For Dr. Patrick Frias, returning to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta means coming home, but his plans for the health system are focused firmly on what comes next.
Frias assumed the role of CEO of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta on Aug. 31, returning to the organization where he spent 18 years as a pediatric cardiologist and executive before leaving to lead Rady Children’s in San Diego. Now back in Atlanta, Frias will oversee Children’s “More Than Possible” strategy, an effort centered on expanding access to pediatric care throughout metro Atlanta and across Georgia.
“I would say coming back to Atlanta was a bit of a homecoming of sorts since I had started my career, both in clinical medicine and then in administrative roles as well, here at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta,” Frias said.
Among Frias’ priorities is a goal of putting Children’s pediatric services within 30 minutes of every family in metro Atlanta. The system is also working to address pediatric health care deserts, expand services in rural Georgia and increase access to mental and behavioral health care.
Frias said his experience treating children as a pediatric cardiologist continues to shape how he approaches leadership. Working at the bedside taught him that caring for a child requires an entire team, from physicians and nurses to employees working behind the scenes.
“I understand our mission to its core,” Frias said. “I went into pediatrics because I wanted to improve the lives of children and families, and you know, I did it at the bedside for a while. Now I’m doing it in the administrative offices, making sure that we have the resources and systems and processes in place to deliver that care.”
That mission is already taking shape geographically. Children’s recently opened a primary care clinic in Adamsville, an area Frias described as a care desert. The organization is also planning expansion near I-75 South, the Holcomb Bridge area and recently purchased land in Sandy Springs, adjacent to a MARTA station for future development. Frias said Children’s considers population data, provider locations and where children live when determining where additional services are needed.
Beyond metro Atlanta, Children’s is working with Mercer University School of Medicine and the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center to strengthen the pediatric workforce in rural communities. Thirty-four future physicians have committed to providing primary pediatric care in rural Georgia through a program that covers their medical school education.
Mental health is another major priority. Children’s has more than 300 members on its child and adolescent mental health care team, but Frias said the need remains significant. He pointed to workforce shortages and reimbursement challenges as some of the setbacks, while exploring the potential for technology to help extend care.
Just weeks after Frias took the helm, Children’s received national recognition. On Sept. 15, Children’s announced U.S. News & World Report ranked it the No. 1 pediatric hospital in Georgia and the Southeast for 2026-27. Nine specialties ranked among the nation’s top 20, including cardiology and heart surgery at No. 7.
Frias said the rankings affirm the quality of care Children’s provides, but they do not fully capture whether families can reach that care.
“We also need to do more, and we’ll continue to push on in ensuring there’s access to care for all the kids in our region and in the state,” Frias said.
For Frias, success five years from now would mean every Children’s specialty ranking in the top 20, every metro Atlanta child living within 30 minutes of a Children’s access point and further progress in rural health, research and new treatments.
It is an ambitious agenda, but one rooted in the same mission that first brought Frias to pediatrics: improving the lives of children, this time, by bringing high-quality care closer to them.
