Piedmont Healthcare has announced that Patrick Battey, M.D., has stepped in to lead Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, working as Co-CEO with Piedmont Atlanta President and Co-CEO Les Donahue. Dr. Battey has been in the role since the beginning of the year, and he will take the helm fully on Jan. 1, 2016.  Donahue plans to retire at the end of 2015. 

Dr. Battey will be a part of a growing trend in healthcare of hospital CEOs who are licensed and practicing physicians. 

“I believe that clinicians bring unique insight and thus important leadership within healthcare organizations. Dr. Battey has demonstrated through a variety of noteworthy positions – including serving as interim CEO of Piedmont Healthcare before my arrival – that he has the talent, skill and passion to help direct Piedmont in significant ways,” Piedmont Healthcare CEO Kevin Brown said. 

Only 5 percent of hospitals are led by a physician, according to the American College of Physician Executives. 

“My vision is to have Piedmont Atlanta function in its historic role as a pillar of the Atlanta community. To offer the highest quality patient-centered care, to make our patients better when ill and to keep them in good health when not,” Dr. Battey said. 

Brown says Dr. Battey was instrumental when he filled in for former healthcare system president and CEO R. Timothy Stack, who suddenly passed away in 2012. 

“When Tim passed away, Piedmont was in the midst of great transition. We had just purchased a fifth hospital – the second largest within our organization. Pat stepped in to provide direction and stability in what was, from every direction, a time of uncertainty,” Brown said.

Brown notes, it was then when he saw Dr. Battey’s clinical background and business leadership combined to help drive change inside the hospital, focusing on changes that led to the highest quality patient-centered care possible.

“Piedmont's development of an internally driven process improvement culture, as well as initiatives focused on improving the quality of patient care, made significant strides under Pat's leadership, setting both up for exceptional progress the next year,” Brown said. 

Dr. Battey, a vascular surgeon and chair of the system’s board of directors, was named by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of Atlanta’s top corporate board members and was honored with the publication’s 2014 Outstanding Directors Awards. 

At that time, Dr. Battey noted to the Business Chronicle that the hospital has been led by physicians for over 100 years, “I felt that physicians should continue to participate in governance, not only governance but management, too, of health-care issues.  That’s one way to stay involved,” he said. 

The Augusta native graduated from the Westminster Schools in 1971 and attended Yale University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. Dr. Battey earned his medical degree with honors from Emory University School of Medicine. He then completed his residency in general surgery and a fellowship in vascular surgery at Emory University affiliated hospitals. He is a Fellow with the American College of Surgeons, Society for Vascular Surgery and Atlanta Vascular Society. 

Certified by the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Battey has been on staff at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital since 1985.