Alumna addresses health disparities through career in public health
Aries Rutledge, BA ’19, MHSA ’23
Community and Global Public Health, Health Management and Policy
Aries Rutledge, BA ’19, MHSA ’23, was introduced to inequities in healthcare at a young age.
She remembers growing up and wondering why some people did not have access to quality healthcare available to them in their communities and how this can lead to distrust in healthcare systems.
Her early frustrations with the healthcare system fueled her desire to pursue a career in public health so that she can help change that reality. She decided to earn two degrees through the University of Michigan School of Public Health to get the education and skills she needed to work in the field.
“I really want to improve the healthcare systems that are available in underserved communities,” said Rutledge, who received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Community and Global Public Health and a Master of Health Services Administration from the Department of Health Management and Policy. “I want people to feel empowered as patients and to feel reassured that they can get quality and equitable care.”
One of my main interests in public health is addressing health inequities and helping people in urban communities. I was drawn to this organization because it has a huge reach across urban regions in the DC and Baltimore area.”
Rutledge is an Administrative Fellow for MedStar Health, a not-for-profit, community-based healthcare system that has a network of 10 hospitals and 280 specialty, urgent and primary-care locations in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC.
Through MedStar Health, Aries receives mentorship from executive leadership, participates in shadowing opportunities across the organization, and works on various projects related to strategy, business development, operations, process improvement and policy.
Aries appreciates MedStar Health’s shared values of community impact.
“One of my main interests in public health is addressing health inequities and helping people in urban communities,” she said. “I was drawn to this organization because it has a huge reach across urban regions in the DC and Baltimore area.”
When Rutledge first started at the University of Michigan, she was on the pre-med track, but she quickly realized she wanted to have a different kind of impact than seeing individual patients as a doctor.
“I wanted to work on high-level, organizational efforts that can impact an entire community,” she said.
Rutledge decided to join the first cohort of the Bachelor of Arts in Community and Global Public Health program, which she completed in 2019. She returned to the University of Michigan in 2021 to enroll in the Health Management and Policy program and graduated in 2023.
Before starting her master’s program, she worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to gain experience in project management and administration. She was stationed at the Indiana Department of Health, where she worked on initiatives across nutrition and physical activity.
She helped increase access to healthy food at nontraditional grocery stores such as gas stations, cultural markets and small convenience stores. She also worked with the United Way of Central Indiana on its strategy to build healthy lifestyle marketing programming for local youth.
In addition, Rutledge picked up quite a few unanticipated job responsibilities, as she was at the agency when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. She pitched in with everything from administering and distributing tests in early 2020 to managing and improving contact tracing efforts in other regions.
“I’m grateful I learned problem-solving skills during my undergrad career,” she said. “It prepared me to handle the many unexpected challenges of working in public health during the pandemic.”
Her time at the CDC during the pandemic reaffirmed her plan to go back to the University of Michigan and pursue a career in public health. She was also involved with the CDC’s health equity council, and it deepened her desire to address how racism can impact health and health disparities.
I’m grateful I learned problem-solving skills during my undergrad career. It prepared me to handle the many unexpected challenges of working in public health during the pandemic. It was a really impactful time for me. It solidified my decision to get my master’s degree and go into health management.”
“It was a really impactful time for me,” she said. “It solidified my decision to get my master’s degree and go into health management.”
Rutledge is now based in Maryland, where she enjoys traveling “as much as possible,” hanging out with her dog, Dice, and trying new food with friends. She’s also connected with the University of Michigan alumni network in the DC area and loves that she’s been able to tap into that community in her new home.
She plans to continue building experience in health management and hopes to work her way up to a leadership role, where she can develop strategies to improve health equity and the patient experience in underserved communities.
“The need for better—and more equitable—healthcare systems is what drew me to public health in the first place,” Rutledge said, “and I want to keep working toward better policies and practices so more people can access quality care.”