Staff Spotlight: Jacob Manthey, MBA, MsHCM

Jacob pitching in a softball tournament in Raleigh, North Carolina.Jacob brings over a decade of association experience to his role at the Academy, where he leads efforts to support through responsive health policy advocacy and practice support. When he's not helping members navigate complex health policy issues, you might find him strategizing on the softball diamond, mentoring contestants in the world of pageantry, or spending time with his dog, Bebe.

How long have you been at the Academy? 
It will be two years at the beginning of August.

What's one thing you'd like readers to know about your job? 
That it is ever-changing and priorities can vary greatly day to day and week to week. Much of our work on the health policy team involves being responsive to member needs.

When we receive outreach from a member on a specific issue, our first step is to investigate and determine how we can get involved and if it is within the scope of the Academy. From that point, we can take a variety of paths to support the membership—from direct outreach to a payer or official, developing member education, or supporting the membership through member resources. Every day is different, and I rely on my team to be nimble and flexible to pivot when needed.

Overall, my message to members would be that we are here to help, and while we cannot get involved in specific claim-level inquiries, we can try to point you in the right direction, so always feel free to reach out if we can help.

Jacob and two advocacy team colleagues at the Advocacy and ENT PAC booth in Miami.

Tell us about one of your most memorable moments working for the Academy. 
I would say any of our major meetings such as the Annual Meeting or OTO Forum is important to me. Any time I get the opportunity to interface with members, learn from them, and ask them questions in real time, it is gratifying. We do so much work from the national office with physician members from across the country that it is nice when we can have a real-time conversation over coffee or lunch instead of exchanging emails. I also enjoy seeing members interact with one another and industry, as it gives a lot of insight into what their areas of passion and interest are.

How did you get involved in health policy? 
I always say that I didn't necessarily choose policy, but I fell into it, and it stuck. My background is in practice management, and upon completing my MBA and my Master of Science in Healthcare Management, I started in a practice operations role with one of the gastroenterology associations. Being 24 years old and having zero idea about the association world meant a steep learning curve. But after ten years now, I wouldn't change a thing about the journey.

Jacob and a pageant client celebrating a preliminary award at The Miss Virginia Pageant.What is something readers might be surprised to know about you? 
I am highly competitive. Some of my colleagues know, but I am a competitive softball player and have competed in the International Pride Softball World Series for the past four years. I am also a pageant coach and director, and I have been involved in the Miss America and Miss USA organizations for the past 18 years, preparing contestants for local, state, and national competitions.

Jacob’s bulldog-beagle mix, Bebe.Cats or dogs? 
I am truly an animal lover, and I worked in the animal medical field for 10 years. So, all animals really! However, I have mostly had dogs. Currently, I have a bulldog-beagle mix named Bebe, though she seems to be less of a dog and more of an angsty teenager at times!