Ian McFadden, scholarship recipient Teneshia Portis, and Angela McFadden
If it weren’t for a scholarship in the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s master’s in health administration (MSHA) program, Ian McFadden might not have been able to build a successful career revitalizing hospitals.
Hailing from Tuskegee, Alabama, he knew his family couldn’t afford to help him with his education. On top of the financial burden that comes with college, Ian experienced an illness in his early twenties that led him to need open heart surgery—a surgery with a hefty price tag and a long recovery.
But UAB worked with him. He received a fellowship from the School of Health Professions, which covered tuition for the MSHA program. The school was patient with his surgery and recovery schedule and created a path for him to succeed.
“I can’t tell you how much of an impact that made for us because that allowed me to continue to go to school,” Ian said.
After receiving his MSHA in 1984 and a doctorate in the same department in 2018, and four decades of running hospitals in rural and remote areas, Ian and his wife, Angela, decided to give back to the University where it all began.
In 2024, Ian and Angela gave a $47,000 gift to establish the Dr. and Mrs. Ian and Angela McFadden Scholarship in Health Administration in the UAB School of Health Professions. This scholarship covers full tuition for a student in the three-year Health Administration program.
“[With this scholarship] I could help somebody who needs financing for their education in the same program I’m in, and I could really help the program enrollment numbers,” he said. “It satisfied a lot of issues.”
About the Scholarship
The McFaddens hoped this scholarship would help someone like Ian had been helped. “I wanted to do what was done from me,” he said.
Their goal for the scholarship was to find a student who was originally from a rural county in Alabama, like McFadden, and who planned to serve the community after graduation.
Teneshia Portis couldn’t have been a better fit.
“In 10 years, I aim to hold a leadership position to influence healthcare policy and strategy,” Portis, a first-year student in the MSHA program, said. “In 20 years, my goal is to become a CEO, where I can drive major innovations and give back to my hometown, which has struggled with its healthcare system, by improving its access and quality of care.”
Portis also envisions becoming a mentor to the next generation of healthcare leaders.
“I am deeply grateful to the McFaddens for their generous scholarship, which has supported my education and professional growth within the MSHA program,” Portis said. “Their investment in my future not only eases my financial burden but also inspires me to excel and one day pay it forward to others striving to achieve their dreams.”
The McFadden’s aim to enhance rural and impoverished communities aligns with UAB’s values.
“This is a transformative gift in the way that it supports more than our students, UAB, and our Health Administration program—it serves Alabama as a whole,” School of Health Professions Dean Andrew Butler said. “We’re so honored and grateful for the McFadden’s generosity and vision to see our program and state excel.”
The program and a successful career
Before recently retiring, Ian spent 40 years doing what he calls “turn around work” for hospitals. He was recruited as CEO to revamp and revitalize failing hospitals in rural areas. Ian and Angela feel like his successful career emanated from UAB.
“UAB has a unique pathway into the career field, because they not only give you the academic education that you need, but the program provides a 12-month residency training,” he said. “That was different at the time.”
Ian calls his retirement a “soft retirement.” Although he no longer serves hospitals, he now works for the Troy University Health Education Center—a program funded by UAB—in Dothan, Alabama.
“We’ve been very blessed in our careers. It’s taken us a lot of different places and has been very rewarding,” McFadden said. “UAB has been the cornerstone of that.”
