Shepherd Center, the well-known Atlanta hospital for spinal and brain injury rehabilitation, said CEO Gary Ulicny will retire next spring after 22 years as the center’s top executive.
His successor will be Sarah Morrison, a 32-year employee who is currently vice president of clinical services. She becomes president and CEO on April 1.
Shepherd announced the changes on Thursday.
“Healthcare is a fast-changing industry, and Shepherd Center needs to be prepared to be flexible to adapt quickly,” Morrison said in a press release.
“My tenure at Shepherd Center gives me a historical foundation of the organization, but more importantly, it gives me the ability to maintain our unique culture that drives our exceptional outcomes and ability to achieve our mission.”
James Shepherd, co-founder and board chairman of the nonprofit hospital, said Ulicny led the center “through a period of tremendous growth and success. He has fostered a culture of excellence that Sarah Morrison will carry on.”
Founded in 1975, Shepherd Center is 152-bed facility and last year had 965 admissions to its inpatient programs and 571 to its day patient programs. The Center sees more than 6,600 people annually on an outpatient basis.
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