Sara Rosenbaum JD

Sara Rosenbaum is the Harold and Jane Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy and Founding Chair of the Department of Health Policy, George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. She also holds a Professorship by Courtesy in the law school and is a member of the faculty of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

A graduate of Wesleyan University and Boston University Law School, Professor Rosenbaum has devoted her professional career to issues of health justice for populations who are medically underserved as a result of race, poverty, disability, or cultural exclusion. An honored teacher and scholar, a highly popular speaker, and a widely-read writer on many aspects of health law and policy, Professor Rosenbaum has emphasized public engagement as a core element of her professional life, providing public service to six presidential administrations and 15 Congresses since 1978. With respect to public engagement and health policy practice, Professor Rosenbaum is best known for her work on the expansion of Medicaid, the expansion of community health centers, patients’ rights in managed care, civil rights and health care, and national health reform. Between 1993 and 1994, Professor Rosenbaum worked for President Bill Clinton, directing the drafting of the Health Security Act and designing the Vaccines for Children program, a landmark law offering near-universal coverage of vaccines for low-income and medically underserved children. Professor Rosenbaum also regularly advises many state governments on matters of health policy.