The Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) presented its prestigious W. Daniel Barker Leadership Award to Carol Burrell, the recently retired president and CEO of Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS). Burrell was honored for her longtime leadership of the health system and her efforts to ensure access to care for as many patients and community members as possible. GHA presented the award at a retirement celebration for Burrell held in Gainesville.
“Carol’s impact on Georgians will be felt for years to come,” said GHA President and CEO Caylee Noggle. “Not only has she been a champion for our association, but she’s also served as a collaborator with other CEOs around the state, forging relationships that strengthen public health and ensure continued access to care. Her deep commitment to growing the workforce by establishing new graduate medical education programs and creating other programs that have made lasting impacts on families in this region, speaks to the legacy she’s leaving behind.”
Burrell served as president and chief executive officer of NGHS from 2011 until her retirement last month, leading the health system through an era of unparalleled success and growth. Under Burrell’s leadership, NGHS grew from a one-hospital system with a few employed physician practices and satellite outpatient locations to one of the largest and well-respected healthcare organizations in the state – with an estimated economic impact of nearly $7.5 billion each year. Today NGHS includes five acute care hospitals (including one of only six Level I Trauma Centers in the state), the sixth-largest multispecialty physician group in the state (Northeast Georgia Physicians Group), the state’s most forward-thinking heart and vascular program (Georgia Heart Institute), one of the state’s largest graduate medical education programs (260 physician learners), plus dozens of medical office buildings, urgent care centers, imaging centers, long term care facilities, rehabilitation clinics and more.
Burrell was born and raised in Carl, Georgia. She received her bachelor’s degree in Medical Technology from Georgia Southern University and Emory University, and she earned her master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Central Michigan University. She has been named Georgia’s Most Respected Business Leader by Georgia Trend magazine and has appeared on the list of the 100 Most Influential Georgians for 12 years in a row. She is also included in Atlanta Magazine’s 2025 Atlanta 500.
“I feel very blessed and honored to have had the opportunity to serve as NGHS’ president and CEO, and it was an incredible journey that I’m very proud of,” Burrell said. “This award is not a recognition of my career, but rather of the collective work of the organization’s 12,000-plus employees who bring their best every day and strive to always be better tomorrow than they are today.”