Parkland Health unveils strategic plan for 2027-2031
Three priorities focus on access, quality and sustaining Parkland’s mission
DALLAS – As Dallas County continues to grow and the healthcare needs of its residents evolve, Parkland Health has adopted a new five-year strategic plan designed to expand access to care, strengthen quality and ensure the health system can continue fulfilling its mission for generations to come.
The Fiscal Year 2027–2031 Strategic Plan establishes three priorities that will guide Parkland’s work over the next five years: Seamless Access, Quality Care and Mission Sustainability.
“Parkland has served the people of Dallas County for more than 130 years, and our responsibility is not only to meet the needs of our patients today, but to prepare for the needs of tomorrow,” said Fred Cerise, MD, MPH, President and CEO of Parkland Health. “This strategic plan gives us a clear focus for doing both. It recognizes that our community is growing, healthcare is changing and we must continue evolving while remaining firmly committed to our mission.”
Development of the plan included collaboration among leaders from across Parkland to identify and prioritize the initiatives that will have the greatest impact on patients, employees and the community. Throughout the process, Parkland’s mission, vision and ICARE values remained at the center of the discussion.
The three strategic priorities are:
Seamless Access
Parkland will expand and streamline access to care across settings, making it easier for patients to navigate the health system and receive the services they need. Efforts will include expanding clinical services, improving access to existing services, maximizing current resources and developing additional physical and virtual capacity to meet future demand.
Quality Care
Parkland will continue building on its commitment to delivering safe, high-quality care that patients trust. Building on the health system’s work to become a High Reliability Organization, Parkland will strengthen its focus on quality and safety for individual patients and across the Dallas County population. The strategy strengthens signature programs such as trauma, burn and complex obstetric care that serve patients throughout the region and play an important role in the health of the community.
Mission Sustainability
Parkland will responsibly steward its resources to ensure it can continue serving Dallas County for generations to come. That includes strengthening Parkland as an employer of choice for a mission-driven workforce, maintaining durable financial performance and reinvestment capacity, and ensuring the health system has the critical capabilities necessary to meet future healthcare needs.
“Our mission has not changed,” Dr. Cerise said. “We are here to advance wellness, relieve suffering, develop and educate. What must continually evolve is how we fulfill that mission. Whether that means making it easier for a patient to get an appointment, providing exceptional care when someone is critically ill, supporting the people who choose to build their careers at Parkland or making responsible decisions about how we invest our resources, this plan provides a framework for where we need to go.”
The new strategic plan comes as Parkland prepares for increasing demand for healthcare services across Dallas County. The plan recognizes that meeting those needs will require both investment in physical capacity and new ways of delivering care, while ensuring that quality, safety and the patient experience remain at the center of decision-making.
“Our patients and this community are counting on Parkland to be here not just five years from now, but decades from now,” Dr. Cerise said. “Mission sustainability means making thoughtful decisions today that preserve our ability to care for future generations. That is the promise behind this plan and the responsibility we carry forward.”
For more information about Parkland, please visit www.parklandhealth.org
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