As the year comes to an end, Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) has also ended the search for its next president and chief executive officer. Matt Hanley, MD – a proven healthcare leader whose 20+ year career includes first-hand experience from the bedside to the boardroom – will take the reins from current NGHS CEO Carol Burrell in April.

“We all knew the CEO position would be very attractive based on NGHS’ history of excellence, strong market position and rich culture – and Matt was selected after an exhaustive national search that yielded dozens of impressive candidates,” said Spence Price, the chair of NGHS’ Board of Trustees. “Carol has graciously agreed to continue to serve until Matt’s targeted start date in April, which will give us all time to open Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville’s new Green Tower in February and work through a detailed plan to ensure a smooth transition.”

Hanley started his career as an emergency medicine physician at Centra Health in Lynchburg, Virginia. He progressed through several clinical leadership positions with Centra Health and later Atrium Health in Charlotte, North Carolina, eventually becoming Atrium’s chief medical officer.

In 2018, Hanley was recruited to SSM Health, a not-for-profit health system with 23 hospitals across four states. He first served as SSM’s chief clinical officer and later served as interim president of the system’s operations in Wisconsin which included seven hospitals, nearly 100 additional care locations, 14,000 employees and medical staffs of more than 1,000 providers. In 2022, Hanley transitioned to serve as Market President for Navvis Healthcare, a company based in St. Louis, Missouri, that serves as a strategic and operating partner to help health systems, health plans and physician groups transform to value-based care.

“Words can’t explain how blessed I feel to join NGHS, an organization with a passion for excellence and a tradition of caring for the communities it serves,” Hanley said. “I look forward to sharing my experience leading and working in large, multi-state health systems to help guide NGHS as it continues to expand to meet the needs of the growing area.”

Hanley earned his undergraduate degree from College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and his medical degree from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. He went on to complete his Emergency Medicine residency at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, and earn a master’s degree in Business Administration from Duke University. Hanley continues to maintain his board certification in Emergency Medicine. He and his wife, Aline, have four children: two in college, one graduating high school this spring and a rising high school junior who will move with them next year.

“My wife and I love the Southeast, dating back to our days in North Carolina, so we’re thrilled to bring our family back to the region,” Hanley said. “I’m also honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with a respected and beloved leader like Carol to ensure a smooth transition.”

Burrell announced her plans to retire earlier this year, agreeing to stay on the job until her successor was chosen and ready to take the helm. She joined NGHS in 1999 to lead the organization’s network of primary care clinics, eventually became chief operating officer in 2004 and was named CEO in 2011.

“I’m proud to say that NGHS is an organization that does the right things for the right reasons, and proactively and thoughtfully planning for a clean handoff to the next CEO is another example of that,” Burrell said. “I believe the board chose the best person for the job, and I’m very impressed with Matt as both a leader and a person. I will no doubt miss the people I’ve worked with during the past 25 years, but I’ll leave in April knowing the organization is in great hands.”

Under Burrell’s leadership, NGHS has grown from one hospital in Hall County to a total of five hospitals across the region, including one of the state’s only Level I Trauma Centers. The system also now includes the sixth largest multispecialty physician group in the state (Northeast Georgia Physicians Group) and the state’s most forward-thinking heart and vascular program (Georgia Heart Institute), as well as one of Georgia’s largest graduate medical education programs. NGHS’ estimated annual impact on the state and local economy has grown from around $1 billion in 2011 to more than $7.5 billion in 2022.