AID Atlanta CEO resigns after one year

Jose Diaz has resigned as CEO of AID Atlanta after one year due to health reasons, according to a statement from the organization’s board of directors.

“He served the organization for one year during its massive transformation to become the region’s first AIDS service organization to expand into primary care, and one of the first to adopt an integrated health and behavioral health setting,” according to a press release.

Diaz was announced as the new CEO of AID Atlanta last January.

James Hughey, a healthcare executive who recently opened his own consulting business, has been selected by the board to serve as interim CEO. Hughey has held positions with Humana, Tenet and San Mateo Health Systems.

AID Atlanta Board Chair Chip Newton told the Georgia Voice Diaz’s last official day is Feb. 15 with Hughey, who currently lives in Arizona, taking over the reins on Monday, Feb. 16. Hughey is expected to be living in Atlanta by Feb. 20, Newton added.

The resignation may seem sudden but has actually been in the works for a couple months, Newton said.

“Dr.  Diaz has had some health issues over last couple months … and given his prognosis we started talking about a transition. We talked it through so we could have a meaningful transition,” Newton said.

When the AID Atlanta board put out feelers for an interim CEO, Hughey came up as a replacement because he knows many people in Atlanta and has a network here, Newton said. After an interview process that included the board and a cross section of senior and regular staff members, Hughey was selected. The transition to a new CEO is expected to take about six months and at that time the board will revisit what to do in naming a full-time CEO.

Newton indicated Hughey would likely get the full-time job.

“I think James would make a really good CEO, period,” he said.

 

 

Last year, AID Atlanta’s facility underwent a major expansion and renovation to provide more services to its clients with HIV/AIDS after developing a “medical home model” with Deloitte, a global private financial consulting firm.