Trimble Named to Becker's Community Hospital CEOs to Know

Melody Trimble, FACHE, CPPS, ‒ CEO of St. Francis-Emory Healthcare ‒ has been recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of its “Community Hospital CEOs to Know” for 2024. This list recognizes CEOs of community hospitals for their efforts in providing coordinated and affordable care, encompassing acute care, primary care, rehabilitation, public health services, and more. Nationwide, 160 CEOs were featured in the listing, including seven from Georgia.

“It’s an honor to be included in this listing and I’m certainly appreciative of the recognition,” said Trimble. “But any success I have is a reflection of my tremendous team and the partners and volunteers who come to our hospital each day to provide life-changing care. Their skill and compassion and desire to help others is inspirational and a joy to be a part of.”

In its brief CEO summaries as part of the listing, Becker’s noted that Trimble leads a 73-year-old community hospital and health system consisting of two campuses: a 290-bed acute care hospital and the 85-bed Bradley Center behavioral health hospital. It credited Trimble for overseeing the hospital’s partnership with Emory Healthcare and leading St. Francis’ initiatives in clinical quality and safety, growth and sustainability, recruitment and retention, and compliance.

During her four years as CEO of the hospital, St. Francis-Emory Healthcare has continued to demonstrate clinical excellence and innovation in developing a pipeline of future practitioners. The hospital has achieved high-standard accreditations from The Joint Commission, including the attainment of disease-specific care certifications in Advanced Primary Stroke care, Total Hip Replacement care, Total Knee Replacement care, and Perinatal Care Certification (first in Georgia).

St. Francis-Emory was also designated a US News and World Report High-Performing Hospital in five categories: Heart Attack, Heart Failure, Diabetes, Kidney Failure and COPD. And during Trimble's tenure. St. Francis has created new graduate medical residency programs in Internal Medicine (launched in 2022) and Psychiatry (launched in 2023).

Per Becker’s, “These leaders are honored for their dedication to improving community health, shaping workforce culture, planning for the future, expanding hospital services, and maintaining financial stability. Becker's Healthcare is thrilled to feature the accomplishments of these leaders, who are critical to the successes of their respective organizations.”

Along with Trimble from St. Francis, two other CEOs from community hospitals owned by parent company ScionHealth were featured in Becker’s 2024 listing: Bill Little, CEO of Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center (Hartsville, South Carolina) and John Whiteside, Market CEO of SageWest Health Care (Lander and Riverton, Wyoming). This marks the second consecutive year that each of these leaders has been included in Becker’s “Community CEOs to Know” listing.

The Becker's Hospital Review editorial team accepted nominations to compile this list. The full list features individual profiles of all CEOs and can be read here.