Internship Location: Madison WI
Organization Type: State Government
Policy Areas: Health
I had the opportunity to intern with the Wisconsin Division of Medicaid Services in the Bureau of Programs and Policy for Summer 2021. I was hired through the State of Wisconsin Student Diversity Internship Program, and was able to build relationships with the State team but other interns within DMS. As a Medicaid Quality Analyst Intern, I participated in a variety of projects related to the quality assurance of programs for Medicaid-eligible individuals. Through this, I gained a greater understanding of the Wisconsin Medicaid population and how policy levers can be applied to ensure the highest quality of care. A large part of this was understanding how programs can become more equitable and culturally and linguistically appropriate. Some notable projects I contributed to were the compilation and data analysis for the managed care scorecard, working with fellow interns to create a scoring system and application for a vaccination equity project, and the the creation of a survey concerning DMS reporting to providers. Through the process of contributing to these projects, as well as participating in other workgroups, I was able to bolster my skills in communication, time management, data analysis, and project management. This opportunity gave me a much greater insight into how state government functions at the agency level and allowed me to apply my health policy background from the La Follette program. I highly recommend applying to work with the Department of Health Services, especially to those looking to expand their knowledge of state government and health policy!