Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Celebrates Winners in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2026 Health Care Champion Awards
ATLANTA (March 20, 2026) – Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is proud to celebrate its leaders, innovators and collaborators who were named winners in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2026 Health Care Champion Awards, which honor the most innovative and influential health care leaders in metro Atlanta and beyond.
The Health Care Champion Awards recognize the unparalleled dedication of frontline health care heroes and the visionary leaders shaping the future of the industry.
Children’s honorees include:
Physician/Physician Practice Group of the Year
- Bhargava Mullapudi, MD, FACS, Division Chief of Abdominal Transplant Surgery at Children’s, combines innovation with a multidisciplinary approach to address Children’s most complex liver cases.
Innovator of the Year – Research
- Marcus Center for Cellular Therapy, which opened in October 2025, offers cell and gene therapy for patients with cancer and other diseases.
Innovator of the Year – Pediatric Health
- Pryce Loften, Music Therapist, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s, uses music therapy to support children facing cancer, blood disorders and long hospitalizations.
“Our honorees represent medical innovation, compassionate care and supporting patients across the state,” said Donna Hyland, CEO, Children’s. “They are a perfect example of the Children’s mission to do everything possible to make anything possible for children, and I am proud to celebrate their dedication to helping Georgia’s kids.”
Children’s also celebrates Jean R. Sumner, MD, MACP, Dean of Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM), who was recognized as a Rural Health Champion of the Year for her dedication to improving healthcare in rural Georgia through innovation, leadership and compassionate care. In 2023, MUSM, its Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center and Children’s announced a major initiative focused on improving pediatric healthcare in rural Georgia.
The Atlanta Business Chronicle celebrated all 2026 Health Care Champion Award winners at an awards event on March 19.
About Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
As the only freestanding pediatric healthcare system in Georgia, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is the trusted leader in caring for kids. The not-for-profit organization’s mission is to make kids better today and healthier tomorrow through more than 60 pediatric specialties and programs, top healthcare professionals, and leading research and technology. Children’s is one of the largest pediatric clinical care providers in the country, managing more than one million patient visits annually at three hospitals (Arthur M. Blank, Hughes Spalding and Scottish Rite), Marcus Autism Center, the Center for Advanced Pediatrics, the Zalik Behavioral and Mental Health Center, urgent care centers and neighborhood locations. Consistently ranked among the top children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has impacted the lives of kids in Georgia, across the United States and around the world for more than 100 years thanks to generous support from the community.