What a decade in Florida public health taught me about reaching the people who need it most
When you work on the front lines of public health in rural Florida, you quickly realize that the biggest barrier to healthcare isn't always medical — sometimes, it's simply a lack of a ride.
As a doctoral student in the University of Florida Research, Engagement and Applied Consulting in Healthcare (REACH) program, my goal has been to help improve transportation for residents in rural Levy County so they can access the resources they need.
I worked on a team that designed a phased rural commuter transportation proposal for the county in April to address critical health service gaps. The biggest challenge we identified was transportation — not simply getting people to work, but connecting local residents with employment, healthcare, education and essential services across a geographically large county. Sustainable workforce development depends on reliable mobility, so our proposal was tailored to rural realities rather than models designed for urban areas.
Working directly with rural stakeholders reinforced that effective policy begins with listening. Community members provide context that explains why challenges exist and what solutions are likely to work, strengthening my belief that the best solutions are developed in partnership with the people affected by them.
That belief in listening and collaboration was shaped well before I started working with REACH, during my years as a manager and epidemiologist at the Florida Department of Health. In this role, I have applied the same principle in program evaluation: My fall prevention and swimming program evaluations, which have gone on to receive national and statewide recognition, were built on the philosophy that evaluation should help us understand whether we're actually improving lives, especially for populations facing the greatest barriers to health.
I balance rigorous evaluation with practical implementation — collecting meaningful data without creating unnecessary burdens for participants or staff — so that findings translate into interventions that are more effective, equitable and accessible.
For example, I led a research group that performed an evaluation of a child drowning prevention program in Sumter County. The results of that evaluation showed that child participants in the program had measurable improvements in swimming abilities across race and ethnic groups, demonstrating both programmatic effectiveness and equitable outcomes.
When comparing the participant demographics to county census data, we found that Black and Hispanic children, children of younger ages and children from low-income households were overrepresented in the program. Literature shows that these groups are at higher risk of drowning. Understanding the program’s accessibility to children in these groups indicates that it reaches its most vulnerable residents.
Much of this work came together under an exceptional mentor at the Florida Department of Health, Daniel Chacreton, who inspired me to pursue a Ph.D. He holds a Ph.D. in epidemiology, and watching him design studies, analyze data and translate findings into policy showed me the impact rigorous research can have on public health decision making.
And my studies in the Department of Health Services Research, Management and Policy in the College of Public Health and Health Professions help me combine rigorous quantitative methods with real-world application. My aim is to produce tools and evidence that public health agencies can actually implement.
Ultimately, whether I’m building tools for state health operations, evaluating community programs or working with rural leaders in Florida, I hope other graduate students understand there isn't a single path to becoming a researcher. If we stay curious, collaborative and keep the communities we serve at the center of our work, our research can make a meaningful difference far beyond academia.
Megan McCarthy, MPH, is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Health Services Research, Management and Policy at the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions. Her research focuses on implementation science, health systems efficiency and rural health policy. She is expected to graduate in 2029.