Member Spotlight: Erica Ailes

Erica Ailes, BSN, RN, CPN, is a Program Manager at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and has been a dedicated member of the Health Care Education Association (HCEA) for more than a decade. A respected leader, she has served in multiple HCEA board roles, including President, and remains actively involved in strengthening member engagement and connection.

Erica holds a degree in psychology from Florida State University and a BSN from Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. Her 20‑year career at Children’s has taken her from nursing student to bedside nurse to a leader in patient and family education.

A former HCEA member and mentor introduced her to the association, connecting her with a community that underscored the power of professional relationships and shared learning.

HCEA has played a pivotal role in Erica’s professional growth. She credits the collective expertise and genuine inspiration of its members with accelerating her understanding of the unique aspects of patient and family education—insights that continue to shape her work today.

At Children’s, Erica has helped elevate Patient and Family Education by aligning it with the Patient and Family Experience division and securing board‑reported goals and outcomes. She introduced a patient and family education question into satisfaction surveys and uses the data to guide and measure improvement efforts, and she leads a systemwide network of frontline champions who promote and advance patient and family education in their areas. Her dedication to collaboration, mentorship, and improving the patient and family experience reflects the very best of the profession.

Outside of work, Erica prioritizes time with her family, which reminds her that every patient is someone’s loved one who should feel informed and empowered. She enjoys painting as a creative outlet and loves traveling to experience new places and cultures that bring fresh perspective to her life and work.

Through her leadership, commitment to lifelong learning and relationship‑building, and unwavering advocacy for patients and families, Erica Ailes continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients, families, and colleagues across her organization and HCEA.