When I say Emory Healthcare is a world-class health system, I mean it. And now my high opinion has been confirmed by US News & World Report, in which four Emory Healthcare hospitals are ranked prominently in this year’s Best Hospitals issue. For the twelfth year in a row, Emory University Hospital (EUH) ranked as the number one hospital in Georgia and metro Atlanta in the 2023-24 Best Regional Hospitals rankings. (EUH includes Emory University Orthopaedics & Spine Hospital and Emory University Hospital at Wesley Woods.) 

Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital (ESJH) ranked number two in Georgia and metro Atlanta for the eighth consecutive year, while Emory University Hospital Midtown (EUHM) ranked number four (a tie) in both Georgia and metro Atlanta rankings. And for the first time, Emory Johns Creek Hospital (EJCH) joined the list at number eight in Georgia and number seven in metro Atlanta.

Our facilities also achieved national and high-performing rankings in a multitude of specialties across the system.

These independent ratings result from rigorous objective review, and to have our health system again dominate the list as we have for more than a decade reflects the primary attribute that is the foundation of Emory Healthcare’s excellence—our extraordinary people! Congratulations and thank you to every member of our team. Each of you helps us achieve these successes by providing expert, high-quality, and compassionate care to our patients and their families.

Kind regards,

Ravi

Ravi I. Thadhani, MD, MPH
Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, Emory University
Executive Director, Woodruff Health Sciences Center
Vice Chair, Emory Healthcare Board of Directors

Please direct questions and comments to evphafeedback@emory.edu.

Meeting patients at their point of need is a priority for Emory Healthcare, and I was honored to see that practice in action while visiting the superb team at Emory at Rockbridge Primary Care and Nephrology in Stone Mountain. Many patients have been visiting this community-based facility for years, and when I met the care team there it was clear why!

Dr. Tina-Ann Kerr Thompson wears many hats—assistant professor of Family and Preventive Medicine, division director of Family Medicine, and program lead for Primary Care. She also continues to serve as a primary care physician to the Stone Mountain community through Emory at Rockbridge. “I love that I am able to maintain a patient panel at Rockbridge Primary Care,” she says. “I believe in being patient centered and treating patients as active partners in their care journey. I approach each patient with respect and try to understand their unique challenges.”

Her colleague, board-certified internist and nephrologist Dr. Taneisha Benjamin, has a similar outlook. “My philosophy is to encourage patients to become active participants. I encourage them to ask questions related to their care. I provide medical evidence and treatment plans tailored toward their specific needs. Patients tend to appreciate this and are more likely to follow personal treatment plans. Patients want to know what’s going on with their health, and we strive to be transparent,” she says.

In addition to caring for the patient community, Nurse Manager Conzie Williams-Waller also enjoys being a member of such a stellar team. “What I love about my job is the ability to empower patients and families with knowledge, making a positive impact on health care, and recognizing and rewarding staff for their hard work and dedication,” she says.

Manager of Clinic Operations Shelia Pettway sums up Emory at Rockbridge in a nutshell: “Our decisions are patient driven, focusing on the most effective care plan for patients and families. We are sensitive to the preferences, beliefs, and diversity of each patient and family.”

Thank you all for helping us improve lives and provide hope!

(Pictured above, l-r: Sheila Pettway, Tina-Ann Kerr Thompson, Taneisha Benjamin, Markebba Skylark, Conzie Williams-Waller)

To nominate a colleague to be featured in an upcoming segment of Our People, please email me at evphafeedback@emory.edu and let me know what makes them special.

The Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing (SON) Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, along with other campus partners, launched year two of the Fellowship in Nursing Development (FIND) program. Four fellows from the year-one cohort were accepted into SON. Another fellow has been employed with Emory Healthcare for the past year, with aspirations of enrolling into nursing school in the future. The final student is pursuing her doctorate in hopes of returning to Emory with a nursing research trajectory. Year two of the program included four fellows from partnering HBCUs: Allison Brown, Trinity McKinney, and Amanda Drummer (Spelman College) and MaKenzie Shahid (Clark Atlanta University) along with two from Emory College: Samuel Kang and Cindy Pinedo.

Through rigorous and accelerated nursing education and observations, combined with interactive activities that facilitated reflection, fellows polished their leadership skills as they received an overview of the nursing profession from SON leadership and faculty. Fellows also met with leaders from the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Emory Midtown Hospital, and EHI/EUH and received personal tours of Emory’s Nursing Learning Center and Emory Hillandale. The fellows committed to weekly seminars, clinical observations, and hands-on simulation experiences with Emory’s Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists program leaders.

They also participated in the school's social responsibility initiative, the Farm Worker Family Health Program, in Moultrie, Georgia. The program provided an immersive experience consisting of interprofessional collaboration with local government, neighboring academic institutions, and faith-based agencies, along with faculty leadership and peer coaching. This program has provided nurses and volunteers a way to show their gratitude to a community that provides so much to so many.

The success of FIND exemplifies the impact that exposure can have on the next generation of nurses and leaders in healthcare.

Walter Curran, Winship's former executive director, is the recipient of NRG Oncology’s first Gold Medal award. Read more.

Tracey Henry, attending physician for the inpatient teaching services at Grady Memorial Hospital, was awarded the Association of Chiefs in General Internal Medicine Leadership Award by the Society of General Internal Medicine.

Rebecca Martin, director of the Emory Global Health Institute, has been appointed to the Consortium of Universities for Global Health’s board of directors.

Modele Ogunniyi, SOM associate professor, was elected to serve on the board of directors for the 2023-25 term by the Association of Black Cardiologists.

Jeanie Park, SOM associate professor, was named the inaugural 2023 Linda F. Hayward Achievement Award recipient from the American Physiological Society Neural Control & Autonomic Regulation Section.

Kylie Smith, SON associate professor and Andrew W. Mellon Faculty Fellow, has been selected as an honorary member of  the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Read more.

Beth Ann Swan, SON professor and administrator, is among 23 nurse educators nationwide who have been selected for induction into the Academy of Nursing Education.  Read more

Lisa Thompson, SON professor, was selected as the Episteme Laureate Award recipient for 2023 by the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Read more.