Jordan McBride was born in Pittsburgh but is from Atlanta, Georgia. She has a BS in nutrition science from the University of Georgia. After graduation, she wanted experience in direct patient care and sought certification as a medical assistant, gaining clinical work experience. She became curious about the business side of the health care system and sought a business-focused health care degree. That curiosity, of course, led her to pursue a joint degree option, combining the MHA with an MBA from Pitt’s Katz Business School. She wanted to learn new things and capitalize on the diversity of the other students in each program.
McBride chose Pitt because Pittsburgh is a complex health care city, and because of the strengths and networks of both Pitt Public Health and the business school, including access to local health care leaders. Her interests lie in data analytics and strategy. While she hasn’t yet picked a topic for her thesis, she’s interested in risk adjustment and is thinking about a topic that would explore how risk adjustment impacts the health insurance sector financially and in terms of quality. She’s currently working as a resident at Gateway Health in the risk adjustment department, focused on revenue optimization. “I enjoy that risk adjustment is challenging and there are many complex facets…there is always something new to learn and requirements to consider multiple stakeholders.”
Being a Gideon scholar gives McBride an extra level of motivation and an additional network to diversify and enrich her experience. She was honored to receive the scholarship and feels incredibly supported by the Dawn Gideon Foundation, both academically and professionally. With a network of women that meets regularly and discusses topics like resilience, meaningful networking, accountability, mentorship, self-awareness, and self-care helps McBride find balance in all aspects of her life.
“I hear stories from successful women in the health care field and can apply their experiences to my own situations in both academic and professional environments. I feel that I am meeting people with whom I will have a lasting relationship and I am looking forward to participating as a mentor in the future.”
Through the work of the foundation and the honor of the scholarship, McBride is also motivated by Gideon herself. “Dawn Gideon inspires me because she never took the easy route in her career. She was a problem solver, and worked to turn around cash-distressed health care systems. Most individuals would be afraid to take on a role in a company that is plummeting, but Dawn saw this as a challenge and she wanted to help the organization overcome,” said McBride.
McBride’s hobbies include traveling, sports, yoga, and baking. McBride's father played college basketball with Gideon's brother at Washington and Jefferson College.
Read more about the Dawn Gideon Foundation or other Dawn Gideon Scholars...
7/16/2019