5 Questions with Marjorie Scher (MHA 2015, JD 2015)
We caught up with several Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine alumni recently and were able to ask them about their Tulane journey. Here are Five Questions with Marjorie Scher (MHA 2015, JD 2015).
Where are you now and how did your Tulane degree help you get there?
I am currently an attorney in the Health Care and Life Sciences group at Epstein Becker Green. I received a joint JD/ MHA from Tulane, through which I first solidified my passion for health care law and health policy and second gained the legal skills and the industry knowledge to become a health law attorney.
What is a typical day like in your role?
I am lucky that each day looks different! At a law firm and in a client servicing space, I am involved with several matters at one time. Most of my work is in the managed care space and focuses on the interaction between insurance carriers and providers and with a sub-specialty with the Medicare Advantage and Medicaid Managed Care programs.
I typically spend my time on a mix of calls with clients and doing regulatory research and contract negotiations. Most of the clients that I work with are asking for advice and counsel on achieving their business goals in a legally compliant way, asking for advocacy support in resolving conflicts between payers and providers, or asking for assistance in responding to inquiries from CMS or state Medicaid agencies.
What achievement are you most proud of?
I am most proud of my growing expertise in the Medicaid program, both on a federal level and with several states’ Medicaid programs. At a time when there is a lot of discussion and disagreement about what our country’s health care safety net should look like, I am proud to be able to de-politicize talking about Medicaid. I am especially proud to be able to translate the politics into concrete policy objectives and business strategies for clients serving the Medicaid population.
What is your best memory about Tulane? And/or what do miss most about New Orleans?
Sorry to be cheesy, but my best memories at Tulane involves all the friends that I made! I loved that there was always something going on in the city. There was always a game to watch, musician to catch, new restaurant to try or favorite restaurant to revisit, and I loved experiencing that with my friends and classmates. (That said I would be remiss if I did not give a specific thank you and “I miss you” to Cooter Browns, Bacchanal, Rue De La Course, and Wild Lotus Yoga!)
What would you say to a young person today who is starting out on a similar path to yours?
I would say do not hesitate to grow your expertise early! I have learned that the exact role you pursue is potentially less important than the content that you work with. I have held both consulting and legal roles in my career with wildly different day to day tasks and clients, but the Medicaid program has been the thread running through various roles. I think that this theme has helped me to build a career instead of just a series of jobs.
