David E. Harrell
Chief Executive Officer

" And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick" (Luke 9:2)

A major event occurred sixty years ago when we decided to extend health care to outlying communities through the Georgia Baptist Health Care System. That changed the course of our health care ministry and started us on the first leg of a journey to map the future of health care in Georgia. Since then, we've been pursing our goals of becoming the state's leading innovator of community health.

The Bible says ask and you will receive, seek and you will find. That's what we did when we went into the communities and talked with community groups. We asked them about specific needs and what we could do to bridge health care gaps in the community. Our plan for delivering health care to communities was shaped by what we heard.

As we cultivated partnerships with these communities, received old hospitals, built new facilities, educated young nurses, entered thousands of new homes and added counselors, congregational nurses and trained pastors through our clinical counseling programs, the miracle of our health care ministry became evident. We witnessed a great improvement in quality of life. Those we serve have been able to stay near their families for health care and employment. The jobs created by restored hospitals and new health care facilities have breathed economic life into communities. Prevention and wellness programs that are being established by Georgia Baptist and its community partners are giving citizens a better opportunity to take charge of their health. School nursing programs are helping to keep our children healthy across the state.

As we add more communities to our map, the hallmark of our mission is to provide affordable, accessible health services that touch the lives of people with care, compassion and skill. Compassionate care is a quality that is reflected in everything we do. First and foremost are the people who come to our facilities to be healed. That has been our driving force since the beginning of the century when our predecessor Dr. Len G. Broughton, first opened the Tabernacle Infirmary in downtown Atlanta.

Our commitment to people is so strong that our return on investment is measured by the health benefit we created in communities we serve. We want Georgia Baptist Health Care System to be synonymous with compassionate care, patient centered services, the most sophisticated technology and a highly qualified staff of health care professionals. If people say their community is a better place because we are there, we consider that to be the highest achievement of our goal.