Children's Healthcare CEO to retire after 40 years with hospital
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Donna Hyland. Photo: Courtesy of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
Outgoing Children's Healthcare of Atlanta CEO Donna Hyland said the hospital system's future is in good hands as a familiar face takes the helm.
The latest: Hyland will wrap up 40 years at Children's when she retires and Patrick Frias, president and CEO of Rady Children's Health in San Diego, will take up the mantle.
- Frias previously worked for 18 years as a cardiologist at Children's Healthcare.
What they're saying: Hyland, who started her career at Children's in 1986, said she's feeling a lot of different emotions as she nears the end of her tenure, but she's "really excited for the future."
- Frias understands the culture of Children's Healthcare and is passionate about the institution's mission of serving children throughout the state, Hyland said.
Catch up quick: Hyland originally joined Scottish Rite Children's Medical Center as its controller in 1986.
- She became its chief financial officer two years later, and was part of the team that worked on the 1998 merger of Scottish Rite and Egleston Children's Medical Center to form Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
- Hyland was named chief financial officer for the newly formed hospital. She later became its chief operating officer before being appointed to the CEO position in 2008.
Zoom in: Hyland told Axios she's most proud of bringing Hughes Spalding Hospital into the system, establishing the Marcus Autism Center, the increase in cancer survival rates from around 60% to 85% for patients and developing the institution's relationship with Emory School of Medicine.
- The partnership has led to Children's being ranked in the top five for pediatric research funding from the National Institutes of Health for the last 10 years.
- Hyland also said doctors at Children's are part of a network where they share research and information with other cancer centers across the country.
- "You have these fantastic physicians that are constantly learning and evolving and if there's a better treatment, they're applying it to kids," she said.
By the numbers: Children's Healthcare of Atlanta employs around 15,000 people and has 1.2 million patient visits annually.
State of play: Hyland did tell Axios she wished Children's could have had a more influential role in shaping Medicaid policy under her leadership.
- More than half of its patients rely on Medicaid and while Children's is grateful for the funding, Hyland said the program needs to be overhauled.
- "It needs a lot of work, from a policy standpoint, to make sure that it's covering what is needed for kids and really matching up with the way the health care delivery system is today," she said.
What's next: Frias will work with Hyland to transition into the new role, which he is expected to start in the coming months.