Carol has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) since 2011, leading the health system through an era of unparalleled success and growth.
She has been named Georgia’s Most Respected Business Leader by Georgia Trend magazine and has appeared on the list of the 100 Most Influential Georgians for twelve years in a row. She is also included in Atlanta Magazine’s 2025 Atlanta 500.
Under Carol's leadership, NGHS has grown from a one-hospital system with a few employed physician practices and satellite outpatient locations to one of the largest and well-respected healthcare organizations in the state – with an economic impact of nearly $7.5 billion each year. Today, Carol leads more than 12,000 employees across:
- Northeast Georgia Medical Center – five acute care hospitals, including a Level I Trauma Center, with more than 960 combined beds and a medical staff of more than 1,300 providers representing more than 50 specialties
- Northeast Georgia Physicians Group – the sixth largest multispecialty physician group in the state
- Georgia Heart Institute – the state’s most forward-thinking heart and vascular program
- Graduate Medical Education – one of the state’s largest programs, empowering the physician leaders of tomorrow through residencies in seven specialties and multiple fellowships
- Plus dozens of medical office buildings, urgent care centers, imaging centers, long term care facilities, rehabilitation clinics and more.
Carol was born and raised in Carl, Ga. She received her bachelor’s degree in medical technology from Georgia Southern University and Emory University, and she earned her master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Central Michigan University. She has more than 30 years of experience in a variety of clinical operations, in both for-profit and non-profit settings, and has been a member of NGHS’ senior management staff since 1999.
Carol is a past board chair for the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce and is active in Gainesville Rotary, United Way, and the Georgia Hospital Association. She is also a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and Vizient MidSouth. She was named 2024 CEO of the Year by the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals and received the 2025 Leadership Legacy Award from the Georgia Commission on Women, the 2024 W. Daniel Barker Leadership Award from the Georgia Hospital Association, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Atlanta Business Chronicle. She was inducted into Junior Achievement’s Northeast Georgia Business Hall of Fame as a 2024 Laureate.
A hallmark of Carol's tenure at NGHS is a culture of continuous improvement, called “Quest for Excellence,” which empowers everyone across the organization – from administrators to frontline staff – to identify and implement ways to improve care. As NGHS continues to grow, the Quest for Excellence ensures employees never lose sight of the experience they provide patients and inspires them to achieve Burrell’s mantra – “Be better tomorrow than you are today.”
You can see a few of the photos from the 2024 Woman of Distinction Luncheon below, or you can view all of them here.
