Mr. Elmer Polite
President, Atrium Health Navicent
Elmer Polite is a seasoned healthcare executive with nearly two decades of progressive leadership experience spanning hospital operations, physician integration, strategic growth, financial performance improvement, and health system transformation. As the President of Atrium Health Navicent, he is responsible for leading one of Georgia's premier integrated health systems and advancing the organization's mission of improving health, elevating care quality, and expanding access across Central and South Georgia.
Prior to joining Atrium Health Navicent, Mr. Polite served as Division President for Lifepoint Health's Division I, one of the organization's largest and most geographically diverse operating divisions. In this role, he provided executive oversight for a portfolio of more than 25 hospitals across ten states, guiding strategic planning, operational excellence, physician alignment, workforce development, quality improvement initiatives, and long-term market growth strategies.
Throughout his tenure at LifePoint Health, Mr. Polite developed a reputation for driving sustainable operational improvement while maintaining a strong focus on patient care, employee engagement, physician partnerships, and community impact. He led numerous initiatives focused on enhancing financial performance, strengthening service line development, expanding access to care, improving quality metrics, and supporting the growth of rural and community hospitals within complex healthcare markets. Mr. Polite's leadership experience includes oversight of major capital investment programs, physician recruitment and alignment strategies, acute and post-acute growth initiatives, ambulatory development, and strategic partnerships with leading healthcare organizations, managing the fourteen-hospital joint venture with Duke University Health System, and improving medical provider relationships. He has also been recognized for his ability to build high-performing leadership teams and foster cultures centered on accountability, collaboration, innovation, and service excellence.
In addition to his operational leadership experience, Mr. Polite has played an active role in advancing healthcare delivery through partnerships focused on care coordination, value-based care, population health management, and market expansion opportunities. His expertise includes merger and acquisition integration, healthcare real estate strategy, service line growth, physician enterprise management, and large-scale organizational transformation.
Known as a collaborative and people-centered leader, Mr. Polite is passionate about developing future healthcare leaders and creating environments where caregivers, physicians, and team members can thrive while delivering exceptional patient experiences.
As President of Atrium Health Navicent, he is focused on building upon the organization's long-standing tradition of clinical excellence while accelerating growth, enhancing patient access, supporting caregivers, and strengthening Atrium Health Navicent's role as a leading academic and community health system serving patients throughout Georgia.
Mr. Polite and his wife, Tonya, are proud parents of three children, and they remain deeply committed to faith, family, education, and community service.