Matthew was a Wisconsin Population Health Service Fellow from
2005 to 2007, with a placement at the Wisconsin Division of Public Health. He
is currently the Chief Compliance Officer for ActivStyle, a leading national Durable
Medical Equipment (DME) supplier of urological, wound care, and incontinence
products. He is happily living in St. Paul, Minnesota, with his wife, Heidi,
and their two Norfolk terriers, Henry and Bailey.
Prior to the Fellowship, Matthew earned his BA in biology and
chemistry from Lawrence University in 2002 and his MS in epidemiology from the
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in 2005. Since
completing the Fellowship, he has obtained a JD with a focus on Health Care Law
and a certification in Health Care Compliance (CHC) from Hamline University
School of Law. Matthew’s other achievements since his time as a Fellow include
participation in the Health Law Moot Court Team, serving as an associate and
then managing editor for the Hamline Journal of Public Law and Policy, and
working as a legal researcher and policy advisor for the Minnesota Health Care
Finance Committee. Since 2010, he has also been a member of the Board of
Directors for the Community University Health Care Center.
In
reflecting on his time in the Fellowship program, Matthew noted that it was
invaluable to him in terms of the breadth and depth of the experience. The
program offered him a unique opportunity to get involved with state and
regional health care policymakers and legislators, culminating in the
passage of a budget amendment to fund maternal and child health
programming with unanimous bipartisan support at the end of his second year in
the program. Ultimately, the experience opened his eyes to the notion
of pursuing a law degree and how public health advocacy can create
positive change. When asked if he had anything else to share about his
experience in the program, Matthew simply stated, “Without question, if I could
do it all over again, I would!” His advice to current or prospective Fellows is
to use the opportunity to network, to develop your skill set and leadership
abilities, and to have fun.