We are very pleased to announce that Deborah McMahon, MD, was selected from a large pool of applicants as a 2024 UPMC Senior Physician Excellence Award winner. This award honors physicians with more than 10 years of practice experience who demonstrate clinical excellence, make exceptional contributions to clinical care, achieve high practice standards, and display exceptional teamwork, engagement and passion for medicine.

Dr. McMahon holds the rank ofProfessor of Medicine. She has been a member of the ID Division for the past 30 years. Her work on behalf of patients with HIV-1 has made a huge difference in the lives of many patients and families throughout the world impacted by the AIDS epidemic. Dr. McMahon serves as the Clinical Director of UPMC’s HIV Program, and the Project Director for the HRSA Ryan White Program to enhance HIV primary care at UPMC and affiliated sites to more than 1,700 men, women, and children with HIV. HRSA Ryan White funding (McMahon, PI; over $1.5 million/year since 1994) ensures access to comprehensive HIV primary care for persons with HIV, particularly those who are under- or uninsured. Without this support, many services for persons with HIV/AIDS would never have been available. She also served as Project Director for a HRSA Funded Special Project of National Significance (SPNS) in response to HRSA’s initiative to build HIV workforce capacity in community health care settings and improve outcomes along the HIV care continuum. This work remains ongoing through an HIV Track available to UPMC Family Medicine residents.

Dr. McMahon helped establish the first HIV clinical research program here at Pitt in 1987, and remains an active clinical investigator along with her colleagues in the NIH-funded Pitt Clinical Research Site. 

From 2006-2014, Dr. McMahon and her team implemented a PEPFAR-funded Twinning Partnership between the University of Pittsburgh and the Catholic University of Mozambique (UCM) to train healthcare providers to care for the tens of thousands of persons with HIV/AIDS in Beira, Mozambique on the eastern coast of sub Saharan Africa. This effort was funded through grants from the CDC in Mozambique, exceeding $1 million. Dr. McMahon and her team worked closely with the Dean and faculty of UCM’s Medical School to renovate dilapidated facilities for clinical care and strengthen medical education and training. In June 2009, partners opened the São Lucas Health Center on UCM’s campus in Beira. Since then, UCM clinicians and staff have treated tens of thousands of patients.

Dr. Deborah McMahon’s commitment to excellence in clinical care and patient access to it is distinguished in her service as the Brother’s Brother Foundation (BFF) Medical Director since 2011. She is an integral part of BBF’s Executive Committee, acting as a consultant to determine which donated pharmaceuticals BBF should accept and ship to medical facilities globally. In 2023, BBF sent the volume equivalent of 109 ocean-going container shipments to partners in 14 different countries. The pharmaceuticals and medical supplies supported local hospitals, clinics, HIV/AIDS facilities, homes for the elderly, and homes for orphaned and abandoned children.

Dr. McMahon has earned the utmost respect and admiration of her colleagues, and the gratitude of her patients. Her work demonstrates clinical excellence and she has made exceptional contributions to the UPMC clinical mission. Dr. McMahon epitomizes the dedicated, compassionate and selfless physician, and shines as a role model for all UPMC physicians.

Please join us in congratulating Deb!