ATLANTA — The former president and CEO of Northside Hospital, Sydney Kirschner, died on Tuesday. He was 88.
Kirschner became president and CEO of the busy hospital in 1992 and is best known for leading the charge – when it came to Northside expanding their high-quality health coverage and commitment to communities across north metro Atlanta, according to the hospital's website.
He also pioneered the creation of Northside Atlanta's brand new state-of-the-art Women's Center that opened in May 1999, which earned both regional and national recognition.
With Kirschner at the helm, Northside Hospital also expanded its outreach to create Northside Hospital Forsyth, Northside Hospital Cherokee and the Northside Alpharetta Medical Campus.
Kirschner had previously served on Northside's board of directors since 1984 and then became president and CEO after he retired from National Service Industries in 1992.
He then served 12 years in that role before he retired from Northside in 2004.
After his retirement, Kirschner later headed the Piedmont Heart Institute and was Chief of Philanthropy for Piedmont Healthcare.
Doctors and staff from both Northside and Piedmont Hospitals, and business and civic leaders gathered to mourn Kirschner at The Temple in Atlanta on Thursday.
Kirschner is survived by his wife Carole, three children, five grandchildren and a great-grandchild.