Health Care Management Program

Background

Dr. Parks is an Assistant Professor in Health Care Management at Appalachian State University. Dr. Parks currently serves as Co-PI and cofounder of the HRSA funded Supporting Rural Health Equity Practice and Academic (SHERPA) Network (formerly SHEQuITE Network) which works to address social determinants of health (SDOH) by fostering robust academic and practice partnerships focused on rural health in Western North Carolina. Dr. Parks has over 20 years’ of practice and research based experience working in health services administration across acute, ambulatory, managed care, and community health settings. Dr. Parks has been teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in health services administration and public health for over a decade and enjoys making “difficult concepts” accessible to students seeking to work in health services administration practice and research. Having obtained over a dozen public health and health care related certifications, Dr. Parks is passionate about teaching students how to apply key concepts in health care financial analysis, quality analysis and performance improvement, data reporting and information technology, health policy, health services research, and project management.

In 2023, Dr. Parks joined William Cleverley and James Cleverley as a co-author on the 9th edition of the Essentials of Health Care Finance. As a new coauthor, Dr. Parks was responsible for the updates for the 9th edition of the textbook and will be carrying the text forward as primary author for future editions in alignment with the authors' goal of providing an updated, relevant, readable, and easily applied resource for health care management students and executives. Continuing the textbook’s history as a practical educational approach to health care finance, the new edition features key updates related to the changing landscape of health care finance in the areas of reimbursement methodologies, health policy & law, and strategic financial management. Dr. Parks is honored by the opportunity to carry the Cleverley family's legacy forward by supporting the creation of another edition of an accessible resource appropriate for undergraduate students, graduate students, and practitioners.

In 2016, Dr. Parks completed her Doctorate in Public Health from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, and she worked as a Research Associate for the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research from 2009-2017. Dr. Parks was awarded the Roemer Award in Social Justice and a dissertation fellowship for her work expanding access and implementing quality improvement efforts in a nationwide HIV referral network. Parks also received a Masters in Technology Management from Georgetown University as well as her Master in Business Administration from the Quantic School of Business and Technology and multiple certifications from the Harvard School of Business. Dr. Parks obtained her Master of Public Health degree and her Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science from California State University, Fresno.

From 2020-2024, Dr. Parks served as the Society for Public Health Education’s (SOPHE) Board Trustee for Professional Preparation where she worked with faculty members across the nation to design and share curriculum and best practices for educating public health and health sciences students. Dr. Parks herself has multiple certifications in health care and public health including the Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES), Certification in Public Health (CPH), Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ), Certified Professional Patient Safety (CPPS), Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (CLSSBB), Project Management Professional (PMP) and more. If you have questions about specific continuing education opportunities, graduate school, or certifications, Dr. Parks would love to share her experiences and learn about your interests as a student or prospective student. Dr. Parks looks forward to getting to know each student and their unique career interests and personalities as part of our learning community.

During her time as a health services administrator prior to entering academia, Dr. Parks worked as a director of quality in inpatient health care facilities and as the director of managed Medicaid and Medicare health plans for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. In her role as a Research Associate at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research from 2009-2017, Dr. Parks provided statistical analysis and grant writing workshops for the UCLA Health DATA Program and severed as a researcher and grant writer on community based participatory research projects on the topics of environmental justice, health services for older adults, and chronic disease prevention funded by the CDC REACH CORE program and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Dr. Parks has also provided process improvement, data analysis, and grant writing consulting services to health care systems and local government organizations for over a decade. Parks has shared her research at multiple national conferences and enjoys partnering with students to prepare and submit research for presentation and publication. Her current research agenda includes health care quality topics such as patient experience in long term care settings, performance improvement, health care workforce preparation and mentorship, mental health, information technology, and telehealth. Dr. Parks has shared about her passion for mentorship and recent research efforts exploring early careerist’s competencies at American Public Health Association and Association of University Programs in Healthcare Administration conferences as well as on the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education’s (CAHME’s) Master Your Healthcare Career podcast entitled “Key Competencies and Skills for Health Services Administration for Graduates Entering the Workforce”. If you have questions about specific continuing education opportunities, graduate school, or certifications, Dr. Parks would love to share her experiences and learn about your interests as a student or prospective student. Dr. Parks looks forward to getting to know each student and their unique career interests and personalities as part of our learning community.

Aside from professional life, Dr. Parks enjoys spending time with her three children, traveling, and running, and hiking in the Appalachian Mountains.

Education

• DrPH, Health Services Leadership, University of California, Los Angeles, 2016
• MBA, Business Administration, Quantic School of Business and Technology, 2019
• MTech, Technology Management and Analytics, Georgetown University, 2018
• MPH, California State University Fresno, 2008
• BS, Health Science, California State University Fresno, 2006

Current Courses Being Taught

• HCM 2110 Introduction to Health System Organization (Undergraduate)
• HCM 3570 Principles of Financial Management for Health Care (Undergraduate)
• HCM 3590 - Quality Management and Process Improvement in Health Care (Undergraduate)
• HCM 3630 Health Services Organization Behavior & Design (Undergraduate)
• HCM 5270 Organizational Behavior and Design (Graduate)
• HCM 5590 Performance Improvement Concepts and Applications in Health Care

Professional Affiliations / Organizations

• National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ)
• American Public Health Association (APHA)
• Society of Public Health Education (SOPHE)
• Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA)
• Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
• American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE)
• Healthcare Information Management and Systems Society (HIMSS)
• American Society of Healthcare Risk Managers (ASHRM)
• Project Management Institute (PMI)
• Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE)

Research Interests

• Healthcare quality improvement and health information technology, specifically the use of technology to develop tools and improve quality and access to health services
• Physical, mental, and emotional health and wellness of workers and families during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Healthcare administration workforce development, professional preparation, mentorship, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)

Selected Publications

• Accepted: Isaacs, S. Schroeder-Tyson, J. Parks, A. (2024). Content Validation of Provider and Staff Surveys in Healthcare: A Systematic Review. Journal of Appalachian Health.
• Munoz-Cornejo, G., Sakowski, J., Lee, J., Parks, A. (2024). Analyzing the urban–rural divide: the role of location, time, and breach characteristics in U.S. hospital security incidents, 2012–2021. Discov Health Systems 3, 38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44250-024-00105-6.
• Jovanov, A., Parks, A., Jovanov, C., Mdluili, X. (2024). A Qualitative Analysis of Health Literacy Surrounding Anal Cancer and Human Papillomavirus. Journal of Primary Care and Community Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10976484/.
• Cleverley, W., Cleverley, J., Parks, A. (2023). Essentials of Health Care Finance (Ninth). Jones & Bartlett Learning. ISBN: 9781284203783
• Parks, A; Sakowski, J; Wear, A; Russell, A; Nunnery, D. (2023). Free and Charitable Clinic Perspectives on the Implementation and Utilization of Telehealth Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Primary Care and Community Health. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F21501319231213783.
• Sakowski J, Parks A; Nunnery D.; Wear, A. Free and Charitable Clinic Telehealth Adoption and Utilization During the COVID-19 ERA: The North Carolina Experience. Telemedicine Reports. https://doi.org/10.1089/tmr.2023.0029.
• Parks, A., Lazari, M., O'Dell, B., Avalos, R. (2022). Provider and Staff Responses to Non-Facility Specific Patient Experience Feedback with Post-Acute Care Transitions. Journal of Quality in Health Care and Economics. doi:10.23880/jqhe-16000257
• Parks, A., Lazari, M. (2022). Evaluating Self-Reported Patient Experience with Transitions from General Acute Care to Post-Acute Care Settings. Journal of Quality in Health Care and Economics. doi:10.23880/jqhe-16000258
• Parks, A. (2019). "Best Practices for Preparing Students for the Workforce through Mentorship". The Chronicle of Mentoring.
• Parks, A. (2019). "Mentorship in the Health Professions". The Chronicle of Mentoring.

Selected Recent Presentations (2023-2024)

• Parks, A; Wear, A, Avery, P. (2024). Self-reported Food Insecurity During the COVID-19 Pandemic Era: Exploring the Relationship between Food Insecurity, Psychological Distress, and Family/Social Life Impairment. 2024 Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) Conference. Oral Presentation. 03/20/2024.
• Parks, A; Wear, A, Avery, P. Hoskins, M., Wright, F. Exploring Public Health Professionals’ Perspectives on the Importance of Key Management Competencies and Skills for Early Career Professionals Entering the Workforce. 2024 Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) Conference. Oral Presentation. 03/19/2024.
• Parks, A., Sakowski, J., Wear, A., Russell, A., Nunnery, D. (2023). Telehealth adoption and utilization during and after the COVID -19 era in the free and charitable clinic setting: The North Carolina experience. American Public Health Association Annual Meeting.
• Parks, A; Lazari, M; Wear, A. (2023). Exploring healthcare administrator’s perspectives on the value of competencies and skills for early career professionals entering the workforce. American Public Health Association Annual Meeting. 11/
• Parks, A., Schroeder-Tyson, J., Isaacs, S. (2023). Supporting health equity and quality improvement through engagement (SHEQuITE Network). 2023 Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) Conference. Presentation. 3/24/2023.
• Parks, A., Isaacs, S., Schroeder-Tyson, J. (2023). Supporting Health Equity (SHE) Collaborative. 2023 Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) Conference. Oral Presentation. 3/24/2023.
• Parks, A., Ordonez, G. (2023). Positive Mental Well-Being Analysis: Effects of Gender, Age, and Exercise Habits. 2023 Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) Conference. Oral Presentation. 3/23/2023.
• Parks, A., Morgan, R. (2023). Exploring the Relationships Between Air Quality, Socioeconomic Status, and Asthma in Children. 2023 Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) Conference. Oral Presentation. 3/23/2023.
• Parks, A., Santiago, M. (2023). Psychological distress and gender in the post-pandemic workforce. 2023 Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) Conference. Oral Presentation. 3/22/2023.
• Parks, A., Urbina, S. (2023). Measuring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the public health pandemic response activities on the local PH workforce. 2023 Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) Conference. Oral Presentation. 3/22/2023.