Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta CEO Donna Hyland to retire in 2026; pediatric cardiologist Patrick Frias named successor
Leadership transition announced at Georgia’s largest freestanding pediatric health system
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta announced on March 5, 2026, that Chief Executive Officer Donna Hyland will retire later this year, ending a four-decade career within the organization. The system said Patrick Frias, M.D., currently co-president and CEO of Rady Children’s Health in Southern California, has been selected to succeed her and is expected to assume the role in the coming months.
Hyland joined the organization in 1986 and has served as CEO since 2008. During her tenure, the system expanded its footprint and consolidated pediatric services across metro Atlanta, including the 1998 merger that combined the Scottish Rite and Egleston pediatric hospitals under the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta banner. The organization has also integrated additional specialized and safety-net pediatric services, including operations at Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital and the Marcus Autism Center.
Recent capital expansion reshaped inpatient care in metro Atlanta
The retirement announcement comes after a major expansion in Children’s hospital infrastructure: the Arthur M. Blank Hospital on the North Druid Hills campus opened Sept. 29, 2024, and clinical services and patients were moved from the former Egleston hospital to the new facility that same day. Children’s describes the campus development as a central element of its recent growth strategy and modernization of pediatric inpatient care.
Children’s said patient volumes have grown to about 1.2 million visits annually, with more than 3,000 patients served daily across its hospitals, specialty centers and neighborhood locations. The system operates three hospitals—Arthur M. Blank, Scottish Rite and Hughes Spalding—along with multiple outpatient and specialty sites across the region.
Incoming CEO brings prior Atlanta leadership experience
Frias is expected to return to Atlanta after leading in California. Children’s said he previously spent 18 years at the Atlanta system, serving as a cardiologist as well as in senior executive roles, including chief physician officer and chief operating officer. In his current role, he co-leads Rady Children’s Health, a pediatric system formed through the combination of two major Southern California children’s hospital organizations.
Outgoing CEO: Donna Hyland, CEO since 2008; joined the organization in 1986.
Incoming CEO: Patrick Frias, M.D., formerly an Atlanta-based physician executive and pediatric cardiologist; expected to begin in the coming months.
Transition timeline: Hyland and Frias are expected to overlap during a handoff period later in 2026.
Children’s stated that Frias will partner with Hyland during the transition to support continuity of operations and strategic planning as the system moves into its next leadership chapter.
The organization has not announced a specific retirement date for Hyland or a precise start date for Frias beyond indicating the change will occur in the coming months and later in 2026.