Katie Gaynor’s path toward a profession in health policy was shaped by her early experiences with rural communities and local food banks. Having lived in four states before enrolling at the University of Alabama, she credits two experiences with shaping her perspective: volunteering in rural hospitals where saw gaps in access to care, and working at a local food bank, interviewing seniors about barriers to SNAP benefits. “It was eye-opening to see people who had given so much into the system go without basic support,” Katie said.
Bringing this perspective to Washington, D.C. Katie began working to shape federal policy. She started her career at a pharmacist association during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now serves as a Hospital Policy and Regulatory Analyst at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) where she focuses on hospital payment and drug pricing policy. Her work advances the mission of academic medicine and promotes equitable access to care.
Katie is also pursuing a Master’s in Public Health at Johns Hopkins, concentrating on health policy and management. “I’m continually learning how to combine the technical side of policy with advocacy to make systems more sustainable, efficient, and fair,” Katie said. She credits mentors with showing her how to link career decisions with deeper purpose and is looking forward to working with her Bryce Harlow Fellowship mentrors, Jane Adams and Ali Icenhower.
For Katie, becoming a Bryce Harlow Fellow brings these threads together. She was drawn to the Foundation’s emphasis on integrity in lobbying and collaboration across the aisle, which she sees as essential in health policy. “I am constantly thinking about the people back home in Appalachia,” Katie said. “This Fellowship helps me carry forward the idea that advocacy should always serve the people first.”
