Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta announced on March 5 that its longtime CEO Donna Hyland will retire this year and will be succeeded by Dr. Patrick Frias, who is currently the co-president and CEO of Rady Children’s Health in Southern California.
Hyland joined the organization in 1986 and served as its CEO since 2008, according to a release from the hospital. Frias returns to CHOA, where he previously served for 18 years as a cardiologist, chief physician officer, and chief operating officer.
“Over four decades, Donna’s visionary leadership has transformed pediatric healthcare across Georgia,” Children’s Board of Trustees Chair Paul Brown said. “Her unwavering pursuit of excellence has strengthened this vital organization and fueled its ability to grow, innovate, and serve countless children and families, creating lasting impact where it matters most.”
Significant accomplishments under Hyland’s tenure, according to the release, include the merger of Scottish Rite and Egleston to form Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta; incorporating Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital under Children’s operations; bringing the Marcus Autism Center into the Children’s system to advance care and research for children with autism; and most recently, developing the North Druid Hills campus and opening the Arthur M. Blank Hospital.
“I am so lucky to have joined a small children’s hospital 40 years ago and to have been given the opportunity to help grow this powerful mission,” Hyland said in the release. “Every role that I have held, every challenge faced, every milestone reached has been grounded in our team’s shared commitment to do our best for the children and families we serve. There is nothing more rewarding than meeting a family that experiences the life-changing impact of our work.”
Hyland was instrumental in forming the academic relationship between Children’s and Emory School of Medicine, helping the collaboration between the two organizations rise in national ranking from 49th in 2004 to the top five nationally for pediatric NIH research dollars for 10 consecutive years.
Frias, according to the release, brings to CHOA not only his deep experience as a clinician and as a senior executive leading through significant growth and change, but also as a “people-first” leader.
“Dr. Patrick Frias is the clear choice to lead Children’s into the future. He is a highly experienced leader with a clear strategic vision who is passionate about people,” Brown said. “With Dr. Frias at the helm, we are poised to continue accelerating transformation and redefine what’s possible in pediatric healthcare in Georgia and beyond.”
During her time at Children’s, according to the hospital’s website, the not-for-profit hospital has become one of the leading pediatric clinical care providers in the country, with more than 14,000 employees managing approximately 1.2 million patient visits a year.
Hyland has been inducted as a Georgia Trustee, and has been appointed to several local and corporate boards, including the Atlanta Committee for Progress, Inc., Cousins Properties Incorporated, Genuine Parts Company, Mercer University, the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, and Truist Atlanta Advisory Board.