Atlanta Executive Brings Strategic Clarity to Healthcare Marketing

In an industry where trust determines whether communities access critical care, one Atlanta-based executive has built a career on precision, discipline, and strategic communication under pressure. Tangela Q. Parker has spent years helping healthcare organizations navigate environments where credibility and equity are not optional, but operational imperatives.

As Senior Vice President of External Affairs at Planned Parenthood Southeast, Parker oversees marketing and communications, public affairs and advocacy, development and engagement, and community partnerships across multiple states. Her role requires balancing visibility with long-term credibility in spaces where access to care, public trust, and regulated discourse intersect.

Parker’s professional background bridges nonprofit leadership and some of the nation’s most influential healthcare corporations. Her corporate experience includes leadership roles at several of the largest organizations in the sector, including Centene Corporation, CVS Health, Humana, and UnitedHealthcare. This breadth has given her a rare vantage point across the healthcare ecosystem, from Medicaid and government-sponsored programs to commercial insurance and community-based access initiatives. It also strengthened her ability to navigate regulated environments, manage large-scale communications portfolios, and align institutional priorities with community needs.

Her expertise spans healthcare marketing, brand and narrative strategy, executive positioning, crisis communications, and stakeholder engagement. But according to Parker, the work is about clarity more than complexity.

“Marketing in healthcare isn’t about promotion. It’s about trust, access, and whether people feel informed and respected,” she explains.

That philosophy shapes her work with mission-driven organizations and public-facing institutions navigating scrutiny or institutional change. She advises C-suite leaders and nonprofit executives who must remain credible in environments where misinformation spreads quickly and trust is fragile.

Her approach rejects the volume-driven tendencies common in modern marketing. Instead, she prioritizes alignment between what leaders say, what organizations deliver, and what communities experience. In healthcare, where a miscommunication can have life-altering consequences, that consistency becomes a strategic advantage.

“Clarity is a strategic asset. When leaders communicate with precision, they protect trust and give teams room to execute,” Parker notes.

Parker’s influence across the Southeast reflects a deep understanding of markets where healthcare disparities remain pronounced. Her strategies connect organizational goals with community realities, ensuring engagement is substantive rather than performative.

Her experience developing integrated marketing and communications strategies in regulated environments has become increasingly valuable as healthcare organizations face pressure to demonstrate transparency, operational accountability, and meaningful equity commitments. She is known for her ability to translate between corporate systems and community needs, between compliance requirements and human impact.

Crisis communications forms another defining pillar of her leadership. When organizations face scrutiny, Parker emphasizes protecting institutional trust through steady messaging and grounded decision-making. She views reputation not as a campaign, but as the cumulative result of sustained alignment.

“Reputation isn’t built in the easy seasons. It’s built when pressure tests your consistency,” she observes.

Beyond crisis response, Parker supports health equity communications and narrative development, helping organizations move beyond surface-level diversity claims toward strategies that address real barriers to access. Her work blends marketing discipline with equity fluency, ensuring external messages reflect internal commitments.

For boards and senior leadership teams evaluating communications investment, Parker offers an alternative to visibility-driven models. Her strategies prioritize long-term credibility over short-term trends, advancing stakeholder alignment and institutional trust.

Her digital identity and executive positioning work also help leaders establish cohesive platforms that reflect their expertise without drifting into performative personal branding. For healthcare executives balancing personal authority with institutional accountability, this distinction is essential.

Based in Atlanta and serving clients across the Southeast, Tangela Q. Parker operates at the intersection of communications, policy, and community engagement, extending beyond regional boundaries. Her understanding of healthcare ecosystems, regulatory environments, and community dynamics makes her a resource for organizations navigating similar pressures nationwide.

As healthcare marketing continues to evolve amid technological shifts, policy uncertainty, and growing public skepticism, Parker’s emphasis on discipline and clarity offers a stabilizing counterweight. Her work suggests that in an era of information overload, the most effective strategy may be the simplest: say what you mean, mean what you say, and build trust through consistency over time.