Piedmont Henry Hospital has a new CEO.
Lily Henson, M.D., assumed the role February 3, according to a hospital spokesperson, and will oversee its 1,750 employees and 700 physicians. She has been with Piedmont Healthcare since 2015 when she became chief of neurology, and in 2016 she joined PHH as its chief medical officer. Her focus in that job was “to reinforce the hospital’s culture of safety and to create an infrastructure that provided the best care for patients,” Piedmont officials said.
She reportedly made significant contributions to improving Piedmont Henry’s quality metrics – reducing serious safety events by 83 percent and helping to cut hospital acquired infections in half. She is eager to continue that work, while also leading Piedmont Henry’s growth, and sustaining its success.
“The staff at Piedmont Henry is full of amazing, compassionate people. They provide excellent care to our patients and they are here to make a difference,” she said. “I am excited to lead this team and I look forward to all we will accomplish together.”
“Dr. Henson will be a fantastic leader for Piedmont Henry,” said Kevin Brown, President and CEO of Piedmont Health-care. “She has a proven record of success in championing the high-quality, patient-centered care that lies at the heart of our mission and she also will inspire change and lead Piedmont Henry towards our system’s goals regarding Quality, Safety and Service.”
The hospital is the fifth-largest out of 11 in the system, but with more than 90,000 emergency visits each year, it has the busiest emergency department of all with the exception of Piedmont Columbus-Midtown, which is a Level II trauma center.
“With such a busy emergency department, Piedmont Henry provides some unique challenges from a leadership perspective,” said Dr. Patrick Battey, CEO of Piedmont Atlanta Hospital and also CEO of the system’s Atlanta hub, which includes Piedmont Henry. “With her experience at Piedmont Henry, her leadership abilities and her experience as a clinician, I believe that Dr. Henson will deliver on Piedmont’s Promise to make a positive difference in every patient’s life at Piedmont Henry.”
Dr. Henson received her medical degree from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She practiced neurology in Seattle with Swedish Health Services for 25 years and was vice president of medical affairs at one of Swedish’s community hospitals after serving as chief of staff of Swedish Medical Center’s Issaquah campus.
She is a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, was formerly on the board of directors for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and is the former chair for the American Academy of Neurology’s BrainPAC, a political action committee that advocates for neurologists and their patients. She also is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and was the regent-at-large for the Southeastern United States for the ACHE from 2018 to 2019. She also served on the board of directors for Henry County’s Hands of Hope Clinic.
