Stephen W. Patrick

Stephen W. Patrick is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Policy at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, with a secondary appointment in Pediatrics. He serves as the William R. Long Director of Child Health Policy at the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy and as Executive Director of Firefly. He is also an attending neonatologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and an Adjunct Physician Policy Researcher at the RAND Corporation.

Dr. Patrick's research and policy work focus on improving outcomes for pregnant individuals with opioid use disorder and their infants. His expertise spans child health policy, maternal and infant health, health services research, and substance use policy. He has led national initiatives, including serving as Senior Policy Advisor to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, where he developed an interagency action plan for substance use in pregnancy.

His extensive publication record includes over 120 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Pediatrics, and Health Affairs. His recent research trends emphasize state and federal drug policy evaluation, disparities in treatment access, telehealth expansion, neonatal outcomes, and the economic impact of the opioid crisis on maternal and child health.

Scientific Awards:

• American Medical Association Foundation Excellence in Medicine Leadership Award
• Nemours Child Health Services Research Award
• Society for Pediatric Research Young Investigator Award
• Gale and Ira Drukier Prize in Children’s Health Research

Dr. Patrick has been actively involved in mentoring through the PhD in Health Policy program and leads a multidisciplinary research team at the Center for Child Health Policy. His NIH-funded research portfolio includes grants focused on health policy interventions, quality improvement in neonatal care, and evaluating the impact of legislation on maternal and child outcomes. He has testified before Congress and serves on key national advisory boards, including the FDA and the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Substance Use and Prevention.

His leadership extends to directing Firefly, a digital health initiative aimed at improving care coordination for vulnerable families, and he continues to advance innovative solutions at the intersection of clinical care, public health, and policy.