Arkansas Children’s has promoted long-time system leader Erin Parker, MBA, CHC, CHPC, CHRC, to the position of senior vice president and chief information officer. Parker, who had served as interim in the role since July, brings to the position a deep knowledge of the state’s only pediatric health system.
As she steps into the position full-time, Parker will be responsible for building partnerships while leading the organization’s focus on systems security, infrastructure, and digital initiatives that make healthcare more accessible and seamless for workforce, providers, and patients and their caregivers. She will lead a division of more than 200 team members, drawing on her experience designing and implementing compliance initiatives with the system’s electronic health record.
Parker has most recently served as vice president/system compliance officer for Arkansas Children’s, capping 14 years of progressive leadership roles with the system. She has developed work plans building on the system’s mission of making children better today and healthier tomorrow, including planning, implementing, and maintaining effective compliance practices for the system’s hospitals and clinics statewide.
“After a nationwide search and interview process of high-caliber candidates who could lead our deeply engaged and innovative Information Services team, Erin stood out among some of the best leaders in the industry,” said Arkansas Children’s President & CEO Marcy Doderer, FACHE. “I am proud that we found our best candidate internally. I look forward to working with the team as they help define and deliver unprecedented child health with Erin’s guidance.”
Parker started as a volunteer for Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock in 2001, and joined the team in a professional capacity when an internal audit position opened in 2006. Parker’s 14-year tenure at Arkansas Children’s has also included service as the system’s HIPAA privacy officer and corporate compliance director.
Parker holds a master’s in business administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a bachelor’s in professional accountancy from Ouachita Baptist University. She is certified in healthcare compliance (CHC) and healthcare privacy compliance (CHPC), and she is a member of the Children’s Hospital Association’s Chief Information Officer cohort.