Kristin MacDonald

Kristin was born and raised in East Northport, N.Y. She graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in nutritional sciences in 2008. Launching into a healthcare career, Kristin began to pursue her lifelong dream to serve others. She completed an M.S. in healthcare policy and management and became a dietitian in 2009. After working in this role, Kristin entered long-term care administration, where she developed a heart for older adults and the direct care workforce.

 In 2011 Kristin began traveling around the country with her husband, an officer in the Army JAG Corps. Throughout different locations Kristin worked in nursing home administration, dialysis, private practice, and community nutrition. She has always felt called to serve both patients and fellow healthcare providers, honoring the compassionate bonds that develop between these people. In 2017, following the birth of her twins, Kristin had the opportunity to teach in the health administration program at Methodist University. Getting a taste for health professions education, Kristin returned to school in 2018 to pursue a Ph.D. in health services organization and research at Virginia Commonwealth University.She defended her dissertation, “Experienced compassion at work and nursing home certified nursing assistants’ well-being and turnover intentions,” and graduated in 2024.

Kristin is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Administration at VCU. She teaches courses on person-centered care, management and service learning. Kristin continually asks herself, “How can I increase my impact?” She hopes to touch many lives through research and teaching, inspiring the next generation of healthcare leaders.