David Kent, who most recently served as senior vice president of business development for Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) Health, has been named CEO of Piedmont Newton Hospital.

Kent has almost 18 years of healthcare experience at CTCA, having served as a top executive for more than 10 years. Among his other roles, Kent served as president and CEO of its Southeastern Regional Medical Center in Newnan. He grew the hospital’s employee base from 178 to more than 900 full-time employees and 200 physicians and earned the 2015 Atlanta Journal Constitution “Best Places to Work” designation.

“David has distinguished himself during his career as a successful healthcare executive and we are excited for him to join Piedmont,” said Kevin Brown, President and CEO of Piedmont Healthcare. “Piedmont exists to serve its local communities and we were impressed with his desire to live in and serve Newton County and the surrounding communities.”

Piedmont Newton joined the 11-hospital Piedmont Healthcare system in 2015 and is part of the system’s eastern hub comprised of Piedmont Athens Regional, Piedmont Newton, Piedmont Rockdale, and Piedmont Walton Hospitals. The hospital was named the 2018 Small Hospital of the Year by the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals, was certified a Great Place to Work in 2019, and has achieved Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade “A”s in the last three reporting periods. In May 2019, Piedmont Newton completed a $10 million expansion and renovation of its Emergency Department which doubled the department’s capacity from 16 beds to 32 beds, created an additional nurses station, and a room for higher acuity trauma cases.

“David’s experience makes him an excellent choice to lead Piedmont Newton,” said, Michael Burnett, Chief Executive Officer for Piedmont Athens Regional, the system’s eastern hub. “Just as he did in his previous role as a hospital CEO, we expect him to be able to grow Piedmont Newton’s services and its ability to serve the community.”

“I’m excited to join Piedmont Newton and become a part of an organization that shares my values of providing high-quality, patient-centered care,” Kent said. “I have long been familiar with the Piedmont system and am looking forward to becoming part of such a strong community. I look forward to continuing the hospital’s record of high performance and achievement.”

Kent is a graduate of Wabash College and earned his Master of Business Administration from the Georgia State University J. Mack Robinson College of Business. He started at Piedmont Newton on April 13.