Jodi Eyigor headshot
Jodi Eyigor

Editor’s Note: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Senior Living are profiling the McKnight’s 2021 Women of Distinction honorees daily July 6 through Aug. 6. To see the 2021 McKnight’s 2021 Women of Distinction awards ceremony, register for free here.

Jodi Eyigor watched her classmates sign up to work with all different demographics of people while studying social work. None of them wanted to work with the elderly — at least not with the enthusiasm she did. For Eyigor, it was the only interesting option. 

She became a licensed social worker and now also is a policy analyst. As a social worker, she was employed at the Lisner-Louise-Dickson-Hurt Home in Washington, D.C., where she carried out a range of responsibilities, from social support to case management. She now serves as the director of nursing home quality and policy for LeadingAge, where she can utilize her expertise from working as a social worker and new skills as a policy analyst.

In this position, Eyigor has been able to take her extensive knowledge of federal regulations in the long-term care industry and combine it with experience in congressional and administrative advocacy. Colleagues say her perspective as a social worker has been fundamental in furthering LeadingAge’s advocacy efforts. 

The COVID-19 pandemic motivated Eyigor to become even more resourceful and helpful to her teammates. She contributes to LeadingAge’s live online coronavirus policy updates, which have been a key resource for keeping members up to date on the latest information concerning the public health emergency. She also is a consistent and trusted source for trade publications and national outlets reporting on long-term care. 

Outside of the office, Eyigor is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and volunteers with the American Red Cross. She enjoys many hobbies with her husband and her young daughter, Tessa. 

Eyigor’s coworkers say her passion for long-term care community members is important and incredibly helpful. She found ways to safely open nursing homes during the pandemic, created COVID-specific infection control training and made a vaccination plan that prioritized nursing homes. It’s safe to say she has been a key player throughout the pandemic and will be beyond it.

The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Senior Living. The program’s Diamond sponsor is PointClickCare, and the Roundtable Sponsor is Paycor.