DD Fritch is celebrated for nearly 35 years of dedicated service in the health care consulting industry
Her diverse roles have equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of pediatric health care operations and how impactful space and technology are to providing quality clinical care.
ATLANTA, GA, February 11, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ — DD Fritch has been included in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Mrs. Fritch has dedicated her career to advancing pediatric mental health and wellness, leveraging over three decades of experience in the health care industry. As the chief executive officer and president of Hearts Connected since 2020, she has been instrumental in developing a virtual model that provides accessible mental health resources to families across the United States and Canada.
Hearts Connected has a mission to meet the unique needs of children, teens, and families facing difficult situations and stressful life transitions. Through their innovative, yet proven therapeutic play and interventions, their team is a secure and supportive partner for coping with and healing from the unexpected and unpredictable challenges life presents to us all. Her goal is to bridge the gap between kids that need mental health support and the lack of available resources, normalize mental wellness, teach children effective coping mechanisms to integrate into their daily lives, and bring the awareness of Child Life Specialist as a mental health resource to our communities throughout the U.S. and Canada
Through Hearts Connected, Mrs. Fritch actively promotes her services to parents, caregivers, and colleagues in the child life space and connects with pediatricians and hospitals to expand referral networks, advocates for the importance of child life specialists in community settings, and addresses current issues affecting children and parents.
In addition to her role at Hearts Connected, Mrs. Fritch has served as a senior clinical executive consultant at Connected 2 Consulting since 2018. Her previous experience includes serving as a senior consultant and engagement director at Tegria from 2021 to 2023, where she enhanced her expertise in healthcare consulting. From 2020 to 2023, she also held the position of executive board member at the Institute for Pediatric Innovation, further demonstrating her commitment to advancing pediatric healthcare. Her consulting efforts are centered on optimizing the patient experience and improving access to care through innovations in technology, spatial design, and process improvements.
Mrs. Fritch began her career in 1990 as a pediatric nurse at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She worked in hematology/oncology for a few years, then the Emergency Department for 17 years, and ended her career at that organization with 10 years in the Contact Center space. In this role, she was the director who was responsible for their Nurse Advice Line, starting and growing their telemedicine program, and developing the strategy around centralized phone handling and scheduling which ultimately led to a robust Access Center serving three hospitals, 11 urgent care centers, the majority of ambulatory specialties, and two concierge lines. All in all, her diverse roles have equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of pediatric health care operations and how impactful space and technology are to providing quality clinical care.
Along with her professional experience, Mrs. Fritch’s academic achievements included a Master of Science in Nursing and a Master of Health Administration, which she earned in 2010, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2008, all from the University of Phoenix. Her initial nursing education was received from Georgia Baptist School of Nursing in 1990. Together, these educational accomplishments have been pivotal in shaping her career trajectory, as they provided her with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in various health care settings. In reflecting on her accomplishments, Mrs. Fritch attributes her success to her passion for her profession and her problem-solving abilities, which have enabled her to address complex challenges effectively.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Mrs. Fritch is actively involved in several civic-minded organizations, her commitment to which underscores her dedication to fostering inclusive environments and supporting community initiatives. She serves on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation and holds board positions with Releash Atlanta and Child Life Disaster Resource. In recognition of her entrepreneurial spirit and innovative contributions, Mrs. Fritch was named one of the Top 100 Entrepreneurs and Innovators of 2025. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys gardening, spending time at the lake, cooking and entertaining. She also highly values her time with family. Looking ahead, she aims to teach children that mental wellness is as essential as physical wellness, emphasizing the importance of caring for one’s soul and heart alongside physical health.
About Marquis Who’s Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who’s Who in America®, Marquis Who’s Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who’s Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who’s Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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