A Minneapolis doctor and recent law grad has been selected for a prestigious yearlong fellowship in Washington, D.C., working on health law and policy.
Dr. Darryll Dykes ’15 is one of eight health professionals chosen for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellows Program at the National Academy of Medicine.
Beginning in September, Dykes and the other fellows will work on health-related legislation and regulations with members of Congress and the executive branch. They’ll also participate in health policy seminars and discussions and take part in leadership development programs.
Dykes, president and chief executive officer of Minneapolis-based Medical and Surgical Spine Consultants of Minnesota, said he’s honored to be chosen for the fellowship and looks forward to its challenges.
“How do we provide the highest quality health care, equitably, to all people, whenever, wherever, and however they need it, at a cost that is appropriate and sustainable?” Dykes said. “My fellowship will provide an unrivaled opportunity to better understand these quality, access, and cost challenges and to assist our policymakers in shaping real solutions.”
Dykes earned his J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law, one of Mitchell Hamline’s predecessor schools. He received a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology, and an M.D., from the State University of New York. He thinks that combination of legal and medical training will serve him well during the fellowship.
“My legal education provided a great ability to understand, communicate, and negotiate complex legal and regulatory issues that are so important in health care but almost completely overlooked in medical education,” Dykes said.
After the fellowship is over, Dykes plans to continue his work in direct patient care, research, teaching, and health policy advocacy.