Olivia Gomez Assistant Director, Health Policy and Research
Olivia Gomez serves as the Assistant Director of Health Policy and Research. Her work focuses on enhancing health outcomes for children by advocating for policies that improve access to health coverage and nutritional foods, reduce child poverty, and keep our environment free from toxins and pollutants.
Prior to joining First Focus, Olivia was an intern in Senator Robert P. Casey’s office, where she provided research and legislative support for the Senator on a number of different policy issues. Olivia also was a public health policy intern at the Office of National Drug Control Policy within the Executive Office of the President, where she worked to improve access to evidence-based treatments for those with substance use disorder. While completing her degree, she served as a tutor to student-athletes and was a public health science ambassador to prospective students for the University of Maryland School of Public Health.
Olivia is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Health.
Response to Request for Information on Medicaid & CHIP
Carrie Fitzgerald, Olivia Gomez | April 18, 2022 |
First Focus on Children submitted the following responses to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ request for information on access to coverage and …
Fact Sheet: Mental Health & Kids
Averi Pakulis, Elaine Dalpiaz, Olivia Gomez | April 8, 2022 |
Children and teens in our country are experiencing a mental health crisis. Even before the pandemic, this crisis was severe, with 1-in-5 children under …
Fact Sheet: Removing the “Family Glitch” from the ACA
Elaine Dalpiaz, Olivia Gomez | January 27, 2022 |
On December 10, 2021, the Biden Administration took a positive step toward fixing the “family glitch,” which impacts the ability of over 5 million …
New USDA guidance will curb the chilling effect of public charge
Olivia Gomez | January 24, 2022 |
Earlier this month, we were very pleased to see that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued …
Comments on Georgia’s Section 1332 Waiver
Carrie Fitzgerald, Olivia Gomez | January 7, 2022 |
First Focus on Children submitted the following comment to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid …
What’s at stake for kids if Congress doesn’t pass Build Back Better
Aubrey Edwards-Luce, Averi Pakulis, Cara Baldari, Carrie Fitzgerald, Conor Sasner, Elaine Dalpiaz, Haley Winter, Kathy Sacco, Michelle Dallafior, Miriam Abaya, Olivia Gomez, First Focus Campaign for Children | December 22, 2021 |
As negotiations have stalled and the fate of the Build Back Better Act hangs in the balance, children stand to lose access to monthly …
What Congress can do about hunger & homelessness this holiday season
Cara Baldari, Olivia Gomez, First Focus Campaign for Children | November 22, 2021 |
Heading into Thanksgiving, the negative economic reverberations of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be strongest for families with children who were already struggling to …
Policy Brief: 10 Ways to Improve the Health Coverage of America’s Children
Elaine Dalpiaz, Olivia Gomez | November 10, 2021 |
While much progress has been made in health care coverage for children, there is still more to do to ensure that the more than …
Climate Displacement is a Kids Issue
Miriam Abaya, Olivia Gomez | October 13, 2021 |
In recent years, natural disasters and extreme weather events have been occurring at alarming rates. This past summer was particularly worrisome in the U.S. …
This Earth Day, Let’s Remember to Prioritize Kids in Climate Change Policy
Olivia Gomez | April 21, 2021 |
Since President Biden has taken office, it seems America is finally taking the threat of climate change and the implications it has seriously. Just …