Northeast Georgia Health System President and CEO Carol Burrell was recently honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Atlanta Business Chronicle as part of its inaugural Health Care Champion Awards.
Burrell, who previously announced her plans to retire, has been with NGHS for over 20 years.
“I am honored to be recognized with this Lifetime Achievement Award, and I accept it on behalf of the thousands of people who have contributed to the success of Northeast Georgia Health System,” Burrell said in a release. “I consider it to be a collective achievement award. As a leader, it has been so gratifying to see so many people come together to put our core values into action in service to our patients and our community.”
Burrell was born and raised in Barrow County. She began her career as a medical technologist in the late 1970s and later received her master’s degree in healthcare administration from Central Michigan University. After serving as a vice president at St. Vincent’s Health System in Jacksonville, Florida, Burrell returned to Georgia in 1999 to lead NGHS’ network of primary care clinics. She was named chief operating officer in 2004 and CEO in 2011.
During Burrell’s tenure with the health system, NGHS grew from one hospital in Hall County to five hospitals spread out through the region, including one of the only Level 1 Trauma Centers in the state.
The system also now includes the sixth-largest multispecialty physician group in the state, Northeast Georgia Physicians Group, the Georgia Heart Institute, as well as one of Georgia’s largest graduate medical education programs.
Additionally, NGHS’ estimated annual impact on the state and local economy has grown from roughly $1 billion in 2011 to more than $4 billion in 2021.
Burrell reportedly plans to retire once her successor is chosen.
