With over 30 years of distinguished physician leadership in pediatric healthcare, Rick has driven exceptional outcomes by recruiting top talent, advancing research to national prominence, and securing record funding for innovative programs. Now, as a trusted expert in retained executive search and leadership consulting, Rick leverages his extensive experience to empower healthcare organizations in transforming their leadership and achieving strategic results.

Rick Barr, MD MBA brings extensive experience in executive physician leadership previously serving in Executive Vice President, Associate Dean, Department Chair, Research Institute President, Chief Medical Officer, and Division Chief roles. He has extensive knowledge of the multiple missions of academic healthcare, including clinical and financial operations, research, and education. He has an extensive network of connections at all levels of leadership in academic healthcare.

Prior to his career in Executive Search, Dr. Barr served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical and Academic Officer and held the Bates Endowed Chair for Child Health for the Arkansas Children’s System. He previously served as Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, President of the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute,  and Associate Dean for Child Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Previously at the University of Mississippi, Dr. Barr served as Chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education. He has held full professor faculty positions at Vanderbilt University, Cincinnati Children’s, The University of Mississippi, and the University of Arkansas.

Dr. Barr is a graduate of West Virginia University and the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He completed his Pediatric Residency at Vanderbilt University and his fellowship in Pediatric Critical Care at the University of California, San Francisco. He has Master’s of Science in Clinical Investigation from Vanderbilt University and Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Dr. Barr has a track record of over 25 years of external research funding from the National Institutes of Health and pharmaceutical sponsors for both independent and collaborative research network studies.

Education

MBA, Isenberg School of Management, The University of Massachusetts at Amherst

MS, Clinical Investigation, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

MD, The University of Virginia School of Medicine

BS, Animal & Veterinary Sciences, West Virginia University