Michael Cooper '21

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Operations and information management, pre-medical studies

“A successful researcher has a passion for the field and is dedicated to putting in the time and effort required to connect with the field and make a difference in it.”

Michael Cooper enrolled in pre-med studies at UMass Amherst intent on becoming a doctor. His experience volunteering at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., along with the opportunity to delve into health policy research at UMass opened a different path—he plans to earn an advanced degree in public health or healthcare administration as well as a medical degree and pursue a career as a healthcare administrator.

“I’ve seen that combining a public health skill set with a medical background has the potential to improve and alter healthcare delivery, not just for one patient, but for an entire population,” he says.

Michael began volunteering in the Baystate emergency department during his first year of college. Observing overcrowding, healthcare inequities, and patients with a wide variety of illnesses, he began asking questions about the healthcare system. Motivated to find answers, he went to the UMass Office of Undergraduate Research and Studies seeking the opportunity to collaborate with a faculty member. There he was connected with Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management Kimberley Geissler and became her research assistant.

Alongside Geissler, Michael has worked on research projects related to coordination of care, physician referrals, and access to care, and he has co-authored two published research papers. The first paper investigated the quality of care delivered during postpartum visits, a critical time for women’s health. The research showed that many recommended postpartum services were not provided to patients covered by either Medicaid or private insurance.

The second paper looks at follow-up care after an emergency department visit for mental illness, a significant challenge for coordinating care for vulnerable populations. The research showed that follow-up rates were low and there were increased costs and hospitalization rates associated with follow-up within 30 days.

“In our work together, I have been continually impressed by Michael’s level of knowledge of the US healthcare system and the commitment he shows to improving the health and lives of patients,” says Geissler.

And Michael can see how such research can directly help the Baystate patients he met as a volunteer. “Both studies have immense implications for reforming healthcare policy,” he says. “There is more to practicing medicine than the clinical side.”