Dr. Ninfa M. Saunders, Receives ACHE Regents Award

Atrium Health Navicent President & CEO Honored for Contributions to Healthcare

MACON, GA (Tuesday, November 24, 2015) - Dr. Ninfa M. Saunders, FACHE, President and CEO of Atrium Health Navicent has been awarded the American College of Healthcare Executives Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Regent's Award.

The Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Regent's Award recognizes ACHE members who are experienced in the field and have made significant contributions to the advancement of healthcare management excellence and the achievement of ACHE's goals.

“It is a tremendous honor to receive the American College of Healthcare Executive's Regent's Award. I humbly accept this award on behalf of the employees and physicians at Atrium Health Navicent. This is a testament to the wonderful work that is being done at Atrium Health Navicent and the impact that those efforts are having on the healthcare industry,” said Saunders.

In order to be considered for the award, ACHE members are evaluated on leadership ability; innovative and creative management; executive capability in developing their own organization and promoting its growth and stature in the community; contributions to the development of others in the healthcare profession; leadership in local, state or provincial hospital and health association activities; participation in civic/community activities and projects; participation in ACHE activities; and interest in assisting ACHE in achieving its objectives.

Since joining Atrium Health Navicent as President and CEO in September 2012, Dr. Saunders has worked tirelessly to consolidate local healthcare options, collaborate with competitors, increase central Georgia's medical profile and protect access to healthcare for those in rural areas. Her efforts include the cofounding of Stratus Healthcare, the largest collaborative partnership of healthcare providers in the U.S., as well as the establishment of central Georgia's “Go Red for Women” campaign to combat female heart disease. She is currently the Chairman of the Board of the American Hospital Association's Institute for Diversity, serves on the Presidential Advisory Council of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health (Philadelphia) as well as the advisory council of Emory University (Atlanta), and is a Distinguished Faculty at Mercer University School of Medicine (Macon, Ga.). She is a board member of Wesleyan College (Macon, Ga.) and is the Vice- Chair of the Board for the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals. She was recently appointed to the editorial board of the Journal for Healthcare Transformation.

Dr. Saunders was included on Georgia Trend's 2015 listing of “100 Influential Georgians,” named The (Macon) Telegraph's “Person of the Year” in 2014, the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospital's “2014 CEO of the Year,” and included on Becker's Hospital Review's list of “130 Women Hospital and Health System Leaders to Know in 2014.” She was also named one of Georgia's “Most Powerful and Influential Women” in 2013.

“As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, hospital leaders face numerous challenges. Dr. Saunders has continued to meet these challenges through innovative leadership, and she is indeed deserving of this recognition. Dr. Saunders, along with Atrium Health Navicent, remains a dynamic industry leader who exemplifies dedication and excellence,” said Starr Purdue, Chairperson of the Atrium Health Navicent Board of Directors.