Managing the COVID-19 pandemic: Five lessons learned from a Georgia healthcare system

Author's Biography

Lily Jung Henson , MD, is the Chief Executive Officer of Piedmont Henry Hospital in Stockbridge, Georgia, USA, after having served as Chief Medical Officer there and Chief of Neurology at Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta. Prior to that, she was Vice President of Medical Affairs at Swedish Ballard Hospital in Seattle, Washington, USA, after her tenure as the inaugural chief of staff at Swedish Issaquah Hospital. Dr. Henson has been a neurologist with 30 years of practice and focuses on multiple sclerosis. She was an associate professor of neurology at the University of Washington Medical School. Dr. Henson attended the Honors Program in Medical Education at Northwestern University in Chicago, where she obtained her BS and MD degrees. She completed her neurology training at the University of Washington in Seattle. She has a master’s degree in medical management from Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a past Regent-at-Large and a 2016 Thomas Dolan Executive Diversity Scholar. Dr. Henson had served on the board of directors of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and was Chair of the Brain PAC of the American Academy of Neurology.

Mariana V. Gattegno is the Program Manager in the Quality and Safety division of Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta, Georgia. She is responsible for leading system-wide strategic improvement initiatives to advance patient outcomes and reduce hospital acquired infections and adverse safety events. Mariana is an experienced consultant with a demonstrated history of progressive hospital and healthcare improvement work. She has expertise in utilising Lean Six Sigma methodologies in complex assignments to deliver superior interventions linked to patient harm reduction. Mariana attended the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, where she obtained her master’s degree in public health with a concentration in epidemiology. She is a certified black belt in Lean Six Sigma and quality process improvement and is also a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ).

Leigh S. Hamby , M.D., MHA, is the Chief Medical Officer at Piedmont Healthcare, the largest healthcare provider in Georgia, USA. His responsibilities include oversight and coordination of medical staff issues at and between Piedmont hospitals. He is responsible for clinical quality initiatives, with a focus on important clinical drivers to improve patient safety. Dr. Hamby joined Piedmont Atlanta in 2001. He served as a physician adviser and was later named the hospital’s first chief quality officer. Prior to joining Piedmont, Dr. Hamby was the director of healthcare quality and evaluation for VA Atlanta Network. Dr. Hamby earned a bachelor of science in chemistry and biology from Emory College, a doctorate of medicine from Emory Medical School and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He completed his residency in general surgery at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, as well as a fellowship in healthcare improvement at Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, New Hampshire.