Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

Donna Hyland

Chief Executive Officer

Donna W. Hyland has been a tireless advocate for pediatric healthcare and the children of Georgia for more than three decades. Hyland, President and CEO of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, has overseen monumental growth and achievement throughout her career. During that time, the not-for-profit has become one of the preeminent pediatric clinical care providers in the country, with more than 12,700 employees managing approximately 1.2 million patient visits a year. Hyland has played an instrumental role in high-impact projects as CFO, COO and CEO, including the merger of Egleston and Scottish Rite hospitals; the addition of Hughes Spalding hospital and Marcus Autism Center; and the advancement of the research partnership between Emory and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Under her leadership, Children's is consistently ranked among the top children's hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. [2] In addition, Egleston and Scottish Rite hospitals both achieved Magnet recognition for their dedication to nursing excellence. Now Hyland is spearheading one of the largest hospital construction projects in the state. The $2.2 billion North Druid Hills campus will include Arthur M. Blank Hospital, set to open in Fall 2024. [2] Hyland's dedication to pediatric healthcare has led to recognition as one of Georgia's most influential leaders, and her community-centric approach has resulted in appointments to several local and corporate boards including the Atlanta Committee for Progress, Inc., Cousins Properties Incorporated, Genuine Parts Company and Truist. [2]

Shari Barkin, MD, MSHS

Pediatrician-in-Chief and Department of Pediatrics Chair

Shari Barkin, MD, MSHS, serves as the Pediatrician-in-Chief for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, the George W. Brumley Jr. Professor and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, and the Executive Director of the Pediatric Institute. She is a board-certified pediatrician specializing in academic general pediatrics and health services research. Dr. Barkin received her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati and completed her pediatric residency at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. She also completed a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars fellowship in Health Services Research at UCLA. Before joining Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Dr. Barkin was the Division Chief of Academic General Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Subsequently, she held the roles of Physician in Chief of the Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at VCU School of Medicine. Dr. Barkin is recognized internationally for her expertise in behavioral interventions and community-engaged pragmatic randomized controlled trials, with a focus on pediatric obesity prevention and health disparities. She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2021. Her past leadership roles include serving as President of the Society of Pediatric Research.

Ruth Fowler

Chief Financial Officer

Ruth Fowler is the Chief Financial Officer at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. She joined the organization in January 2001 and has held the CFO position since July 2002. In her role, she oversees corporate finance, reimbursement, financial planning and operations, managed care, revenue cycle, and treasury management departments. Before her time at Children's, Fowler was the Chief Financial Officer at Rockdale Hospital and Health System. She also worked as a consultant at Ernst & Young and as an Associate Director of Finance at Humana Inc. Ruth Fowler holds a bachelor's degree in business from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master's degree in business from Georgia State University. She is also a certified public accountant licensed in Georgia.

Linda Matzigkeit

Chief Administrative Officer

Linda Matzigkeit is the Chief Administrative Officer at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Originally from central Illinois, she earned a bachelor's degree in healthcare administration and an MBA. Matzigkeit began her career in the healthcare industry over 32 years ago, working for a consulting firm and a home healthcare company before being recruited by Hewitt Associates. She joined Children's Healthcare of Atlanta in January 2003, starting as a senior vice president in Human Resources. She quickly advanced, taking on customer service responsibilities in 2005 and adding strategy and child wellness in 2009. In January 2012, she became the Chief Administrative Officer, overseeing departments including human resources, legal, compliance, marketing and communications, prevention and child wellness, strategic planning, and employee and physician wellness. Matzigkeit is known for her focus on making Children's an employer of choice and has been instrumental in the organization being recognized on Fortune's list of "100 Best Companies to Work For". During the COVID-19 pandemic, she trained and became a licensed emergency medical technician (EMT), working shifts in the Children's emergency department to gain firsthand clinical experience and support frontline staff. She is also an advocate for wellness and an avid runner and triathlete.

Ron Frieson

Chief Operating Officer

Ron Frieson is the Chief Operating Officer at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, a position he has held since July 2020. In this role, he is responsible for leading all clinical operations of the healthcare system. Frieson joined Children's Healthcare of Atlanta in June 2008, initially serving as Chief Public Policy Officer. From June 2015 to July 2020, he was President, Foundation and External Affairs, leading the organization's philanthropic efforts, community outreach, and legislative affairs. Before joining Children's, Frieson had a significant career in the telecommunications industry, spending most of his professional life at BellSouth/AT&T Corporation. He served as President of Georgia Operations for BellSouth/AT&T, overseeing regulatory, legislative, public policy, and external affairs. He was also the first Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer for BellSouth. Additionally, he held roles in operations management, group vice president, and led international expansion and online initiatives. Prior to his tenure at Children's and after retiring from BellSouth/AT&T, Frieson served as Interim President and CEO of the Atlanta Urban League. Frieson is actively involved in the community and serves on various boards, including those for Truist Bank Atlanta, Colorado Technical University, and The University of Tennessee Foundation. His past board leadership includes the American Kidney Fund, Children's Miracle Network, the Atlanta Urban League, and Zoo Atlanta. He holds a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Tennessee and an MBA in Information Systems from Georgia State University.

Laura Jarrett

Chief Compliance Officer

Stoddard Manikin

Chief Information Security Officer

Stoddard Manikin is the Chief Information Security Officer at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. He is a highly experienced professional with over 25 years of experience in information technology, security, and privacy. His expertise includes advising complex organizations on security topics such as regulatory compliance, integrating information security with enterprise risk management, and identity and access management. Before joining Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Manikin served as Director for the southeast region with FishNet Security's identity and access management practice (formerly Logic Trends). In this role, he was responsible for pre-sales and delivery oversight of consulting services focused on identity management, information security, and regulatory compliance. Prior to Logic Trends, he was a Senior Manager at Ernst & Young, where he led the southeast area security services team for nearly seven years. Manikin holds an MBA and several certifications including CISM, CISSP, and HCISPP. He has been recognized for his work, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's "Mobile Clinician Project," which he accepted on behalf of as CISO, was selected as the ISE® Southeast Project of the Year in 2018. He was also an ISE® East Executive Award Winner in 2024.