When Tracy Baldwin came to Oklahoma from her home state of South Dakota, she had no idea that her time at the University of Oklahoma College of Nursing would launch a unique career at the intersections of technology and healthcare. Tracy became a Sooner Nurse after finishing her BSN in 1991. During her time as an undergraduate at OU, Tracy participated in the ROTC cadet program – and entered the Army Nurse Corps after graduation.
While serving in the US Army, Tracy says that she felt “well prepared” and ahead of her peers as she served patients in Germany and at Madigan Medical Center at Ft. Lewis, Washington. She says that her OU Nursing experience left her with the confidence she needed for a challenging job. Fast forward a few years, and Tracy found her niche in the tech boom – working in medical device sales, then software, and obtaining her MBA in 2004.
As a business development consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Tracy worked with some of the biggest names in American health care, including Kaiser Permanente. As a nurse, Tracy says she had a unique perspective to bring to the table for large corporate clients. Today, she is putting that expertise to work as the founder and Chief Executive Officer of RokketMed – which this Fall launched a new app aimed at providing an online marketplace for consumers to shop around for health care services. RokketMed says they are the, “...Expedia for health care services...”
Tracy says that her nursing experience “...allowed me as an individual to engage in my own care directly. That comfort level doesn’t exist for most consumers. The internet can empower consumers in new ways.” And this journey – from the Army Nurse Corps to leading an innovative startup – began here at the University of Oklahoma. Tracy says faculty members at the College of Nursing encouraged her to be confident, take risks, and get creative - lessons she carries with her today as a successful entrepreneur.