Dr. Ninfa M. Saunders, FACHE, president and CEO of Navicent Health in Macon, was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA). Dr. Saunders will serve as an at-large trustee, where her duties will include working with the Board to develop strategies for GHA hospital members, advocate for the highest quality care for patients, and support adequate reimbursement for hospitals.
Dr. Saunders has served as CEO since 2012, where she oversees the operations of Navicent Health, a nonprofit corporation whose primary purpose is to coordinate The Medical Center, Navicent Health and other affiliated entities in their mission of providing a comprehensive continuum of high quality, reasonably priced healthcare services to the region. Navicent Health has 830 beds for medical, surgical, rehabilitation and hospice purposes. The health system includes The Medical Center, Navicent Health, a nationally recognized tertiary teaching hospital; Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital, Navicent Health, the region’s only dedicated pediatric hospital; Medical Center of Peach County, Navicent Health, a rural critical access hospital; Rehabilitation Hospital, Navicent Health, the region’s oldest and most experienced rehabilitation provider; Pine Pointe, Navicent Health, which provides palliative and hospice care in homes and in its facility; Carlyle Place, Navicent Health, the area’s first continuing care retirement community; Navicent Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Navicent Health; as well as diagnostic and home care services.
Her accomplishments in this position include developing successful partnerships with rural hospitals across Central Georgia to create medical neighborhoods and improving access to care for underserved populations by working closely with the Georgia General Assembly to inform public policy.
Prior to serving as CEO, Dr. Saunders was the president and chief operating officer (COO) of Virtua Health in Marlton, N.J. In this position, she was responsible for overseeing all health services of the system including the hospitals, physician organization, ambulatory centers, home care and rehab hospitals.
“Dr. Saunders brings exceptionally diverse knowledge and experience to the GHA Board,” said GHA President and CEO Earl Rogers. “She is an outstanding leader who has effected positive change within the health care community, both locally and statewide. We look forward to her service.”
A Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Dr. Saunders completed her Doctorate in Healthcare Administration at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. She earned a Master of Business Administration from Emory University in Atlanta and a Master of Science in Nursing from Rutgers University in Newark, New Jerrsey Her extensive involvement in the community includes serving as Chair of the American Hospital Association, Institute for Diversity and serving on the Presidential Advisory Council of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health in Philadelphia, Pensylvania. She also serves on the advisory council of Emory University in Atlanta and is a Distinguished Faculty at the Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon.
