Johnson dedication extended past a 9-5 job at Parkland
By Cheryl Smith
Texas Metro News
Vivian Bradley Johnson knows how to exist and exit in style.
This month, on January 21, 2026, armed with an impressive and celebrated portfolio, she will turn in her badge at Parkland Hospital Systems; the public health system, which also has one of the largest and most renowned burn centers in the country, located in Dallas, TX.
Back in 1982, Vivian graduated from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) School of Pharmacy; not only with honors, but as a proud member of the Beta Alpha Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and as the reigning Miss FAMU—the HBCU’s leading student ambassador.
Leaving Tallahassee, Florida, the Lake City native traveled from her home state to Georgia, where she received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Mercer University in Atlanta.
An ardent supporter of education, after moving to Dallas, Dr. Johnson also received her MBA from the University of Dallas, while working at Parkland, where she has worked, served, and led for the past four decades.
In a passionate letter to her Parkland “family,” announcing her impending departure, the first African American woman to serve as Director of Pharmacy at Parkland, and later, the first African American woman to lead Clinical Support Departments as a senior executive, wrote that Parkland would always hold a special place in her heart.
“After thoughtful planning and heartfelt conversations with my family over the past two years, the time has come for me to transition from Parkland Health and embrace my next assignment,” she wrote. “When I joined Parkland in 1985, I anticipated a brief one-or two-year tenure. But the mission, the people, and the purpose inspired me to stay, and for that, I am profoundly grateful.”
As a young staff pharmacist, Dr. Johnson said she was told by Claude McCain that she was destined to be the Director of Pharmacy, and eventually she did.
A senior administrator at the time, McCain was the first Black administrator hired at Parkland, and he also enjoyed an impressive professional and civic career.
He saw in the youthful, talented, and resourceful employee some of the same characteristics that many who know her speak about.
Her career is peppered with service when catastrophes and tragedies were the order of the day and called for a demanding schedule, and also during the time when she became a caregiver to her mother and raised three successful children.
Not only was she on duty when Hurricane Katrina brought thousands to Texas, there was also the Ebola outbreak, and the COVID Pandemic — all challenging times.
Dr. Johnson remembers responding to Hurricane Katrina and having to “quickly put in place a plan to address the medication needs of the hurricane evacuees who ended up in Dallas without their medications.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic required me to lead a team to oversee the procurement and distribution of the COVID vaccine,” said Dr. Johnson. “This also presented an opportunity for me to be more involved with educating the community about vaccines and reducing vaccine hesitancy in the community.”
Some noteworthy moments involved:
- Establishing a mail-order pharmacy facility to improve access to medications for patients and reduce the need to travel to pick up prescriptions.
- Being able to introduce new technology like pharmacy robots
- Helping to design and then move into a new hospital.
For Dr. Johnson, “during the emergencies like the Katrina Hurricane and the COVID-19 pandemic, I saw how critical the role of the pharmacist is in the healthcare system.”
“I had the opportunity to establish a pharmacy within the jail when most jails just had medication packs delivered to be distributed,” she added. “Parkland established the same level of pharmacy services as the hospital campus.”
What have the last 40 years looked like?
Long before she walked onto FAMU’s campus as a student in 1978, following in her big sister, Marva’s footsteps, Vivian told her mother and sister that she wanted to be a pharmacist.
When you think about Dr. Johnson’s life, you can’t help but notice how she has also excelled in several arenas:
WIFE AND MOTHER:
Married to Lake City “homie” and fellow FAMU Rattler Frederick Johnson
One son: Frederick II
Two Daughters: Michelle Marva, and Erika
Interesting facts about the Johnson family: Vivian and her daughters have all served as Miss FAMU, and Frederick II has served as Mr. FAMU.
The men are members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and the women are members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
PROFESSIONAL:
Currently the Senior Vice President of Community Health Services and Senior Pharmacy Advisor for Parkland Health Dr. Johnson provides executive oversight of Parkland’s Community Health Needs Assessment Program (CHNA), Value Based Payment Programs, Community Health Workers, and Community Screening Services and serves as the senior pharmacy advisor to support Parkland and external pharmacy support needs including the authorizing officer for the 340B Program.
Before accepting the role as overseer of the CHNA Program, Dr. Johnson served as the Senior Vice President of Clinical Services at Parkland Health, overseeing Pharmacy, Radiology, Respiratory, Clinical Dietary, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and Laboratory Services.
SERVICE:
A long-time member of First Baptist Church of Hamilton Park, Dr. Johnson has served in leadership roles with her sorority, and she is the current president of the Denton Chapter of The Links, Inc. She has been able to combine her love for and commitment to community service, as both a team player and servant leader.
In many of her roles at Parkland, including in the community health services department, Dr. Johnson is known as an advocate of decreasing health disparities and being focused on “amplifying the voice of the community through strengthening connections to care.”
Dr. Johnson is a former Vice President of the D-FW FAMU National Alumni Association and has been honored as a Distinguished Alumna.
She is a co-founder of the Dallas Metroplex Council of Black Alumni Associations.
Featured as a Superb Woman in March 2021 by Texas Metro News, and Sisters with Superpowers by Rolling Out Magazine, she was also named Parkland Employee of the Year.
Her extensive bio includes being a recipient of the 2010 Texas Pharmacy Leadership Award. She has served on the TSHP Professional Affairs Council and the Leadership Section.
Dr. Johnson is a long-term member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and was a fellow of ASHP.
Dr. Johnson has served on the Council on Pharmacy Management and the ASHP Racial Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force.
She was appointed to the Pharmacy Executive Leadership Alliance Advisory Panel and the ASHP Forecast 2022 Advisory Committee, and served ASHP Board of Directors, helping to govern the practice of health-system pharmacists.
“When folks say, “hang around people who want what you want or have similar goals,” her long-time friend is a perfect example.
Although Vivian and Tampa-native Andrew Whigham III attended FAMU together, they didn’t know they would both end up in Dallas and remain friends decades later.
When Andrew married, it was to someone, Deardra, who is also a success story, pretty much like her friend, Vivian.
In college, Deardra reigned as Miss Coppin State. She has had an impressive career as an educator/administrator in Dallas ISD. In addition to obtaining a Master of Education Degree from the University of North Texas she earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Public Affairs from UTD.
Dr. Whigham is also a member of The Links, Inc., and, like Dr. Johnson, her husband and son, Andrew IV, are members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and her daughter, Carrington, is a member of Alpha Kappa Sorority, Inc.
In one word, she describes Dr. Johnson as “persistent.”
“She has a very positive spirit and takes negatives and makes them into positives,” said Dr. Whigham.
As an example, the two are in the same Links Chapter, Denton County, and according to Dr. Whigham, the Chapter President, Dr. Johnson, set a goal of $100K fundraising profit for the year.
“We did it,” said Dr. Whigham, adding that her president never doubted they would be successful. “She doesn’t rest. She’s always thinking of things to do for the community and the oppressed.”
Calling attention to her spiritual base and love of family, Dr. Whigham said Dr. Johnson knows the right order of life, putting God and family first.
“Although she has status and prestige, she is still a very modest individual who has never forgotten her roots,” she added.
As she prepares for retirement, it would be a far stretch to think that Dr. Johnson will be riding off into the sunset, resting on her laurels.
She is not sharing all of her plans immediately, but you can bank on her continuing to be involved and being a positive source of inspiration and support.
Dr. Johnson said she’s excited about the future. Maybe she’ll go on tour as a singer. She definitely has the voice. Or she may use the wealth of information she’s gathered to become an educator.
“Wherever I am, I look for ways to make things better or to help people,” she said. “I strive to do this at work, home, community, and in church.”
