Nicole Rapfogel is a policy analyst for Health at American Progress. Prior to joining American Progress, she interned with the Field and Outreach team at Population Connection, where she organized and advocated for U.S. policy to advance global reproductive health and rights. She graduated magna cum laude from Duke University with a bachelor’s degree in public policy and global health. Her undergraduate research focused on contraceptive counseling and patient-provider communication. She is currently pursuing her Master of Public Health at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, where she supports research on structural inequities among LGBTQ+ adults.
Address the nursing shortage with realistic staffing and fair contracts
Marina Zhavoronkova, Nicole Rapfogel, and Emily Gee argue that in order to address America's nursing shortage, policymakers must take measures to improve nurses' working conditions and keep them in the profession.
Nonprofit Hospitals Can Improve Community Health Through Housing Investments
Nonprofit hospitals have an obligation to provide community benefit; as part of this, they should do more to support the housing needs of the communities they serve.
Marquisha Johns and Nicole Rapfogel explain why the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, was the result of long-standing disinvestment, environmental injustice, and health inequities—and they urge state lawmakers to direct funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act toward the communities that need them most.
Public health plays a key role in keeping us all safe and healthy. This video shows how public health works and calls for investment in the nation’s public health system.
Policymakers could make behavioral health care, including mental health services, more affordable and accessible by enforcing network adequacy and parity provisions, lowering patient costs, and making networking with insurers more attractive for providers.
