Welcome to the web site of the Schneider Institutes for Health Policy. We hope you find it useful for learning more about our various research and training opportunities, and we look forward to your specific inquiries.

At their inception, the Schneider Institutes were committed to developing an objective, university-based entity capable of providing research assistance to the Federal government on the major problems it faced in financing and delivering care to the elderly, disabled and poor. Our role has always been to solve complex health care problems, and to link research studies to policy change.

National issues and health care institutions have evolved over the past 25 years, but the mission of the Schneider Institutes remains unchanged: to participate in research and public discourse, seeking to find solutions to our most important health care problems. Pursuing that mission, the Schneider Institutes have become one of the largest academically based health policy research centers in the United States.

The contributions of any research and policy organization are largely attributable to its investigators. We are proud of the research track record and public service orientation of our staff. We hope that the information you find on this site will interest you in learning more about the people, research, policy activities and training programs that make the Schneider Institutes for Health Policy a significant contributor to health services research and policy.

Stanley S. Wallack
Executive Director

SIHP History

The Schneider Institutes for Health Policy (SIHP) were conceived over 25 years ago by Stanley Wallack and Stuart Altman. SIHP's research and educational activities began in 1978, when Brandeis University was named as one of only two organizations chosen to help the federal government understand how financing and development programs needed significant modification. Over the past 25 years, under the continuing leadership of Professors Wallack and Altman, SIHP investigators have conducted studies, testified before many legislative committees, served on multiple public commissions, and played key advisory roles at both state and federal levels on acute, chronic and behavioral health care issues.

A hallmark of the Schneider Institutes' consistent strength is their capacity to analyze the underlying causes of health care challenges, formulate solutions, implement demonstration projects, and evaluate their impacts. These activities create a rich environment for graduate education and have prepared several generations of Heller students for leadership roles in both the public and private sectors in the United States and internationally. This combination of research, education and engagement in the "real world" positions the Schneider Institutes as a unique think tank that excels in both the creation of new knowledge and its translation into state-of-the-art policies and services that make a difference.

As a dynamic research organization, the Schneider Institutes continue to evolve into new areas of study. The early focus on national acute and chronic health has broadened considerably. Mental health and substance abuse or personal risk factors became a major focus in the late 1980's. Under the leadership of Professor Connie Horgan, the breadth and depth of SIHP studies in this area have grown substantially, leading to the creation of the Institute for Behavioral Health in 2003.

In 1999, due to the continued generosity of the Schneider family, SIHP expanded to become a global health services research organization. Studies are now being conducted in developing countries around the world on a variety of issues that improve the well-being of the country's population.

Currently, SIHP is conducting numerous domestic and international studies on many different aspects of health care, and has M.A. and Ph.D. training programs for both U.S. and international students. SIHP is organized in three major research areas:

and six areas where substantial expertise reflects the Institutes' core competencies:
 The three primary areas of research and the six core competencies are fully explored in this web site.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Schneider Institutes for Health Policy is to conduct the health services research and policy efforts in three broad areas:

  1. Health care financing and delivery.

  2. The relationships between health services, behavior and socio-economic characteristics and health status for individuals.

  3. The connection between health status and individual and society well-being.
While maintaining a very high level of activity and involvement in our traditionally strong areas of health care financing and organization, and behavioral health, the Schneider Institutes are moving aggressively to conduct relevant international studies that probe the connection between the health of individuals and development.

Through SIHP's research and educational activities, The Heller School's social science and management faculty have been brought together to advance knowledge about the interrelationship between the leadership and goals of health care organizations, and the internal systems of processes and staffing they adopt. Understanding how to align health policies and practices is critical for improving health outcomes.

The Schneider Institutes are committed to undertaking studies that make a difference, and as a result, the policy relevance and productivity of the Schneider Institutes have been recognized by the U.S. Congress. Most recently, the 2003 Federal budget reconciliation act provided funds to plan a new Schneider building to house the expanding educational and research efforts of The Heller School programs.

As the largest research center at Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy and Management, the Schneider Institutes for Health Policy study emerging issues related to social policy in order to develop society's policy alternatives for federal and state governments. The focus of the Schneider Institutes for Health Policy is on the needs of our most vulnerable populations:

The Schneider Institutes for Health Policy examine the overall health care system from a variety of perspectives:

The Schneider Institutes stay involved in the design and testing of new organizational models and payment systems that are needed for today's growing population, and beyond. SIHP's diverse undertakings reflect a long-standing commitment to being an active participant in policy-setting and the creation of knowledge in the local, national and international domains.