With an incredible passion for comprehensive healthcare and immense influence on the world of remote care, it is no surprise that our very own Jean Balgrosky, PhD, MPH, RHIA, has accepted the 2023 UCLA Health Policy & Management Alumni Association (HPMAA) Ira Alpert Service Award. Named for Ira Alpert (Class of 1966), one of the first graduating members of Fielding School of Public Health, this award is granted annually to an individual who has helped sustain, grow and broaden the leadership role of the Association. Ira Alpert played a critical role in establishing the department’s robust alumni association, which contributes a great deal to the ongoing success and recognition of program alumni.
To no one’s surprise, Jean has reflected Alpert’s dedication, continually showing her commitment to the betterment of HPMAA and to the healthcare industry as a whole. Jean is a leader, educator, and innovator, and we are proud to see Jean’s incredible talent and work-ethic recognized and celebrated once again.
Jean thrives academically by teaching the next generation of healthcare leaders, managers, and policymakers, and by writing textbooks about health information systems and technology. As career CIO, investor, and innovator, she is creating new ways to use information systems and technology to improve health. As mentor, she helps early-stage entrepreneurs in development of digital health solutions to meet emerging requirements in digital health and analytics, including AI. She is author of two textbooks: Essentials of Health Information Systems and Technology and Understanding Health Information Systems-for the Health Professions.
Jean earned her PhD at UCLA FSPH in Health Services, her Cognate in Health Information Systems and Technology, where she also completed her MPH in Management-Health Information Systems, and graduated Magna Cum Laude for her Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health-Health Services with a specialization in Medical Records Science. Her PhD dissertation research, “Adoption of Electronic Health Records by Physicians for Use in their Practices,” analyzed differences between small and medium/large provider practices in their adoption of electronic health record systems.
She currently resides in Del Mar, CA with her husband, Parker Hinshaw, who together enjoy seven children and nine grandchildren. They sponsor the Jean Balgrosky and Parker Hinshaw Fellowship with the vision of supporting the education of two Fielding School students each year and are especially motivated to provide support to students who, despite hardships, are pursuing their degrees in public health.
A force for change, Jean was also recently honored as one of Top 25 Women Leaders in Consumer HealthTech by The Healthcare Technology Report. We recently sat down with Jean to discuss the intersection between healthcare and technology, and better understand her experience in and contributions to this ever-evolving field. Congratulations Jean!
