The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) has hired Sara Bradley, who is a certified public accountant with decades of finance experience with large health systems, as its new chief financial officer (CFO).
Bradley begins the role today and will oversee all finance operations for DHS, including Medicaid finance. She previously worked for nearly three years as the market vice president for operational finance for Catholic Health Initiatives St. Vincent Health Systems in Little Rock.
“We are extremely excited to have Sara joining us,” said DHS Secretary Cindy Gillespie. “Not only does she have a wealth of financial, health care, and Medicaid finance knowledge, but she also has a heart for the mission of this agency and the willingness to serve her fellow Arkansans.”
Bradley will report directly to Secretary Gillespie. Prior to her role with the Little Rock-based health system, Bradley served in multiple high-level positions with Mercy Health System from 2010-2016 and Lutheran Healthcare from 2003-2009. In addition, during her time with Lutheran Healthcare in New York, Bradley was accountable for all financial reporting, accounting, accounts payable, and payroll for a network of entities, including a 400-bed hospital, a large division of community mental health centers, a managed care plan, a nursing home, and a nursing and home health agency. In her earlier career with Prison Health Services, Bradley also was the director of finance on a contract with Rikers Island.
She is expected to complete a Master’s of Business Administration with a focus on healthcare management in February.
“I am excited about the opportunity to serve the state I love and have lived in for many years,” Bradley said. “It’s an honor to be part of a team that works every day to care for and provide services to our most vulnerable citizens."