Season 4: Episode 3
Hope and Will: A Parenting Podcast from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
The Next Chapter: A Conversation with Dr. Patrick Frias
Since the 1998 merger that created Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, our system has been led by just two CEOs: Jim Tally and Donna Hyland. Jim guided Children's through its first decade before passing the torch to Donna in 2008. Over the next 18 years as CEO, Donna helped transform Children's into one of the nation's leading pediatric healthcare systems. Earlier this year, Donna announced her retirement after an extraordinary 40-year career at Children's.
In sharing the news, Donna said one of her top priorities was making sure Children's would be in exceptional hands for the future. She also hinted at "fantastic news" still to come. That news was the appointment of Dr. Patrick Frias as her successor.
A familiar face to many, Patrick previously spent 18 years at Children’s as a pediatric cardiologist and executive leader before serving as CEO of Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego.
Just days before his first official day as our CEO—and mere hours after he officially landed back in Atlanta—Patrick sat down with Hope and Will for a candid conversation about leadership, family and the future of Children’s.
Tune in for a warm, personal introduction to the respected leader, admired physician and devoted father of four who’s taking the helm at a pivotal moment in healthcare history.
Patrick Frias, MD, President and CEO Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Patricio “Patrick” Frias, MD, brings more than two decades of pediatric healthcare leadership to his role as president and chief executive officer of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, building on a lifelong commitment to advancing the health of children and families.
He previously served as president and CEO of Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego. Under his leadership, the hospital earned a place on the U.S. News & World Report Best Children's Hospitals Honor Roll in 2023, ranking among the top 10 pediatric hospitals in the nation for the first time in its history. In 2025, he co-led the merger of Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego and Children's Hospital of Orange County to form Rady Children's Health.
Before his time on the West Coast, Frias spent 18 years at Children’s as a pediatric cardiologist, chief physician officer and COO. During these years, he helped shape the clinical and operational foundations that continue to define Children's today.
Throughout his career, Frias has been a people-first leader who champions care that extends well beyond hospital walls. He has advanced pioneering mental health programs, led efforts to provide medical care for refugee children and forged community partnerships that have strengthened pediatric care as a discipline.
A pediatric cardiologist by training, Frias earned his undergraduate degree from Creighton University, his medical degree from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine, completed his residency at Duke University and completed his pediatric cardiology and electrophysiology fellowships at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
