News & Recent Releases

Kathleen Sebelius was in charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services when the Affordable Care Act became law. Now, she and a bipartisan group are putting their best thinking forward for how to fix rural health care. Their report from Aspen Institute’s Health Strategy Group calls the rural mortality gap a “moral failing and a crisis that cannot be ignored.” Listen to the podcast by clicking on the picture.

Former HHS Secretary and Aspen Health Strategy Group Co-chair Kathleen Sebelius compares the national responses to the H1N1 and COVID-19 pandemics, highlighting how the shift from science-based unity to partisan division has threatened our public health infrastructure. She warns that the erosion of trust in medical expertise and the dismantling of global health alliances now place the safety of future generations at a critical crossroads.

NeuroArts Blueprint

On April 15, 10 teams of artists and early career researchers were named 2026 Renée Fleming Neuroarts Investigator Awards recipients. Each team will receive a grant of $25,000 to support an interdisciplinary research project whose results will contribute to the growing body of scientific evidence underpinning the field of neuroarts.

The Open Research Community Accelerator (ORCA), in partnership with the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, announced today that six universities have been awarded $250,000 as part of the inaugural Modernizing Academic Appointment & Advancement (MA3) Challenge.

A new report released by the Aspen Health Strategy Group identifies opportunities for health sector leaders to narrow the health gap between the 50 million Americans who live in rural areas and those who do not. The report is unsparing in its depiction of health disparities in rural areas, which include higher mortality rates, a greater prevalence of chronic conditions and disability, and more infectious diseases. Rural residents are also significantly more likely to report problems affording their medical bills and more likely to carry medical debt when compared to urban residents.