Chawin Reilly is a health policy analyst with the Maryland Department of Health. He works in the department’s Medicaid Provider Enrollment division, where he helps healthcare providers who serve the state’s Medicaid patients navigate the enrollment process. His team works directly with 110,000 providers, including individual physicians, hospitals and health systems in Maryland and neighboring states. He also promotes process improvement initiatives, provides policy technical assistance and organizes stakeholder engagement activities.
He completed a first-of-its-kind internship with the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) Program in Transplantation and a capstone project to improve its Organ Acceptance Ratio (OAR) practices.
Reilly was president of the Health Policy and Management Student Associate (HPMSA) in the 2022-2023 academic year and is a member of Delta Omega, the public health honor society.
What inspired you to study public health, and why did you choose UMD?
After college, I worked as a Tribal Healthcare Outreach & Education Associate. In my job, I helped American Indian and Alaska Native communities enroll in health insurance programs. Working alongside Tribal communities, public health professionals and healthcare leaders to develop national enrollment strategies was inspirational. The healthcare system has so many challenges, but there are so many people dedicated to improving it. I knew I wanted to spend my career ensuring that the healthcare system meets the needs of all our communities, in an efficient and equitable way. I knew UMD could help develop the skills I would need to be an effective professional.
What person or experience had the greatest impact on you during your degree program?
There were so many people who left a meaningful impact on me during my degree!
I had the pleasure of taking a course offered by Dr. Suma Nair on Continuous Quality Improvement. With over 20 years of federal experience, Dr. Nair was a challenging and rewarding instructor. I developed a new interest in quality improvement practices specific to healthcare delivery and was inspired to integrate these concepts into my capstone project.
I was fortunate to work alongside several staff and faculty during my time as a graduate assistant. Dr. Jie Chen, Dr. Dahai Yue and Bianca Garcia all provided amazing mentorship.
The person who had the greatest impact on me was Dr. Melvin Seale. He was a major reason why I joined the program. I resonated with his passion for healthcare and his drive for excellence. He continues to inspire me to push my boundaries.
How did the Master of Health Care Management program and your experiences at UMD prepare you to do what you’re doing now?
The program exposed me to a wide variety of professionals with different interests and specialties. It was not uncommon for my classes to have individuals pursuing epidemiology, healthcare administration, and health policy. The program’s diverse and interdisciplinary nature prepared me to work effectively alongside professionals with diverse approaches to complex issues. I also developed specific “hard skills” – working with electronic health records systems, data management software, and business management principles. Those skills gave me an edge in my job search and have helped me succeed in my current position.
