Newswise — NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Ryan Parker has been named Chief Diversity Officer at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH).

Parker joined RWJUH in August 2013 as Director, Diversity and Inclusion, and assumes his new role in addition to that position.

“His background and understanding of healthcare diversity has been vital for the hospital to expand and define our diversity and inclusion goals and objectives,” said RWJUH President and C.E.O. Stephen K. Jones, FACHE, who served as the hospital’s Chief Diversity Officer since 2011. “As we approach the end of the current three-year diversity and inclusion plan, Ryan will lead the expansion of that plan into an integrated diversity and inclusion strategy.”

Under Parker’s leadership, the hospital has established a Center for Diversity and Inclusion; transformed our Employee Network Resource Groups into Business Resource Groups for employees; and expanded the Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee into a Diversity and Inclusion Partnership Council, which consists of a variety of stakeholders that collaborate on internal and external diversity and inclusion initiatives.

“Robert Wood Johnson’s diversity and inclusion journey had a very solid start, originating at least 20 years ago through programs like our Health Professions Scholars Program in partnership with New Brunswick Health Science and Technology High School and our many community health programs focused on eliminating health disparities. As we move toward the next phase of our journey, I’m invested in building upon those efforts to execute a strategy that further hardwires diversity and inclusion as RWJUH continues its path of being a consciously inclusive organization.”

Parker, who resides in New Brunswick, came to RWJUH after successfully leading similar initiatives around diversity and inclusion for some of the nation’s leading universities and academic medical centers , including, most recently the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where he supported the Human Resources – Enterprise Office of Diversity and Inclusion. He also worked within the Diversity Policy and Programs Division at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) in Washington, D.C.

He holds a B.S. in Psychology from Jacksonville State University and is currently pursuing his Master in Health Administration degree from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

MEDIA CONTACT
Register for reporter access to contact details