Alumnus is bridging gaps in health technology as a consultant for Deloitte
Ali Jawad, MPH ’19
Health Behavior and Health Education
This article was published before the name of the Department of Health Behavior & Health Education changed to the Department of Health Behavior & Health Equity. Learn more about this change.The routes to a career in healthcare are numerous, with pathways that ultimately produce surgeons, radiologists, technicians and physician assistants. Ali Jawad, MPH ’19, has found that he can best serve the greater community by taking a different avenue.
He provides the bridge that ultimately brings the necessary and appropriate care to thousands or tens of thousands. As a Chicago-based consultant for Deloitte, an international network of professionals that provides services across a wide palette of areas, including healthcare, Jawad focuses primarily on state-specific clients within the Government and Public Services practice that helps clients navigate the complexities of state bureaucracies.
Jawad, who earned a Master of Public Health in Health Behavior and Health Education from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, wants to do his part toward creating a more equitable society. He plans to make a significant impact as he works on the use of computer systems and software in managing health-related data when working on government projects for public assistance programs.
His consulting takes place primarily within the government and public services sector, assisting clients in transforming their eligibility platforms to better serve their constituents.
Technology touches so many things these days, so a service like this is definitely needed. There is only so much that states can do for themselves in terms of getting people the care that they need, so bringing that level of expertise and guidance provides us a unique position to help.”
“These are more longer-term projects where we help our clients manage and maintain their systems to make sure that people get all of the benefits they need, and as many people as possible are covered,” Jawad said.
“It is more of a gate-keeping role, where the impact on health outcomes happens down the road. You don’t see things happen immediately, but the end product is that you really have an impact on many people over time.”
Jawad earned bachelor’s degrees in Biopsychology, Cognition and Neuroscience and a minor in Islamic Studies from the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts in 2017. He also added a master’s degree in Public Policy from the Ford School of Public Policy in 2019.
Following his studies, he did not expect to be involved in a tech-related field, but Jawad’s University of Michigan education gave him the foundation necessary to join the diverse workforce at Deloitte, where he has found both opportunity and challenge.
“I never studied software or technology while I was in school, but for me this seems like the best of both worlds,” he said. “Technology touches so many things these days, so a service like this is definitely needed. There is only so much that states can do for themselves in terms of getting people the care that they need, so bringing that level of expertise and guidance provides us a unique position to help.”
After his highly successful prep soccer career in his native Dearborn, Michigan, where he earned all-state honors, Jawad chose to attend Michigan because the combination of academics and athletics provided him with a comfortable fit. He played four seasons on the Michigan soccer team, losing his junior year to injuries, and also was named to the Academic All-Big Ten team.
“I wanted to play college soccer and Michigan had the balance of academics and athletics I was looking for,” he said. “As a student-athlete, you have to be very good at time management while you maintain your work in the classroom and in your sport.”
There is no right or wrong way to go about it. But, for me, I like a more holistic approach where I can impact a lot of people. I think about the bigger picture and how I can impact people’s health in a unique way.”
As an undergraduate, Jawad also performed pharmacology-based research of different drug therapies, and during his graduate studies he served as a student assistant coach for the men’s soccer team.
“I like to keep extremely busy and stick to a routine, so I was able to make things work,” he said.
Jawad, who was an International Economic Development Program participant at the Ford School, shares his passion for service in healthcare with his siblings. His brother has a master’s degree in health information technology, one sister is a graduate of the Stanford University School of Medicine, and another sister works as a physician assistant.
“Healthcare seems to be the best fit for us,” he said. “There is no right or wrong way to go about it. But, for me, I like a more holistic approach where I can impact a lot of people. I think about the bigger picture and how I can impact people’s health in a unique way.”
Jawad said that while he is in his fourth year at Deloitte, he is still learning more each day about how to facilitate access to care for the large groups of individuals he serves through his clients. He expects to best serve them by paving the information highway that links them to the available sources of care.
“At the end of the day, there is just this desire to help people,” he said, while citing the support network he had during his time at Michigan Public Health, especially in Health Behavior and Health Education.
“All of the faculty were super helpful, and I feel like they really pushed me to excel and think through things in a creative way.”
