COVID-19 experience influences career in health policy and equity
Jonathan Amos, MPH ’24
Health Management and Policy
Jonathan Amos, MPH ’24, has had a longstanding interest in social policy and politics. It was their initial experience as a professional navigating the complex US healthcare system that led them to understand the importance of health policy and public health to improve lives and advance equity.
Amos will graduate in May with a Master of Public Health degree in Health Management and Policy from the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
Choosing Michigan Public Health was a calculated choice—a blend of practicality with passion.
Proximity to a supportive network of friends and family as well as the school’s national reputation solidified the Grand Rapids native’s decision to advance their education at one of the country’s leading programs. Michigan Public Health is ranked No. 5 in the U.S. News and World Report’s list of Best Public Health Schools and the Health Management and Policy program is ranked No. 3 in the nation.
“Having access to a nationally ranked program nearby and having my family and friends close made it the perfect situation for me—there really was no other choice,” Amos said. “Coming here just made the most sense to me. I would also say that the reputation and the influence of the Michigan alumni base was also a huge factor.”
Healthcare path takes shape during pandemic
Amos earned a dual degree in Social Relations and Policy and Women’s and Gender Studies from Michigan State University. They graduated in 2020 and launched their career just as the COVID-19 pandemic was shutting down the country.
“I started working in healthcare specifically because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” they said. “I had graduated and was looking for opportunities to do policy work right away, but not a lot of people were hiring in May of 2020.”
Having access to a nationally ranked program nearby and having my family and friends close made [Michigan Public Health] the perfect situation for me—there really was no other choice. Coming here just made the most sense to me. I would also say that the reputation and the influence of the Michigan alumni base was also a huge factor.”
Amos landed at Spectrum Health, now known as Corewell Health, as a patient access representative on the integrated health system’s COVID response team. They scheduled COVID test appointments for about six months, adding progressive responsibilities before moving on to project management work for the response team for about two years.
Even before enrolling at Michigan Public Health, Amos gained on-the-ground, practical healthcare knowledge by working the phones, answering patient calls and learning about the patient experience during the biggest health crisis of the 21st century.
Dealing with patients’ fears and anxieties at the beginning of the pandemic helped cement their passion for policy and public health.
“I witnessed firsthand how policy and public health can either promote access to care and help make things better or potentially make things worse and create barriers to accessing care,” Amos said. “Being on the phone is kind of like the first line of defense for a healthcare system. Someone could have a problem with a prior authorization or English might not be their first language. Or they don’t have reliable transportation options, or they have a gap in their Medicaid coverage.
“In all these cases, you’re the first person that they contact when trying to access healthcare. That experience is something that I try to keep front-of-mind as I begin a career in health policy, thinking about how the choices that you make as a policymaker or as someone working on these issues can often feel very abstract, but that they have real, meaningful, impactful consequences on actual people’s lives and how they interact with a healthcare system.”
Navigating pandemic vaccine policy fallout
During the pandemic’s first year, the government established eligibility criteria for vaccination that were necessary for prioritizing critical populations and inadvertently instigated long-term public health difficulties, Amos said. The selection process for who got early access to the vaccines under guidelines meant to manage limited resources was crucial, yet it also led to complications.
“These difficulties manifested as obstacles to healthcare access and fostered feelings of distrust or doubt toward the healthcare system,” they said. “As a result, certain groups found themselves unable to receive the vaccine during the initial distribution phases, which may have led to some individuals never obtaining it due to either logistical hurdles or diminished trust in the process.
“The situation highlighted the critical role of individuals in health policy who prioritize healthcare access, equity in services and overall public health. It underscored the need for health policy professionals deeply committed to caring for and improving public health outcomes.
“These individuals are essential in both steering initial crisis response strategies and in ensuring that policy making is continuous, responsive and adaptable, responding to initial hurdles with solutions that bridge gaps in accessibility and foster trust within communities. Their role is crucial in advocating for and implementing change that advances health equity and the effectiveness of healthcare delivery systems.”
Amos said they were able to overcome personal challenges throughout their schooling thanks to support they received from their advisors and faculty, both at Michigan and during their time at Michigan State.
“After I came out, my first year of undergrad was both stressful for my own mental health and my financial well-being also due to the complications I had in accessing my loans and to healthcare and insurance,” Amos said. “My professors at both institutions have been instrumental in my success and my ability to continue in my program. I’ve had great mentors and advisors who provided support on a professional and academic level, but also on a personal level.
“And then also the support I’ve received from my friends and my partner—I’d say those are the things that have helped to get me where I am today, even with those struggles.”
I think there’s a lot of opportunities for improvement and opportunities for making things run better in Michigan’s Medicaid programs. I’d love to stay here and invest some of myself into the state and into improving how our Medicaid program functions here. Also, working with or working for an LGBTQ community health center or an LGBTQ health advocacy organization is something that I think would be personally meaningful and impactful.”
A future in Medicaid innovation
Amos was a Winston Health Policy Scholar in 2023. The David A. Winston Health Policy Scholarship is designed to recognize individuals working in the realms of public health, health and public administration who aim to advance public health through policy-related work.
“The Winston Scholarship is for students who have interest in health policy and healthcare administration and who are working to improve the US healthcare system,” Amos said. “As part of that award, they also host the Health Policy Symposium that I attended in October. They bring in experts and all kinds of influential and powerful people from across Washington, DC.: reporters, chiefs of staff for the Speaker of the House, Senate majority leader, Senate minority leader and House minority leader. They had all kinds of really cool people there to speak with us and give an insight into what the world of health policy looks like in DC.
In addition to being a Winston Health Policy Scholar, Amos was a Project Fellow at the Ross School of Business +Impact Studio in 2023, bringing social impact ideas to life. They assisted the founder of Affirmative, a social impact venture aimed at reducing barriers to accessing gender-affirming care for trans and gender non-conforming people. Amos also served as a graduate student instructor.
Moreover, since last May, Amos has been serving as a health research and policy intern for ATI Advisory, a healthcare research and advisory services firm based in Washington, DC.
“I work with them on their state program and policy team. I spent last summer working with the state of Hawaii on its Medicaid waiver application,” they said. “I'll be joining ATI Advisory’s state program and policy team full-time after graduation in June. It was very nice to not have to job hunt this year while I’m wrapping up my degree.”
In the short term, Amos plans to build up their foundational consulting skills such as project management, people management, working with clients, and building their own subject matter expertise and knowledge in the state Medicaid space.
Long term, they have goals of working within a state Medicaid agency—“kind of boots-on-the-ground state policy work,” they said.
“I think there’s a lot of opportunities for improvement and opportunities for making things run better in Michigan’s Medicaid programs. I’d love to stay here and invest some of myself into the state and into improving how our Medicaid program functions here.
“Also, working with or working for an LGBTQ community health center or an LGBTQ health advocacy organization is something that I think would be personally meaningful and impactful.”