Before coming to work with The Office of Medicaid Innovation (OMI), Shreya Das found out firsthand how difficult getting medical treatment can be in the United States. As an international student in the University of Illinois System, Shreya was navigating the American healthcare system for the first time. Finding out about wait times and the costs associated with healthcare in America was a shock. Navigating the American healthcare system in general can be incredibly difficult. After going through that experience, Shreya knew she wanted to help people who would be in a similar situation.
Realizing that she wanted to work in human services and help people get through hard situations, Shreya found herself applying for a student worker position here at the Office of Medicaid Innovation as she pursued her graduate degree at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. She knew that this work would be fulfilling, considering her past experiences in healthcare. While she has always wanted to work in healthcare, previously considering statistics or something in the technical side of healthcare due to her undergraduate education in marketing and information science, she thought this job would bring together her past work experience, education, and personal goals.
Shreya now works primarily with the Chief Behavioral Health Office (CBHO), which collaborates with OMI. Her main project has been working on the CBHO newsletter, which allows her to give information to people on how to get the help and resources they need. She finds the newsletter fulfilling because it can help these people directly and make an impact in the world of behavioral health, which is a field she is directly interested in. She was able to clean up the newsletter format to make sure the information is getting where it needs to be without so much distraction. This newsletter project is allowing Shreya to get more experience in a field she is passionate about.
Shreya made it clear that after struggling with the American healthcare system herself, she wants to make sure she leaves it in a better spot than how she found it. She encourages other students who may not have a background in healthcare to consider working at OMI. The management from her supervisor, Carrie Muehlbauer, has allowed her to grow and experiment with projects she never thought she would be able to work on. She feels comfortable sharing ideas and loves the flexibility to work independently while also having a mentor. In addition, she feels that the company culture is great, with everyone being so open-minded and willing to work together. Shreya feels that she is making a real difference here at OMI, and we can’t wait to see how she continues to make an impact!
