Children’s Healthcare Of Atlanta Names New
Ceo To Lead The Not-For-Profit
Pediatric Health Care System

After a nationwide search that spanned several months, the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Board of Trustees has selected
Donna Hyland as their choice to become the next chief executive officer of Children’s.  Hyland, who is currently serving as the organization’s chief operating officer will assume the new role in 2008.

Hyland will replace the Children’s 23-year veteran CEO James E. Tally, Ph.D., who announced his 2008 retirement earlier this year.  “There is no one more committed to the care and safety of our patients than Donna Hyland,” said Tally.  “Having worked closely with Donna for more than 20 years, I have seen firsthand her visionary leadership and her genuine, compassionate dedication to caring for the children of Georgia.”

The nationwide search for the new Children’s CEO was led by a CEO Search Committee of the Children’s Board of Trustees.  The search committee considered nearly 20 outstanding candidates from around the country.  Later the search was narrowed to a final five, from which Hyland emerged as the clear leader, according to Douglas J. Hertz, president of United Distributors, Inc. and chair-elect of the Children’s Board of Trustees (Feb. 2008).

“Donna was an instrumental player during the 1998 merger of Egleston Children’s Health Care System and Scottish Rite Children’s Medical Center that led to the formation of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta,” said Hertz.  “That experience combined with her health care and financial acumen, and strong relationships in the community make her uniquely qualified to lead this not-for-profit organization into the future.”

As the Children’s COO, Hyland has overseen monumental growth and achievement at the organization’s facilities. Children’s at Egleston and Children’s at Scottish Rite are nearing the completion of the largest expansion and renovation project in Georgia health care history.  As a Trustee for Children’s at Hughes Spalding, Hyland helped oversee the transition of this new facility into the organization.

Joe Rogers Jr., chair of the Children’s Board of Trustees and CEO of Waffle House said he has worked with Donna for 10 years and has the deepest respect for her leadership skills.  “As COO she has led the development of Children’s 2018 Strategy which defines the organization’s journey in the next 10 years,” said Rogers.

Hyland’s more than 20 years of experience with Children’s will ensure the seamless transition Tally guaranteed during his retirement announcement earlier this year. The two will continue to work side-by-side until some time in 2008, when Tally will turn over the reins of one of the nation’s top three best children’s hospital to the capable leadership of Hyland.

Hyland attended the University of Kentucky and graduated from Western Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant.  She currently serves on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia Hospital Relations Council, and is a Board member of the Metro Atlanta YMCA, the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, the Emory-Egleston Children’s Heart Center, the Emory-Children’s Center, Inc. and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Surgery Center at Meridian Mark Plaza, L.L.C. Hyland also chaired a task force for Governor Perdue’s Commission for a New Georgia and was appointed by the Governor to the Health Strategies Council.  In recognition of her professional contributions, Hyland was recently named one of the 2007 Women of Excellence by Business to Business Magazine.

To learn more about Children's Healthcare of Atlanta please
visit their website at www.choa.org  or call 404-250-KIDS.