Vivian Bradley Johnson is a senior vice president of clinical services at Parkland Health and Hospital System. In her role, Bradley oversees a $300 million budget and 1,700 employees in the pharmacy, radiology, respiratory, clinical dietary, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and laboratory services.
The Lake City, Florida, native is a pharmacist by training, with a bachelor’s in pharmacy from Florida A&M University, an MBA from the University of Dallas and a doctorate pharmacy from Mercer University. She has spent the past 30 years providing health care services to the underserved in Dallas County. Under her leadership, many clinical pharmacy programs have been developed and are now recognized as best practices on the local, state and national level.
She serves in the community as a member of the Omicron Mu Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., the Greater Denton County (Texas) chapter of The Links Inc., and the First Baptist Church of Hamilton Park. Johnson and her husband Frederick have three children: Frederick II, Michelle Marva and Erika Nicole.
As a Black woman, what do you consider your superpowers to be?
Adaptability, persuasion, discernment, fortitude, vision and high emotional intelligence.
What key qualities make you unique as an African American female leader?
The qualities which make me unique as an African American female leader: determined, analytical, compassionate, servant leader and collaborative.
What encouraging piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
The advice I would give to my younger self would be to be reliable, caring, trustworthy and always strive to be the best. Proactively seek out opportunities and people [who] will make you better and provide diverse experiences.
Why is it important for women of color to work in leadership roles and decision-making capacities?
It is important for women of color to lead and work in decision-making capacities in order to be able to provide a more comprehensive perspective [and] an inclusive mindset toward solutions and to be able to demonstrate the unique skill sets possessed by women of color.
Why is it important for experienced Black women to reach back and help younger women of color?
It is important for more experienced Black women to reach back and help younger women of color because they have experiences that can be shared, including what approach they used to achieve specific goals.
What are three success habits you implement into your daily routine to maintain your success, sanity and peace of mind?
1. Pray.
2. Listen to music.
3. Organize [and] plan my day.
As a successful woman, what is your greatest achievement?
As a successful woman, my greatest achievement is my ability to help organizations achieve a positive bottom line and build high-quality programs.
