100 Most Influential People in Healthcare - 2021

As the lead lobbyist for skilled-nursing facilities and assisted-living centers, Parkinson has advocated for higher Medicaid reimbursement rates and other policy changes to fund and protect the 14,000 skilled-nursing facilities and assisted-living centers his organization represents during the pandemic. Parkinson previously was the governor of Kansas and owned and operated multiple long-term care facilities in Kansas and Missouri.

Parkinson speaks: “The key is for leadership to not panic. Instead, we need to assess the real damage, what can be done to repair it and develop a plan to move forward. Leaders who articulate that plan, work it and stay steady while reassuring their team that there is a way out will shine during a crisis.”