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Amy Behrens
I knew from a young age that I wanted to change the pattern of healthcare systems supporting some and failing many.
I deeply believe that everyone deserves access to healthcare as a human right. Throughout my career working with public health consulting agencies, I realized that the only way to make lasting change is to be part of a team designing public-facing government systems and policy.
Today, I am a Content Strategist and Human-Centered Designer, with the Digital Service at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Currently, I am consulting with states on how to communicate clearly with individuals impacted by the public health unwinding. I’m so proud to be part of a team that works to transform the U.S. healthcare system by designing policy and technology with and for our users.
By far, collaborating with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration to implement the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has been the proudest moment of my public service career. During this time, I was tasked with forecasting calls and identifying issues that may cause contacts to go unanswered. I then created a plan to help increase staffing at local and national 988 centers. In its first year, 988 fielded 5 million calls, chats, and texts with wait times of less than one minute - thanks to the many amazing people collaborating across federal, state, and local governments in addition to dedicated non-profit organizations.
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