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HCA Healthcare affiliate Parallon named to ‘Best Employers for Women 2021’ list by Forbes

Parallon colleague photos
african american colleague headshot

“For over a decade, I have had the privilege to work in a supportive and encouraging environment that continues to value my voice being heard and inspires me to reach for higher growth opportunities. I’m very grateful to work at Parallon.”

– Diane Ulmer, Parallon Client Service Manager

HCA Healthcare affiliate Parallon has been named one of the country’s Best Employers for Women 2021. This is the second consecutive year Parallon – a leading provider of revenue cycle management services – has received the honor from Forbes and Statista, Inc.

Women make up 87% of Parallon’s workforce and 74% of its collective leadership team. “We are fortunate to have many talented women working at Parallon and are dedicated to accelerating representation of and opportunities for women at all levels across our workforce,” says Eric Ward, president and chief executive officer of Parallon.

“As a part of HCA Healthcare, we are actively fostering a more diverse, equitable and inclusive culture, and Parallon’s Best Employers for Women recognition is one more demonstration of this commitment,” adds Ward.

The Forbes and Statista annual ranking surveyed 50,000 Americans, including 30,000 women, working for businesses that employ more than 1,000 workers, about their thoughts on development opportunities, working conditions and arrangements, parental leave, family support and more. Representation at the executive and board levels were taken into account, as were initiatives to improve gender equity.

“I’m proud to work at Parallon because I can be myself in all that I do and how I lead. It’s bigger than being a woman. It’s being acknowledged for your individual talents and how that contributes to the bigger picture.”

– Hillary Miller, Parallon Director of Education and Quality

Building a meaningful career

Shana Berry speaks at conference
Shana Barry, regional vice president of human resources at Parallon

Shana Barry, a 24-year HCA Healthcare veteran and current regional vice president of human resources, says that she is extremely proud to work alongside many women who have chosen to build meaningful careers at Parallon. Shana shares her career journey:

I started my career at HCA Healthcare in 1997 as an administrative assistant. From day one, I had leaders who invested in me and my development, in addition to structures built into our organization to encourage growth and success. I was able to utilize the tuition reimbursement program to complete my degree, had the opportunity to receive my HR certification and receive support for continuing education to keep it current. When I pinpointed specific aspects of our business that I wanted to learn more about, my leaders set me up with shadowing opportunities, which gave me the knowledge I needed to feel confident as I took on new roles. Simply put, I’ve learned that if you advocate for yourself, you will have opportunities to learn and grow – whether that’s a class, a shadowing opportunity, or a mentor – and leaders will support you along the way.

Each and every day, I have the privilege to work with so many talented, exceptional women. While we’ve made great strides in creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive culture, I’m confident that we can build on this achievement, finding new ways to live out our commitments each and every day.”

Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion

HCA Healthcare, Parallon’s parent organization, is actively committed to fostering a culture of inclusion that allows all colleagues to thrive and nurtures our patients, partners, physicians and communities. HCA Healthcare continues to deliver on this promise through initiatives such as:

  • Establishing an Executive Diversity and Inclusion Council, led by Chief Diversity Officer Sherri Neal and CEO Sam Hazen, comprised of executive leaders who meet quarterly to inform critical strategic decision making, monitor progress against goals and objectives, and serve as visible and vocal sponsors of efforts across the organization.
  • Fifteen Division Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Councils across HCA Healthcare to support deployment of key strategies and programs.
  • Launching a Colleague Networks program, including a Women’s Network, to provide opportunities for HCA Healthcare colleagues to convene around shared commonalities or experiences.
  • Conscious inclusion training to equip leaders to recognize and mitigate different types of unconscious biases and prepare them with practical day-to-day skills and resources to engage and support all colleagues.
  • Expanding the award-winning BRAVE (Bold, Relevant, Authentic, Valuable and Educational) Conversations program, which provides colleagues an opportunity to discuss complex topics and share fears, hopes and challenges, through a safe, immersive and transforming dialogue experience.
  • In partnership with the HCA Healthcare Foundation, creating The Healthier Tomorrow Fund, a $75 million community impact fund, to support innovative initiatives focused on addressing high priority community needs and health equity.
  • Committing $10 million toward expanding relationships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions(HSIs).

HCA Healthcare recognizes the importance of education in developing a pipeline of diverse talent for leadership positions across the healthcare industry. HCA Healthcare offers internships to targeted diverse groups and provides scholarships to support the next generation in achieving their educational goals.

Grow your career with Parallon and HCA Healthcare by visiting https://careers.hcahealthcare.com.

“Each year, I’m amazed by how Parallon shows compassion for their patients and takes care of their colleagues. I’m proud to say our actions truly align with our values and purpose. Regardless of our job role, we all play a valuable part in achieving HCA Healthcare’s purpose.”

– Vilada Bounma, Parallon Director of Operations

Parallon is a leading provider of revenue cycle management services. Parallon enables providers to care for and improve the health of their communities by optimizing financial performance, navigating regulatory challenges and leveraging technology. Parallon has more than 16,970 colleagues, serves 4,794 hospitals and physician practices, and is headquartered in Nashville, TN.

About HCA Healthcare

HCA Healthcare, one of the nation's leading providers of healthcare services, is comprised of 183 hospitals and more than 2,300 sites of care, in 20 states and the United Kingdom. Our more than 283,000 colleagues are connected by a single purpose — to give patients healthier tomorrows.

As an enterprise, we recognize the significant responsibility we have as a leading healthcare provider within each of the communities we serve, as well as the opportunity we have to improve the lives of the patients for whom we are entrusted to care. Through the compassion, knowledge and skill of our caregivers, and our ability to leverage our scale and innovative capabilities, HCA Healthcare is in a unique position to play a leading role in the transformation of care.

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