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Michele Boehm is a research specialist at West Virginia University鈥檚 Health Affairs Institute. West Virginia鈥檚 public health institute, the Health Affairs Institute is a data-driven social enterprise that leverages the University鈥檚 R1 research designation and land-grant mission to serve the state and nation.

In her role, Boehm studies how changes to Medicaid policy affect the health of West Virginians. Her work informs policy implementation, communication and evaluation efforts for the West Virginia Department of Human Services. She is also helping recruit and train in-home caregivers to address the state鈥檚 direct-care workforce shortage and to identify policy, reimbursement and pay structures, and insurance factors that affect this workforce.

Through this work, Boehm has developed skills in mixed-methods research, interviewing and qualitative analysis, policy analysis, writing issue briefs, communicating with a state-government audience and collaborating with advocacy groups鈥攁long with a deeper understanding of the U.S. insurance landscape. She applies her communication background across projects, from stakeholder conversations to assessing promotional efforts and paid media.

Her approach is guided by a favorite line from Roald Dahl鈥檚 My Uncle Oswald:

鈥淚 began to realize how important it was to be an enthusiast in life鈥� if you are interested in something, no matter what it is, go at it at full speed ahead. Embrace it with both arms, hug it, love it and above all become passionate about it. Lukewarm is no good. Hot is no good either. White hot and passionate is the only thing to be.鈥�

With each project, Boehm demonstrates how communication and research can work hand in hand to improve public-health systems and outcomes.