Bridging the gap: O’Neill student connects healthcare policymakers to research

Written by: Nikki Livingston

Madelyn Mustaine’s mission is to empower individuals to live their healthiest, happiest lives by ensuring they have reliable access to the care they deserve.

As an undergraduate at O’Neill, she worked as a research assistant for health care policy researcher Kosali Simon and studied health care in five countries, which were experiences she hopes to continue now that she is pursuing a graduate degree in policy analysis and health policy. The D.C. Accelerator program has done just that.

Mustaine interned at the Evidence-Informed State Health Policy Institute within AcademyHealth, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the use of evidence to improve health policy and practice. She’s bridging the gap between academic research and real-world policy applications while learning how policies are shaped at the federal level.

She researched state Medicaid policies, particularly looking at how different states are using Medicaid to improve health outcomes. She’s helped organize a national conference that brought health policy researchers and policymakers together, and identified key takeaways from focus groups with doulas to identify challenges they face when working within the Medicaid system.

“The D.C. Accelerator program gives students a unique chance to work on high-impact projects, build their professional network and acquire skills that are invaluable in the public policy field,” Mustaine said.

She recently accepted a job with the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, which is the part of Congress that advises on Medicaid policy. Mustaine’s research will focus on how Medicaid can better provide long-term services and support to aging adults.

Mustaine’s instructor, Christina Motilall, a fellow O’Neill alumna and Midwesterner who now works at the Environmental Protection Agency, recalls how intimidating Washington, D.C., seemed as a recent graduate.

“Many of my fellow students and I were passionate about public service and getting our foot in the door on the East Coast,” Motilall said. “The D.C. programs offered by O’Neill serve as a springboard for students to grow their confidence and skills as leaders with dedicated support and training.

“Our federal, state and local governments all need your talent, passion and leadership. O’Neill’s D.C. programs are a great place to get started on that journey.”