Health Law Research Guide: National Agencies and Organizations

This association works for the advancement of dignified care for the elderly and their families.

An association of researchers, practitioners, educators, and advocates working to stop abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older persons and adults with disabilities through research, advocacy, and public and professional awareness.

Mission is to improve the lives of millions of older adults, especially those who are struggling.

Mission is to advance the nationally recognized standard of excellence in guardianship.

CCID works to determine the nature, origin, disease associations, modes of transmission, methods of diagnosis and therapy responses of complex infectious diseases, and to disseminate such information. It currently specializes in detecting and characterizing viruses with "stealth" adaptation to avoid elimination by the immune system.

Research and service delivery programs funded in part by US Agency for International Development, CDC, NIH, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and UNICEF.

GHC is a membership alliance comprised of health-care professionals and organizations including NGOs, foundations, corporations, government agencies and academic institutions that work to save lives by improving health throughout the world. Full text of Global Health Magazine.

A collaboration between three institutions -- the Bloomberg School of Public Health, the School of Medicine, and the School of Nursing – that addresses global health challenges: HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, malnutrition, hepatitis and other threats to health, especially in developing countries.

An international professional society of those who lead hospitals, healthcare systems and other healthcare organizations.

A national organization representing all types of hospitals, health care networks, their patients and communities.

GNYHA advocates for not-for-profit hospitals and continuing care facilities, voluntary and public, in the NYC metropolitan area to improve the access, quality and cost of health care. Publishes Skyline News, breaking news on Federal, State, and local health care legislation, as well as analyses of regulatory and finance issues affecting the New York health care community.

An advocacy group for more than 550 non-profit and public hospitals, health systems, nursing facilities, home care agencies, hospice and adult day care programs, and other related health care facilities throughout the state.

A membership organization of financial management professionals in the healthcare field.

A trade association representing medical products distributors and home care companies.

An independent research consulting firm, specializing in health care program and policy issues. Various reports are available from their website.

JCAHO develops standards, and evaluates and accredits hospitals, health care networks, home care organizations, long term care facilities, assisted living residences, behavioral health care organizations, ambulatory care providers, and clinical laboratories. Publishes an annual report on quality and safety.

NCCUSL provides states with non-partisan legislation designed to bring clarity and stability to critical areas of state statutory law.

NCSL a bipartisan organization serving the legislators and staffs of the nation's 50 states, its commonwealths and territories by providing research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues.

An interdisciplinary unit of over 20 full and part-time faculty with appointments in a number of University of Pennsylvania schools and departments working to advance scholarly and public understanding of ethical, legal, social and public policy issues in health care.

A non-governmental, non-profit international organization established by WHO and UNESCO in 1949. It represents a large proportion of the biomedical scientific community, and has initiated and coordinates long-term programs in the areas of bioethics, drug development and use, the international nomenclature of diseases, and health policy, ethics and human values.

An independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit bioethics research institute founded in 1969 to explore fundamental and emerging questions in health care, biotechnology, and the environment.

A non-profit organization, established in 1976, that assists federal and state government in enhancing services and supports for people with mental illness or mental retardation, and supports development of alternatives to congregate care facilities.

Bioethics Research Library at Georgetown University (Library & Information Services, Kennedy Institute of Ethics) is the world's largest collection of books, journals, newspaper articles, legal materials, regulations, codes, government publications, and other relevant documents concerned with ethical issues in medicine and biomedical research.

A national law-policy center engaging in advocacy, litigation, education and training to support the rights of the disabled, especially access to education. The website has press releases on its lawsuits, amicus curiae briefs, reports on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and links to related groups. One section has the proceedings of the 2000 international disability law conference, with texts and English summaries of laws from many countries pertaining to civil and employment rights of the disabled.

Advocates for all children and youth with special health care needs and/or disabilities.

A national trade association representing health maintenance organizations, preferred provider organizations, point-of-service plans, and other similar health insurance plans.

National, nonprofit consumer service organization that works to ensure access to affordable health care for older adults and people with disabilities through counseling and advocacy, educational programs and public policy initiatives.

National nonprofit, nonpartisan law organization that provides education, advocacy and legal assistance to help older people and people with disabilities obtain access to Medicare and quality health care.

Nonprofit, nonpartisan organization made up of the nation's leading experts on social insurance. Its mission is to advance solutions to challenges facing the nation by increasing public understanding of how social insurance contributes to economic security.

A private, nonprofit agency focusing on "misinformation, quackery and fraud," principally with respect to consumer protection. It promotes adequate labeling of drugs and supplements, proof of safety and effectiveness for medical products and services, and "accountability for those who violate the law." It has a health fraud discussion list and a free weekly electronic newsletter that reports on pharmaceuticals and alternative medicine--lawsuits, fines, FDA actions, and scientific reports disputi

AAMI, a nonprofit worldwide alliance of nearly 6,000 members with a common goal of increasing the understanding and beneficial use of medical instrumentation. It also develops medical device standards.

A national trade association advocating for research-driven medical technology companies.

AAPS is devoted to improving human health through the development of better pharmaceuticals.

The national professional society of pharmacists. The website includes the full text of Pharmacy Today.

Formerly Generic Pharmaceutical Association. A trade group representing the regulatory and legislative interests of manufacturers and distributors of generic pharmaceutical products and bulk active pharmaceutical chemicals, and suppliers of other goods and services to the generic pharmaceutical industry.

An independent association which assists its member boards in developing, implementing, and enforcing uniform standards.

An international organization dedicated to promoting the use of advanced remote technology and integrating telemedicine to improve access, affordability and quality of healthcare through the world.

Court appointed special advocates (CASA) are trained by local CASA programs to advocate on behalf of children in the Family Court and child welfare systems.

Advocates for children's rights to have fully engaged parents despite marital status.

Finds and invests grass roots organizations that impacts and improves children's lives.

Public policy center dedicated to promote economic security, health and well being of America's low income families and children.

Advocates to ensure a better education for children.

A bioethics organization promoting public debate about the social, ethical, and environmental implications of the new genetic technologies. The website provides full text of articles from GenWatch.

A federation of voluntary health organizations helping people with "orphan" diseases and the organizations that serve them through education, advocacy, research, and service.

a technical assistance resource for researchers and policy professionals. It publishes a journal, HSR: Health Services Research, several newsletters, and reports.

AHPA advocates for health policies and systems that ensure everyone access to quality care at a reasonable cost. Its website includes Certificate of Need resources.

NHeLP is a national public interest law firm with a mission to improve health care for America's working and unemployed poor, minorities, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

APHA is the oldest, largest organization of public health professionals, representing more than 50,000 members in over 50 occupations of public health. Since 1872 it has been influencing policies and priorities regarding personal and environmental health, including federal and state funding, pollution control, chronic and infectious diseases, a smoke-free society, and professional education in public health.

A CDC and WHO Collaborating Center at Johns Hopkins and Georgetown Universities that serves as a primary, international, national, state, and local resource on public health law, ethics, human rights, and policy for public health practitioners, lawyers, legislators, judges, academics, policymakers, and others.

The group advocates for high quality, accessible, comprehensive and affordable health care rendered by not-for-profit, community-directed organizations.

NACHC is a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance and expand access to quality, community-responsive health care for America’s medically underserved and uninsured. It represents the nation’s network of over 1,000 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).

A national non-profit membership organization whose mission is to improve the health and health care of rural Americans and to provide leadership on rural issues through advocacy, communications, education and research.

Conducts research on national, state, and local health policy issues, and assists policy makers and community leaders.

A legal and policy advocacy organization dedicated to promoting women's reproductive rights.

Develops and promotes analysis of issues affecting women and their health and advocates on these issues.

An independent philanthropy that focuses on major health care issues, including health policy, media and public education, and health and development in South Africa. It develops and runs its own research and communications programs, often in partnership with outside organizations. It established kaisernetwork.org to provide timely, reliable, and non-partisan information on national health issues to policymakers, the media, and the general public.

One of the country's most effective advocates of public health reform, as well as a major center for popular and professional health education.

Project HOPE has a mission to achieve sustainable advances in health care worldwide through health education programs, health policy research, and humanitarian assistance in areas of need. Project HOPE publishes Health Affairs, the leading journal of health policy thought and research.

A consumer research and advocacy organization tha, promotes research-based, system-wide changes in health care policy and provides advice and oversight concerning drugs, medical devices, doctors, hospitals and occupational health. Its website has information on disciplined doctors, hospital cesarean section rates, how to obtain medical records, and dispute resolution in Medicare HMOs.

Mitchell Hamline School of Law. Covers wide variety of public health issues.

Perhaps the largest health policy grant-giver in the world. Its website contains reports describing the results and findings of completed projects and major data sets resulting from RWJF-sponsored research.