ATLANTA – Effingham Health System Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Francine Baker Witt, DNP, MBA, LNHA, RN, was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) earlier this month. Witt will serve as an at-large trustee, where her duties will include working with the Board to develop strategies for GHA hospital members, advocating for the highest quality care for patients, and supporting adequate reimbursement for hospitals.
Witt has served as CEO of Effingham Health System since 2016. She is responsible for the operations of the hospital as well as its nursing home and other hospital authority-owned facilities. Under her tenure, the hospital achieved a 78% increase in gross patient revenue and a 61% increase in net patient revenue from FY 2016 to FY 2022. She has advanced the hospital’s strategic growth in several ways, including with the
recruitment o
f the hospital’s first pediatrician which resulted in a 425% increase in patient visits; overseeing the implementation of da Vinci first robotic surgery technology in a rural/critical access hospital in the state of Georgia; launching the first regional telemedicine program for children in Effingham and surrounding communities; and enhancing accessibility to cardiovascular services with the expansion of Effingham Cardiology Center. Prior to serving as CEO, Witt was the chief transformation officer at Effingham. She has also served in executive and patient safety and quality roles at Grady Health System in Atlanta.
“Dr. Fran Witt is a driven leader whose passion and support for high-quality patient care has resulted in outstanding results for the Effingham Health System community,” said GHA President and CEO Caylee Noggle. “She has exceptional management and a deep understanding of the health care landscape, and we look forward to her service on our Board.”
Witt was named to Becker’s 2023 list of 80 Rural Hospital CEOs to Know, Becker’s 2022 list of 75 Black Healthcare Leaders to Know, Modern Healthcare’s 2021 list of 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives,
and Top Diversity Leaders, to name a few. She earned a Doctoral Nursing Practice (DNP) degree from Capella University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Orlando College in Winter Park, Florida, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois.
About GHA
Founded in 1929, GHA serves nearly 150 hospitals in Georgia and promotes the health and welfare of the public through the development of better hospital care for all Georgia’s citizens. The mission of GHA is to advance the health of individuals and communities by serving as the leading advocate for all Georgia hospitals and health care systems. GHA represents its members before the General Assembly and Congress, as well as state and federal regulatory agencies, and is an allied member of the American Hospital Association. For more information, please call 770-249-4500 or visit gha.org.
About Effingham Health System
Effingham Health System (EHS) is a critical access, non-profit healthcare system serving Effingham County and surrounding areas. The healthcare system’s focus is to provide “quality care close to home,” focusing on the specific healthcare needs of the community. EHS encompasses the 25-bed hospital, including a state-of-the-art surgery center, a Level IV Trauma Center, ER, cancer care, orthopaedics, cardiology, four primary care practices, women’s health, pediatrics, occupational medicine, two imaging centers, and 105-bed skilled nursing facility.
