Piedmont Columbus Regional has announced operations and medical leadership changes: Bill Tustin and Laura Drew have both been promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer at the Midtown and Northside Campuses, respectively; and  Chris Edwards, M.D., has been named Chief Medical Officer for Piedmont Columbus Regional.

“We are pleased to announce the following promotions of our Chief Operating Officers for our hospitals and to welcome our new Chief Medical Officer. It is a dynamic time of change in the healthcare industry and we are committed to recruiting the best leaders to help guide our organization,” said Scott Hill, Chief Executive Officer at Piedmont Columbus Regional. “These are well deserved promotions for Bill and Laura, and we are excited about Dr. Edwards joining our team. All three will make a tremendous impact for many years to come at Piedmont Columbus Regional.”

Tustin has served as the interim COO since October 2018.

Tustin previously served as the Vice President of Oncology Services at the John B. Amos Cancer Center. He joined Piedmont Columbus Regional in July 2014 where he brought more than 20 years of oncology services experience.

Tustin received a Bachelor of Science degree in Healthcare Leadership from Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, West Virginia, and his Master of Science degree in Health Administration from the University of Saint Francis in Joliet, Illinois.

Drew served in her previous role of Senior Vice President of Quality and Regulatory Compliance since 2012 and has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare.

Drew earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Management from Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls, Oregon, and her Master of Business Administration from Capella University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Drew is Six Sigma Black Belt certified.

Dr. Edwards will serve as CMO for both the Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown and Northside campuses.

Dr. Edwards comes to Piedmont Columbus Regional from Maury Regional Health in Southern Middle Tennessee where he was the CMO for seven years. He has more than 20 years of professional experience as a practicing Internal Medicine physician both in the traditional practice setting and as a hospitalist. Dr. Edwards started and developed the hospitalist program at Piedmont Athens Regional in the early 2000s.