. May 1, 2025. 

Letter from Members of Congress to Acting Director Susan Monarez, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. April 8, 2025. 

Public trust and public awareness of threats to public health 

Nagler RH, Fowler EF, Vraga EK, Rothman AJ, Vogel RI, Gollust SE. Public Awareness of Threats to Public Health and Science in March 2025. Milbank Quarterly Opinion. April 21, 2025. 

Montero A, Sparks G, Montalvo J, Kirzinger A, Hamel L. KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust: Vaccine Safety and Trust. May 6, 2025.