Mark Bonica Appointed Director of Institute for Health Policy and Practice

Mark Bonica, associate professor and chair of the Department of Health Management and Policy (HMP), has been appointed director of the Institute for Health Policy and Practice (IHPP). He will serve in this new leadership role while continuing his responsibilities as department chair.  

IHPP, which has operated for more than 20 years, partners with state, local, and federal agencies as well as nonprofit organizations to address complex health challenges through applied research, technical assistance, and education. Much of the institute’s work focuses on service to New Hampshire, including projects such as evaluating the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, supporting the state’s opioid response programs, analyzing Medicaid program transitions and performance, and helping healthcare practices improve care for conditions like cardiovascular disease and diabetes through quality improvement and practice transformation.

“IHPP and HMP share the same intellectual space. We are both focused on improving health through our work on health policy and management,” Bonica says.  

Bonica says that HMP advances this mission by preparing undergraduate and graduate students for careers in healthcare management, public health, and health policy. Through its work, IHPP leverages its expertise and partnerships with the state to demonstrate what this work looks like in practice.

“The staff of IHPP and HMP faculty have collaborated in the past on an ad hoc basis because we work on the same issues,” he says. “As director, I hope to make that collaboration more deliberate, serving as a conduit between the two organizations to maximize synergies and create more value for New Hampshire and beyond.”  

With Bonica’s appointment, Laura Davie, who served as acting director of IHPP for more than two years, has transitioned into the role of associate director, where she will continue to oversee the institute’s efforts in long-term care and aging.

“Mark adds value to IHPP,” Davie says. “He brings connections with health systems that complement IHPP’s history of working closely with public health and state agencies. Together, that expands opportunities for the institute and for the state.”  

Bonica says the appointment also supports a broader effort within the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) to foster collaboration across departments and institutes.

“The opportunities that IHPP is going to give me to engage more on the public health side will also strengthen HMP’s public health mission, which we’re doubling down on right now with the new bachelor of public health, and re-launch of the master’s in public health,” Bonica says.

IHPP’s staff also includes several alums of HMP’s undergraduate and graduate programs, underscoring the close ties between the two organizations.

Davie says she’s proud of the role IHPP plays within the university and the state.

“What we do is so valuable to UNH’s role as a land-grant university.  At its core, the University’s mission of service is about using ideas rooted in traditional research to implement solutions that drive meaningful change. IHPP was established as a state-university partnership, and we will move into this next chapter with continued dedication to serving communities across New Hampshire,” Davie says.

As he steps into the new role, Bonica says his immediate priority is to learn from IHPP’s staff and leadership team.

“Together with the IHPP team, I look forward to strengthening our collaborations, expanding our reach, and ensuring that our work continues to make a difference for the people of New Hampshire and beyond.”