Alumni career spotlight: Desmond Rader

Posted on November 10, 2023 by Andy Ware

In our Alumni Career Spotlight series, you will meet some of our alumni and learn about the important work they are doing to create a healthier nation and world.

Desmond Rader

Employer: IU Health
Current position: Strategic sourcing contract specialist, supply chain
Location: Plainfield, IN
Degree(s): BA, Political Science, 2021; MHA, 2023

Why did you choose your major/program?
My undergraduate degree was to prepare for law school, which I ended up not wanting to further pursue. I chose the MHA to work as an administrator in a health system as I felt it was an area I could make a positive impact with my legal and leadership background.

Briefly describe your career path.
I originally intended on a career in law, which I pursed through my political science BA and position as a paralegal in the Army Reserve. After volunteering with a medial philanthropy club, I made the switch to healthcare, which started at Methodist Hospital in guest relations. My next two positions were internships at Riley Hospital on the strategy team and after graduation I began my current position within supply chain.

Describe what an average day for you might be like.
I primarily work with portfolio managers to keep them on track with their contracts that provide the hospitals with the supplies they need, along with supporting in contracts where needed. I own a few initiatives such as the tracking and allocation of rebates tied to contracts or adding new suppliers to our network. I work with our portfolio managers to create amendments to contracts along with supporting in negotiations with said contracts. Lastly, I meet with clinical teams to make sure that supplies are both cost effective and of good quality for patient use.

What advice would you give your college self about pursuing your current career path or industry?
Your career path isn’t always the clearest, but each step along the way is going to be filled with learning that will greatly aid in helping you find what you enjoy.

What is a lesson learned at FSPH that you have been able to apply to your career?
Understanding the countless positions that go into running a healthcare facility have greatly helped me in working on strategic initiatives that touch all of these areas.

What is the most significant thing that’s happened to you since graduating?
The team that I am working on greatly pushes for building its employees. That coupled with IU Health’s young professional group have helped me make a far clearer path for my future.

What’s next for you?
My next step is focused around building experience in my current role to become a portfolio manager who negotiates and builds contracts with hospital vendors.

My long-term goal is to work in administration or strategy, potentially within supply chain for a hospital system that will likely also be in a different state due to wanting to move.

What is your favorite IUPUI/FSPH memory?
Participating in the NAHSE case competition was the most challenging yet rewarding part of my MHA experience. Although it was a tough month, the amount we learned from the beginning strategic steps to the end of operationalizing our plan and presenting it was immensely helpful for applying all that we had been learning.

Alumni career spotlight: Erin Demo

Posted on October 26, 2023 by Andy Ware

In our Alumni Career Spotlight series, you will meet some of our alumni and learn about the important work they are doing to create a healthier nation and world.

Erin Demo

Employer: MITRE
Current position: Intermediate Healthcare Analyst
Location: Washington, DC
Degree(s): BSPH from Fairbanks, 2020; MPH from George Washington University, 2022

Why did you choose your major/program?
I chose BSPH because of the opportunities in Indianapolis. I chose GW because of the opportunities in DC. Both choices were equally as important!

Do you have any research interests?
Precision medicine in regards to working to achieve health equity.

Briefly describe your career path.
I always knew I wanted to work in healthcare in a non-clinical capacity. Where else to go but IUPUI for Fairbanks?! While in Indianapolis, I worked at Fairbanks SPH as a TA and intern. I also had experiences at the School of Medicine and ISDH.

Since I studied community health, I spent my days learning about how policies have negatively impacted communities and have the great potential to work to achieve health equity. With the same thought process as I did when I applied to undergrad at Fairbanks, I didn’t know of a better place to study health policy than our nation’s capital!

I was hired by my current company as an intern in between my first and second year of my MPH, largely due to the experiences I was able to gain while in Indianapolis. I am currently working as a healthcare analyst for a federally funded research and development center. After working in health policy for 18 months, I’ve transitioned back to my community health roots and work as a contractor for a research project with NIH. I am very thankful for my time at Fairbanks and owe a large portion of my career to the school.

Describe what an average day for you might be like.
I worked with federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) that are enrollment sites for an NIH research program working to achieve health equity. I work with them on a performance management level, monitoring and evaluating their performance regarding their enrollment and retention targets. I work with them to brainstorm how to best engage with their communities and navigate challenges regarding their goals.

What advice would you give your college self about pursuing your current career path or industry?
It is all going to work out. I had no business creating a 5- or 10-year plan when I was 18. Life gets crazy and that’s okay. We’ve got to roll with the punches.

What is a lesson learned at FSPH that you have been able to apply to your career?
Everything I learned about career readiness. I still use the résumé backbone that I worked on with FSPH Career Services. Working with Amelia Hurt truly helped me navigate interviews and how to “pitch” myself to companies and even grad schools.

What is the most significant thing that’s happened to you since graduating?
Moving to DC was a whirlwind (not to mention living here throughout 2020 and the remainder of the pandemic), but it’s an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything.

What’s next for you?
I’ve been working on intern recruitment for my department at MITRE, so I will be continuing on channeling my inner OTEAM-leader there. On a more serious note, I plan to stay at MITRE long term and will hopefully return back to stakeholder-informed policy work.

What is your favorite IUPUI/FSPH memory?
My favorite memory would be making lifelong friends through my public health classes. Being surrounded by like-minded folks during the trying time that was 2017-2020 was crucial for my well-being. I’m so happy I was able to go through college with such great peers and professors.

Speaking of great professors, I work with the same research project as Fairbanks professor alum Dr. Sula Hood! I witnessed her give an excellent presentation on HBCUs involvement in the research program and working to achieve health equity. It was such a cool moment to relive memories of her class and everything I learned from her.

MHA alumni gaining valuable experience in fellowships

Posted on October 23, 2023 by Andy Ware

We are excited to highlight the great work of our Master of Health Administration alumni who are currently serving in administrative fellowships. Alycia Felix (Franciscan Health), Kendall Ranges (IU Health) and Japjit Tutt (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center) share their fellowship experiences.

How did the MHA program prepare you for your fellowship?

Alycia Felix

Alycia Felix: I genuinely feel that the program adequately equipped me to contribute to the work that I have done. The program focus of value-based healthcare has been instrumental and made me an asset to the team where historically these seasoned leaders have operated under the fee-for-service model.

Kendall Ranges: The MHA program had all the opportunities for me to practice my leadership skills and understand what values I hold dear that helped set me apart as an early careerist and in my recruitment phase for fellowships postgrad. From personal mentoring through the faculty, case competition experiences, and in coursework deliverables, I truly think the framework to enable success for me all started here in preparation for the fellowship.

Japjit Tutt: The Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health best prepared me for my fellowship by offering courses rich in principles that have now contributed to my professional career as a young emerging health care leader. Alongside support from faculty/peers, the program has a robust student board that offers various professional development opportunities. The program also encourages students to seek out real-world, hands-on experience and connects students with organizations across the state/national level.

Describe your fellowship, your responsibilities, and what you have accomplished so far.

AF: My program is unique due to its one-year duration vs. the traditional two-year format. My co-fellow is also based in a different location, which has been great to offer a diverse perspective of the overall organization. I have full autonomy to choose what my projects and rotations are, which has been beneficial to supporting my goals of the program.

Since starting in June, I have successfully completed a revenue-generating initiative within one of our clinics. Currently, I am engaged in several projects. I am leading efforts on a hospice project, working on redesigning our primary care model within our internal collaboratives, and contributing to the operationalization of our new cancer center, which is slated to open its doors in the first quarter of 2024.

Kendall Ranges

KR: In my fellowship with IU Health, I oversee a lot of projects; about 7-8 in varying responsibilities as a project manager in learning how to achieve results, make deliverables, and balance my portfolio of projects as an executive skillset. Generally, the IU fellowship gives you the opportunity to explore whatever your heart desires in healthcare quite honestly and you can have anyone of your choosing as a mentor to help coach you for any skill you either want to strengthen or have more knowledge towards.

JT: The Cincinnati Children’s Administrative Fellowship is a one-year project-based experience offering the opportunity to develop an understanding of the administration and operations of a leading pediatric and academic medical center. Fellows have the opportunity to lead and participate in real-time strategic, operational, and financial projects across the organization, while also building relationships with team members and leaders throughout Cincinnati Children’s.

I have chosen projects based off of my interests and have been assigned a preceptor to whom I ultimately report up to. I have also been paired with an executive sponsor, who is typically on the leadership team at CCHMC. I have spent the first three months of my fellowship meeting with leadership across the organization, participating in professional development opportunities, and leading five different projects.

Is there a specific program you’ve been involved in during your fellowship that you’d like to highlight?

AF: I have stayed engaged with iHEN, EWHC, and NALHE, which has been vital during the initial phases of my fellowship. Being able to have time to continue to invest in these programs as they do for me, was a negotiation I proposed during my interview process. It has been pivotal to have mentors both inside and outside of my organization to lean into as I made the school to career transition. I am beyond thankful for my mentors and their support.

I also just started Leadership Lafayette. This is an eight-month leadership program in the local area that allows me to learn the community of the patients we serve and what resources are available to them. Franciscan leadership encouraged me to participate in this program to get more involved within the community since I am not from the area.

KR: Not a particular program but for example the types of projects I am working on is a strategy paper on obesity with weight loss management drugs, their impacts for our bariatrics and other social impacts, a new metric coming to our system promise dashboard all leaders will be carrying out next year for patient quality and safety, and a new leadership concept we are piloting with CEO Dennis Murphy and all system leaders to standardize approaches in some areas of operations.

Japjit Tutt

JT: I joined the Volunteer Ambassador’s program at Cincinnati Children’s, which helps our faculty and staff find opportunities to give back to Greater Cincinnati. CCHMC encourages a philanthropic worldview through enriching and challenging experiences for colleagues and neighbors. I have also joined the Asian Cultural and Professional Employee Resource Group.

What have you learned that will prepare you for your next step?

AF: Although I have typically followed this philosophy, I think it has been emphasized in my fellowship experience – I say yes to as many opportunities as I can. I want to maximize my exposure to various areas of the organization. This helps me to not only understand the organization’s MVVs but also to intentionally build relationships within the organization and departmental subject matter experts.

KR: I have a long way to go to explore what I have to offer with my current skills in healthcare, but I think in preparation and largely due to what got me here today I should always strive to understand a process as best I can and be okay with not knowing everything and being coachable. With leadership specifically and in preparation for my next projects and my second year of the fellowship I am working on skills ranging from making effective decisions and measuring them, how to build effective teams, and nonverbals to name a few areas where I see opportunity for further development.

JT: I have learned the importance of making valuable connections. Many of the fellows from previous cohorts have landed positions at CCHMC through the connections they have made with leaders across the organization.

Anything else you’d like to mention?

AF: If you’re considering a fellowship, I couldn’t advocate for it enough! Always feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about Franciscan’s program or want to know more.

KR: I want to thank those who are reading this who were my support system for not only making a difference in my career but also my personal life. My gratitude cannot be expressed enough for my Fairbanks family and the pivotal parts they played in my career elevation (Gary Brummitt, Thomas Duszynski, Antionette “Auntie” Epps, Nir Menachemi). Truly this list could be massive, but I appreciate each of you for your mentorship!

Alumni career spotlight: Emily Dunham

Posted on October 12, 2023 by Andy Ware

In our Alumni Career Spotlight series, you will meet some of our alumni and learn about the important work they are doing to create a healthier nation and world.

Emily Dunham

Employer: IU School of Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine
Current position: Project Manager
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Degree(s): MPH, IUPUI, 2015

Why did you choose your major/program?
I wanted to be able to help in my community. The MPH program promised to educate me in ways of doing so in a strategic and meaningful way.

Do you have any research interests?
No specific research interests, but my concentrations at work involve communications, outreach, diversity, equity, and inclusion, project planning, and people managing.

Briefly describe your career path.
I started out as an evaluator with the State Department of Health where I managed a large CDC funded grant. I then moved onto a special projects coordinator with the WIC department where I managed federal stipulations and education projects.

I have been with the IU School of Medicine department of emergency medicine over the past five years helping out with a range of projects from communication through the pandemic, assisting with patient experience, and helping develop their strategic plan.

Describe what an average day for you might be like.
An average day involves checking on the status of, and facilitating the progress of the various projects I am helping to manage. I will either review my current project plans to assess where we are and what needs to come next, or I will be in the works of developing a new project plan. Either way, I am meeting with my team and stakeholder to brainstorm, troubleshoot any issues, or celebrate any successes that may occur.

What advice would you give your college self about pursuing your current career path or industry?
I was surprised and yet not surprised that my MPH degree led easily into project management. With my concentration, we were taught to assess and thoughtfully create different community initiatives, and projects are just initiatives with a different name. Don’t be deterred by thinking you need another certification (PMP for example) before you look into a job like this. If you are organized and passionate about helping and getting something done, you’ll be great.

What is a lesson learned at FSPH that you have been able to apply to your career?
Developing great relationships with your stakeholders are key.

What is the most significant thing that’s happened to you since graduating?
1) The pandemic. The emergency department was slammed and I was in charge of creating a way to streamline vital communication to our providers. It was a great, if not stressful learning opportunity.

2) I had my son a year after I had my daughter and the transition into motherhood and juggling work/life balance has been significant.

What’s next for you?
I’m hoping to continue melding my experience of project management and knack of managing people well.

What is your favorite IUPUI/FSPH memory?
I went to Guatemala for one of my classes and the experience was amazing!

Alumni career spotlight: Emily Fussell

Posted on September 29, 2023 by Andy Ware

In our Alumni Career Spotlight series, you will meet some of our alumni and learn about the important work they are doing to create a healthier nation and world.

Emily Fussell

Employer: Marion County Public Health Department
Current position: STD Control Program Manager
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Degree(s): MPH, IUPUI, 2023

Why did you choose your major/program?
I chose the MPH Social and Behavioral Sciences pathway to expand my public health skill set related to behavior change in a health setting. My career of choice is in STD prevention, and behavior change is a key component of changing disease outcomes related to sexual activity. This pathway gave me a good foundation of program management as well, which enhanced my ability to act as an effective program manager with the county health department.

Briefly describe your career path.
I initially began as a disease intervention specialist in 2017 for the state health department after obtaining my bachelor’s in public health in 2014. After working as a DIS, I was promoted to program specialist in the same department. I worked for the state health department for five years before taking an administrator role at the county health department in Indianapolis in November 2021.

Describe what an average day for you might be like.
In an average day, I manage three sections of the STD control program for the Bell Flower Clinic. I oversee a disease investigation team, an outreach team, and an epidemiologist. I continuously work on grant reporting, funding management, and evaluation reports. I liaise with several other departments and external organizations to help deliver coordinated STD and HIV services in Indianapolis.

What advice would you give your college self about pursuing your current career path or industry?
Follow your gut instincts about what type of public service resonates and what doesn’t. Try the unconventional public health pathways to find those special niches where your personality shines.

What is a lesson learned at FSPH that you have been able to apply to your career?
Program management through a foundational public health approach. There are many facets I have been able to take to my job to make my evaluative assessments more potent and meaningful, and bring creative grant deliverables to the table.

What is the most significant thing that’s happened to you since graduating?
I got a promotion to the second highest position in my clinic shortly after graduation, and I am excited to embark on the journey because I always wanted to complete high level public health management. I have an opportunity now to expand my skills and make myself a valuable managerial asset for the future of public health, which is rapidly changing.

What’s next for you?
After I am finished or fulfilled with my time in STD prevention, I am again going to pursue an unconventional public health pathway and get into regulatory work. Alternatively, I envision myself completing consulting work for individual public health agencies to expand their STD prevention activities related to disease intervention investigation.

What is your favorite IUPUI/FSPH memory?
Being asked by professors I respect to participate in projects outside of our classes. This meant a lot as it indicates my professors respect my passion and my work.

Suicide Prevention Month: Creating hope through action

Posted on September 22, 2023 by Andy Ware

We asked our student ambassadors to share about the warning signs of suicide and how we can help someone in crisis.

Ahmed Abdel-Aziz, Epidemiology student

With September being Suicide Prevention Month, we at FSPH find that it is necessary to provide resources not just for students, but for everyone.

Here are some resources that you, and many others can turn to if you’re ever in need of them.

CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services)
IASP (International Association for Suicide Prevention)
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

And if you are feeling like your mental health is on the low, reach out to your loved ones/friends/those you trust. Let them know how you’re doing and open up to them. It can be difficult to do so, especially with the stigma surrounding mental health in today’s world, but there are people out there that are there for you.

Opening up is always the hardest part, but being real about your mental health is crucial to making sure you’re a 10/10 every day.

Gabby Fleming, Epidemiology student

Included below is a list of warning signs and crisis lines provided by the National Institute of Mental Health. If you notice you or a loved one are presenting signs, intervene immediately with tips included below:

Let them know that you care about them and that they aren’t alone
Empathize with them. Be aware you don’t know exactly how they feel. You could say something like, “I can’t imagine how painful this is for you, but I would like to try to understand.”
Be non-judgmental by trying not to criticize or blame them
Reassure them that they won’t feel this way forever, and that intensity of feelings can reduce in time
Encourage them to seek professional help

For more information, visit Rethink Mental Illness and go to the page titled Suicidal thoughts – How to support someone.

Lucy Khatib, Epidemiology student

Suicide is a public health issue that is sadly increasing in numbers.

It is important to identify the factors that play into this increase and reach out to those that are going through hard times. As a student, mental health can sometimes be put on the back burner. As an IUPUI student you can access free 24/7 emergency counseling through TimelyCare.

Scheduled counseling is also a great free resource that is available. Please use these resources and share them to those who may need it! To end this public health emergency all hands need to be on deck.

Shania Miller, Health Services Management student

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and mental health awareness is vital to public health.

Some warning signs of suicide in individuals are social withdraw, increased use in drugs or alcohol, and saying goodbye as if they’re leaving for good. Also, noticeable mood swings, giving away personal items, along with talking about suicide.

You can help someone displaying signs of suicide by listening to them and taking their word seriously, encourage open conversations about mental health, and properly asking them directly.

Public health statistics: understanding risk factors for communities

Posted on September 21, 2023 by Andy Ware

We asked our student ambassadors why statistics are so important in the field of public health.

Ahmed Abdel-Aziz, Epidemiology student

“Statistics is the grammar of science.”

Statistics are very important within the field of public health because of how much progress they can provide for a lot of innovations or things that happen within the field.

Sufficient statistics can really pave the way for vaccines being approved, whether or not there are clear public health issues that need to be identified within certain communities, to understand risk factors for communities, and to assess healthcare’s impact on populations.

Kate Colpetzer, Health Services Management student

A public health statistic that I think is interesting is that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the U.S. According to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, medical errors are so high up on the list that it only falls below heart disease and cancer.

As an HSM student, this is a statistic that I am passionate about addressing in my future career.

Gabby Fleming, Epidemiology student

An interesting public health statistic that I know is that smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), smoking causes approximately 8 million deaths per year, which is more than the number of deaths caused by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined.

In addition to that, smoking is a huge risk factor for other health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, and various types of cancer! Here at IUPUI, we offer tobacco cessation programs for students wanting to quit today. You can visit IUPUI’s health and wellness page for more information.

Grace Hicks, Epidemiology student

Why are statistics important to the field of public health?

Whether you love them or hate them, statistics are vital to public health communication. When an outbreak or something similar occurs, statistics are used to communicate the outbreak to the general public. To ensure that the message can be understood by all, statistics are used in eye-catching ways to draw attention to the issue.

We always have to be careful with bad data or biased information. Something we learned on Day 1 about statistics is to be aware of confounding variables. Take a look at the “statistics” below.

First off, we know that no matter how good it is, ice cream doesn’t cause sharks to attack. This is a common example of confounding variables, which in this case would be the weather. More people go to the beach in the summer, and their risk of a shark attack is higher. People also like to cool down with ice cream in the summer, hence the increase in sales.

Statistics are vital to public health, but they have to be reliable. Unreliable data are null, void, and more importantly, misleading.

Shania Miller, Health Services Management student

Statistics in the field of the public are important because it aids in the understanding of social determinants or risk factors for communities, track the impact of health policy changes, and assess healthcare safety or quality.

Health statistics range from scientific data to some form of evidence or facts that can support a resolution. Also, public health statistics contribute to new medical research and notices difference within different ethnic communities, including how past events are still currently impacting generations’ health currently.

Statistic: According to Forbes, there are currently 158 million U.S. citizens on some form of government-funded insurance, which is almost half of the U.S. 330 million population.

Jaida Speth, Health Services Management student

Everyday statistics are used to support facts about health and what people can do to improve their health. Statistics can explain and describe certain events that would not be useful or clear without them.

They are essential in public health because they provide a common language for people to communicate with others—like you and me—and show trends in disease.

Alumni career spotlight: Kimberly Osborne

Posted on September 15, 2023 by Andy Ware

In our Alumni Career Spotlight series, you will meet some of our alumni and learn about the important work they are doing to create a healthier nation and world.

Kimberly Osborne

Employer: Damar Services, Inc
Current position: Compliance Improvement Coordinator
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Degree(s): Health Services Management, IUPUI, 2022

Why did you choose your major/program?
The reason I chose health services management is because I want to help make a difference in health care for both employees and patients/clients. I’ve worked in health care for five years in direct patient care. I got to learn a lot about myself during that time.

What I learned is that I have a strong interest in policy, performance, and quality improvement, along with training. Another reason I chose this major is because it gave me a good foundation of understanding about health care management. This is important to me because I was able to apply to the MHA program at Fairbanks with confidence and secure my goal to obtain a master’s degree to continue giving back to the community and the health care industry.

Briefly describe your career path.
I started out as a patient care technician and was in that role for five years between two hospitals. During that time I was a student, which is when I did an internship at Damar in their HR department. This internship was important and gave me clerical experience that I did not have. From there, I was able to make connections and get into the performance and quality improvement department at Damar as a compliance improvement coordinator.

What advice would you give your college self about pursuing your current career path or industry?
I would say to be move involved and make more connections not only within the school but outside too. Connections is what will help make job searching more successful. Also, to volunteer more! I’ve learned that you can gain connections and experiences from this and employers love to see this.

What is the most significant thing that’s happened to you since graduating?
Finding a job seemed to take longer than I had anticipated, especially finding something that I felt would interest me. I didn’t want a job just anywhere. I wanted to stay in health care. After a lot of searching and patience, I was able to reconnect with the HR team at Damar and secure a position in the performance and quality improvement department, which is one of the things that interests me. So, I’d say that it was worth the wait and patience to find the right position for myself.

What’s next for you?
I was accepted into the MHA program at Fairbanks. I will be attending in the fall of 2024. Right now, I will be learning and growing in my new position as the compliance improvement coordinator at Damar.

Alumni career spotlight: Max Rios

Posted on August 17, 2023 by Andy Ware

In our Alumni Career Spotlight series, you will meet some of our alumni and learn about the important work they are doing to create a healthier nation and world.

Max Rios

Employer: Point Comfort Underwriters
Current position: Provider Relations & Compliance Specialist
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Degree(s): MHA – IUPUI, 2020

Why did you choose your major/program?
It was always important to me to pursue a higher education degree beyond undergrad. I had been employed in public health institutions for years and so did not think an MPH would open up more job opportunities (I work here already, after all) and so I chose a Master of Health Administration in order to focus on the “business of healthcare.”

Do you have any research interests?
Not at this time. My work background is mostly in communicable disease, HIV, STDs, etc. but I currently work for a health insurance agency/TPA. I am involved in the Indianapolis arts and nightlife scene, so most of my off-time is spent in that realm.

Briefly describe your career path.
I have been strategic in the jobs I’ve taken over the years so I could gain some well-rounded experience in all things healthcare:

Damien Center – outreach and education; HIV/STD, public health
Planned Parenthood – legislative analysis, reproductive rights
Volunteerism abroad, Arusha, Tanzania – clinical work, lab work, maternity ward; government hospital, exposure to healthcare in a developing country
Marion County Health Department – management, communicable disease reporting, government work, motivational interviewing
FSSA/OMPP – State government, management, insurance (Medicaid)
Point Comfort – private healthcare/insurance realm

Describe what an average day for you might be like.
My primary job responsibility is to negotiate contracts between PCU (insurance) and healthcare providers across the country. This involves building rapport, explaining all aspects of the available programs, negotiating rates, repricing codes, onboarding, and acting as a liaison between providers, local resettlement agencies, shelters, and the federal government. I also manage our spreadsheets for data collection for the department, and process/pay/renew all our licenses across the country so we can administer benefits in most states in the U.S.

What advice would you give your college self about pursuing your current career path or industry?
Decide what criteria is important to you in a job before you start hunting. It will make it easier to find a good fit (and pass on seemingly “lucrative” options). It keeps your career aligned with your values.

What is a lesson learned at FSPH that you have been able to apply to your career?
The breadth of courses has equipped me with enough healthcare jargon to contribute to most spaces in business, even if I don’t remember minutiae. Understanding risk stratification, the popularity of population health measures, and healthcare inequity painted a more accurate picture of healthcare in this country (and makes me more sensitive to the needs of actual patients/members).

What is the most significant thing that’s happened to you since graduating?
I took a pay cut at my last job, and it was a great decision. I sit on the board of directors for Indy Drag Theatre, a company that creates great space to tell queer stories through satirical productions of well-known on- and off-Broadway musicals. It brings me much joy.

What’s next for you?
I plan to be at this company for the foreseeable future while I pour into my personal life (entertainment career, board responsibilities, etc.).

What is your favorite IUPUI/FSPH memory?
Dr. Ann Holmes’s classes were the most helpful, interesting, and memorable.

Alumni career spotlight: Matthew Lyman

Posted on August 3, 2023 by Andy Ware

In our Alumni Career Spotlight series, you will meet some of our alumni and learn about the important work they are doing to create a healthier nation and world.

Matthew Lyman

Employer: Elevance Health
Current position: Business Change Director
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Degree(s): Master of Health Administration, Indiana University, 2019

Why did you choose your major/program?
I wanted a career that allowed me to make an impact. As an industry, healthcare accounts for nearly a fifth of the entire U.S. economy. There’s no shortage of opportunity or problems to solve. Nearly everyone born in this country will have an experience with the system at some point in their lifetime and a career in healthcare allows one to solve uniquely complex problems that truly change individual lives for the better.

Do you have any research interests?
I’m interested in ways that various industry players (providers, payers, pharmacies, drug manufacturers, etc.) can find mutually beneficial strategies to align incentives that impact cost, access, quality and experience. I’m also interested in ways that digital technologies can achieve these objectives.

Briefly describe your career path.
I started as an intern at Elevance (formerly Anthem) in 2015 just as I began my graduate studies. I chose to complete the program part-time and work full-time during the days to gain experience concurrently with my classes. Since starting with the company, I’ve held various roles throughout the organization in different lines of business and segments. Some key highlights include my experience with a major corporate transformation initiative, business support to the office of the CAO (chief administrative officer) and leading an innovation team that identifies and implements major cost of care initiatives across the organization.

Describe what an average day for you might be like.
My average day is highly variable. At a high level, my job is to get things done. It’s focused around collaborating with our clinical and executive leadership to develop new ideas and push them through the stages of business case refinement to implementation. I’m also the lead on a key clinical pillar (area of strategic focus) and ensure interventions are being executed across the enterprise, so time is spent daily reviewing this work and our progress to goal. Generally speaking, my average day consists of managing these various moving parts, making sure we’re progressing and removing impediments to ensure our priorities are met.

What advice would you give your college self about pursuing your current career path or industry?
I would tell my college self to stress less about the unknown. Sometimes it can feel like there’s a lot of pressure to get the perfect internship or perfect job right out of school, etc. Odds are things won’t go exactly as planned. Think about where you want to be in the future and do your best to get there, but embrace the unexpected impediments and opportunities that will present themselves. In the end, everything will work out and the experience you gain from your experiences will help you achieve your long-term goals.

What is a lesson learned at FSPH that you have been able to apply to your career?
The FSPH MHA program helped me understand ways to tell a persuasive data-driven story. The various case studies, data analysis and statistics lessons in the program all helped me convey key information and support my recommendations throughout my career.

What is the most significant thing that’s happened to you since graduating?
Since graduating my wife and I bought our first house and are expecting our third boy. Many big personal milestones since graduating. We’re exited for the coming years and the continued joys of parenthood.

What’s next for you?
Just keep on moving forward, embrace the unknown and what opportunities and adventures lay ahead.

What is your favorite IUPUI/FSPH memory?
I personally enjoyed the friendships made with my peers. Everyone was passionate about healthcare and wanted to make meaningful change. I also loved racing in the IUPUI Regatta race.