Atlanta healthcare executive named CEO of Children’s Hospital at Erlanger

CHATTANOOGA, TN. – Donald J. Mueller has been named CEO of Children’s Hospital at Erlanger and Vice President of the Erlanger Health System, Kevin M. Spiegel, FACHE, Erlanger President and CEO, announced today.

Mueller comes to Erlanger from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where he served as Vice President of Operations and Executive Director of the Marcus Autism Center. “Don is a seasoned pediatric executive with a proven history of successfully building world-class programs at one of the largest pediatric health care systems in the country. We are thrilled that he will be leading the team at Children’s Hospital,” said Mr. Spiegel.

Over the last 15 years, Mueller has provided strategic direction for the human, fiscal, and capital resources for both clinical and nonclinical areas of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Most recently, he took the system’s vision to address autism and created the largest treatment and research center for pediatric autism services in the nation.

Mueller also helped establish the 10-year Vision 2018 strategy that positions Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to be a top pediatric hospital in clinical, research, teaching, and wellness. In addition, he supervised the final stages of the largest health care facilities expansion project in Georgia — ensuring Children’s will have the facilities necessary to meet the increasing demand for pediatric services.

Mueller joined Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta as Director of Tertiary Services Contracting in May 2000. He was promoted to Director of Transplant Services with responsibility for the solid organ transplant programs, the dialysis unit, and the gastrointestinal program.

Mueller has served on multiple not-for-profit boards including the Georgia Transplant Foundation, Georgia Coalition on Donation, and Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities. He has been selected by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of Atlanta’s Top 40 under 40, as a Healthcare Hero, and one of the 50 Most Influential Not for Profit Leaders.

“Don’s extensive experience and community involvement proves that he works to improve the lives of children and families through service and by applying sound business principles to improve outcomes, increase access, and decrease costs in a changing marketplace,” said Robert M. Brooks, FACHE, Executive Vice President, and COO of Erlanger.

Mueller has worked in health care since graduating from The Catholic University of America with a Bachelor of Arts in Business. He received a Master of Business Administration from Loyola College in Maryland. He has worked on the payor side as well as the provider side of health care. Outside of the hospital, he enjoys spending time with his wife and their three children.

About Erlanger Health System

The Erlanger Health System has five Tennessee-based medical campuses, including the region’s only children’s hospital and Level 1 Trauma Center, providing the highest level of trauma care. Erlanger is the nation’s seventh largest public hospital system and has been recognized as “Chattanooga’s number one hospital” by US News & World Report for four consecutive years. Affiliated with the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga, Erlanger is also the region’s only academic teaching center and treats more than a quarter-million patients every year. For more information, visit www.erlanger.org.