John Quinlivan has been named market president for HCA’s TriStar Health System’s three hospitals in northwest Georgia, and chief executive officer for Redmond Regional Medical Center, effective Oct. 18.

Quinlivan will lead TriStar’s Northwest Georgia market, composed of three hospitals – Cartersville Medical Center (Cartersville), Polk Medical Center (Cedartown) and Redmond Regional Medical Center (Rome). “We believe a new market structure will encourage greater collaboration and synergies across our three hospitals, and establish the largest hospital system north of Atlanta and south of Chattanooga,” said Larry Kloess, president of TriStar Health System.

Quinlivan has served as CEO at Emory Johns Creek Hospital since 2007, where he and his executive team successfully led the startup, joint-venture facility. Under his leadership, 34 new physicians were recruited to Emory Johns Creek in 12 different specialties; new services were launched (including a new cardiac cath lab and PCI service, with STEMI Door-to-Balloon times less than 60 minutes); new leaders were placed into their positions; and the hospital saw increased growth in the areas of admissions, surgery and emergency department visits. Notably, the hospital’s most recent medical staff perception scores and employee engagement scores are among the best in the company.

Efforts are already under way to identify a new CEO for Emory Johns Creek Hospital. “John will work closely with current Emory Johns Creek leadership in the coming weeks to assure a seamless transition of executive leadership at the hospital,” said Kloess.

Quinlivan joined HCA in 2003 after retiring from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant colonel and battalion commander, with service in multiple locations including Korea, the state of Washington and the Greater Atlanta area. He holds a master’s degree in hospital administration (with honors) from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, and previously served as chief operational officer for HCA’s North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville, Fla.

Quinlivan and his wife, Paige, are natives of Scottsboro, Ala., and are the parents of two grown children. They plan to relocate to Rome.