Ashley Parks Image

Ashley Parks, Dr.P.H.

Associate Professor of Public Health Science
Program Director, Master of Public Health

Office Phone: 951-552-8347
E-mail: aparks@calbaptist.edu
Office Location: Health Science Campus H136
Office Hours: Tuesdays 10:30-3:30 PM, Thursdays 12:30-3:30 PM

Degree Major Emphasis Institution Year
Dr.P.H. Doctor of Public Health University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) 2016
MBA Executive Master of of Business Administration Quantic School of Business and Technology 2019
MTech Masters in Technology Management Georgetown 2018
M.P.H. Master of Public Health California State University Fresno 2008
B.S. Health Science - Community Health CSU Fresno 2006
  • Additional Education

    Doctorate in Public Health - Health Services Leadership (DrPH)
    University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) June 2016
    Degree in Healthcare Leadership with coursework in health economics, management, research,
    statistics, and policy.

    Master of Technology Management (MTech)
    Georgetown University Aug 2018
    Focus in Healthcare Information Technology and Innovation

    Master of Business Administration (MBA)
    Quantic School of Business and Technology March 2019

    Master in Public Health (MPH)
    California State University, Fresno, Fresno, CA May 2008
    Focus in Health Promotion, Policy, and Management
    Graduate Presidents Honors Scholar

    B.S., Health Science: Community Health & Health Administration
    California State University, Fresno, Fresno, CA May 2006
    Presidents Honors Scholar

    Master Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) September 2015 to present
    National Center for Health Education & Credentialing (NCHEC)

    Certification in Public Health (CPH) July 2010 to present
    National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE)

    Certified Practitioner in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) April 2011 to present
    National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ)

    Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt July 2012 to present
    Institute of Industrial Engineering (IIE)

    Healthcare Certified Accreditation Professional (HCAP) June 2013 to present
    Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ)

    Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB) July 2013 to present
    Aveta Business Institute

    Certified Professional of Healthcare Risk Management (CPHRM) July 2013 to present
    American Hospital Association (AHA)

    Project Management Professional (PMP) August 2013 to present
    Project Management International (PMI)


    Certified Health Technology Specialist – Implementation Manager (CHTS-IM) December 2013 to present
    American Healthcare Information Management Association (AHIMA)

    Certified Technical Specialist – Managed Care August 2015 to present

    Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS) June 2016 to present

  • Courses Taught

    HSC 101: Introduction to Public Health
    HSC 104: U.S. Healthcare Delivery
    HSC 300: Health Communication
    HSC 480: Research Methods
    HCA 330: Information Systems in Healthcare
    HCA 360: Healthcare Finance
    HCA 410: Quality Improvement in Healthcare
    HSC 420: Health Policy
    HCA 450: Healthcare Law and Ethics
    HCA 490: Current Issues in Health Administration
    HSC 499: Capstone
    HSC 501: The American Healthcare System
    HSC 521: Poverty, Inequality, and Policy
    HSC 530/554: Healthcare Policy & Advocacy
    HSC 539: Strategic Management in Healthcare
    HSC 552: Health Law and Ethics
    HSC 565: Financial Management of Healthcare Organizations
    HSC 598/599 Public Health Capstone

  • Academic Areas & Scholarly Interests

    Healthcare Management, Healthcare Quality, Healthcare Finance, Health Economics, Public Health, Health Education, Environmental health, Air quality, Social Justice, Poverty & Inequality, Health Information Technology, Civic Engagement

  • Teaching Experience at Institutions Other than CBU

    California State University System - Undergraduate programs in health administration, community health, and nursing 2012-present
    University of Texas Tech - MHSA Program
    Guest lecturer USC MHA Program - Health IT and Operations (Summer and Fall Semesters)

  • Research, Presentations, & Publications

    Parks, A., Lazari, M. (2021). “Exploring Mental Health Status, Family Relationships, and Hours Worked by California Adults”. Accepted for Presentation at 2021 Society for Public Health Education (SOPHEdX) Conference.
    Parks, A., Lazari, M. (2021). “Provider and Staff Responses to Patient Feedback Regarding Patient Discharge Education and Post-Acute Care Transitions”. Accepted for Presentation at 2021 Society for Public Health Education (SOPHEdX) Conference.
    Parks, A., Lazari, M. (2021). “Self-reported Patient Experience with Discharge Education and Post-Acute Care Transitions”. Accepted for Presentation at 2021 Society for Public Health Education (SOPHEdX) Conference.
    Parks, A. Manley, M. (2021). “Pandemic Effects on Advance Care Directive Attitudes and Completion Rates amongst Medicaid Population in Inland Empire”. Accepted for Upcoming SOPHE Webinar Presentation and 2021 Society for Public Health Education (SOPHEdX) Conference.
    Parks, A. Martinez-Luna, D., Lazari, M. (2021). “An Evaluation of the Differences in HPV Vaccine Status and Providers Recommendation between Genders and Parental Educational Levels”. Accepted for Presentation at 2021 Society for Public Health Education (SOPHEdX) Conference.
    Parks, A., Lazari, M. (2020). “Physician and Staff Responses to Non-facility Specific Patient Experience Feedback with Post-acute Care Transitions”. American Public Health Association (APHA) 2020 Conference. Live session presentation scheduled for 10/27/2020.
    Parks, A., Lazari, M. (2020). “Self-reported mentorship needs and preferences of health administration and public health students”. American Public Health Association (APHA) 2020 Conference. Poster presentation video submitted and scheduled for on-demand viewing 10/24-10/28/2020.
    Parks, A., Lazari, M., O’Dell, B., Cheema, K. (2020). “Best Practices for Preparing Students for the Health Education Workforce through the Integration of Practice and Theory”. Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE). Presentation accepted for 2020 conference but service learning roundtable occurred in August 2020. 08/18/2020.
    Parks, A., Lazari, M., (2020). “It’s All Fun and Games: Leveraging Gamification to Develop Decision Making Skills in Health Services Administration Students”. AUPHA 2020 Annual Meeting. 06/04/2020.
    Lazari, M., Parks, A. (2020). “Expanding Undergraduate Curriculum to Increase Preparedness for Work in Population Health”. AUPHA 2020 Annual Meeting. 06/04/2020.
    Parks, A., Lazari, M., O’Dell, B., Cheema, K. (2020). “Self-reported Mentorship Needs and Preferences of Health Education Students”. Society for Public Health Education Conference (SOPHE). 03/23/2020.
    Parks, A., Lazari, M. (2019). "A Portrait of California's Workforce: Mental Health Status, Family Relationships, and Hours Worked". American Psychological Association: Work, Stress, and Health Conference. Philadelphia, PA. 11/10/2019.
    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.
    Parks, A., Lazari, M., O’Dell, B., Cheema, K. (2019). “Self-reported Mentorship Needs and Preferences of Public Health Students”. Southern California Public Health Association. Los Angeles, CA. 10/14/2019.
    Parks, A., Munoz, J. (2019). “Exploring the Difference between the Perception of the Effectiveness of Provider Communication across Ethnicity Categories and Education Level”. Southern California Public Health Association. Los Angeles, CA. 10/14/2019.
    Parks, A., Brown, N. (2019). “Public Health Workforce Training Gaps: Differences in Self-Reported Skills across Educational Categories in the Public Health Workforce”. Southern California Public Health Association. Los Angeles, CA. 10/14/2019.
    Parks, A., Abdellatif, F. (2019). “An Evaluation of the Relationship between the use of Methamphetamine and Suicidal Ideation”. Southern California Public Health Association. Los Angeles, CA. 10/14/2019.
    Parks, A. Lazari, M., O’Dell, B., Cheema, K. (2019). “Best Practices for Preparing Students for the Healthcare Workforce”. AUPHA 2019 Undergraduate Workshop. Winston-Salem, NC. 10/13/2019.
    Parks, A., Lazari, M., O’Dell, B., Cheema, K. (2019). “Addressing Mentorship Needs and Preferences of Undergraduate Healthcare Administration Students”. AUPHA 2019 Undergraduate Workshop. Winston-Salem, NC. 10/12/2019.
    Parks, A., Lazari, M. (2019). "Advancing the Healthcare Quality Profession by Developing Direct Educational Pathways". National Association for Healthcare Quality – NAHQ NEXT Conference. Phoenix, AZ. 09/16/19.
    Parks, A. (2019). "Driving Performance Improvement in Glycemic Management: Implementation of Basal Bolus Insulin Protocol". National Association for Healthcare Quality – NAHQ NEXT Conference. Phoenix, AZ. 09/16/19.
    Parks, A., Lazari, M. (2019). "Adapt, Motivate, Leverage: Engagement Techniques Used by Online and In-Person Faculty". Online Teaching Conference, Anaheim, CA. 06/18/2019.
    Parks, A. (2019). "Recommendations for New Faculty on Leveraging Professional Experience to Bridge the Gap Between Theory and Practice”. Teaching Professors Conference, New Orleans, LA. 06/09/2019.
    Parks, A. (2019). "Best Practices for Preparing Students for the Workforce through the Integration of Practice and Theory by New Faculty”. Teaching Professors Conference, New Orleans, LA. 06/08/2019.
    Parks, A. (2016). "Running the Race: Quality as a Marathon". California Association for Healthcare Quality.
    Parks, A (2016). "Improving the Linkage to HIV Specialty Care: Referral and Authorization Process Redesign at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation". DrPH Dissertation available at http://escholarship.org/uc/item/8r8260j7 .
    Parks, A., Lazari, M. (2015). "NAHQ Leadership Model Series: Communicating Effectively for Change and Improvement". California Association for Healthcare Quality.
    Parks, A. (2015). "NAHQ Leadership Model Series: Communicating for Healthcare Quality with an Emphasis on Education". California Association for Healthcare Quality.
    Parks, A. (2015). "Meaningful Graphs". Smith, James. California Association for Healthcare Quality Journal.
    Parks, A. (2014). "Our New Charge: Expanding the Quality Landscape by Cultivating a Culture of Adaptability and Inclusion". California Association for Healthcare Quality.
    Parks, A., Lazari, M. (2014). "NAHQ Leadership Model Series: The Art of Data Management", California Association for Healthcare Quality.
    Parks, A. (2014) "Our Iceberg is Melting" Kotter, John. California Association for Healthcare Quality Journal.
    Parks, A. (2013). "NAHQ Leadership Model Series- Resilience and Self-Restraint: Encouraging the Right Change", California Association for Healthcare Quality.
    Zane, J., Toy, P., Parks, A., et.al. (2012). “Diminishing the health burden caused by disproportionate exposure to air pollution through local community action to change policies and practices”. American Public Health Association (APHA) Conference.
    Wallace, S. Zane, J., Toy, P., Parks, A., et.al. (2012). “From the ground up to the sky: Bringing aging and child advocates together to expand traditional air quality coalitions”. American Public Health Association (APHA) Conference.
    Parks, A. (2008). “Gardasil vaccine attitudes and opinions survey of Central Valley, California mothers of girls 14 to 18 years old”. Thesis (M.P.H.) - California State University, Fresno.


  • Church Membership & Activities

    Harvest Riverside

  • Community Service & Involvement

    The Kindness Project

  • Interests & Hobbies

    My hobbies include long distance running, swimming, and spending time with my three children. I love the ocean and all things water.

  • Personal Philosophy

    An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. - Proverbs 18:15
    I am a lifelong learner with a passion for helping students find and live their purpose. My areas of interest and expertise include healthcare quality and performance improvement; financial analysis and administration; data reporting and information technology; health services research; and project management. Professional education and mentorship are my passions. If you have questions about specific continuing education opportunities, certifications, or advanced education, I would love to share my experiences and learn about your interests as a student.