Erica Steed

Erica Steed is a systems-level healthcare leader whose two decades of service have focused on advancing patient- and family-centered care, strengthening workforce engagement, and operationalizing performance excellence within complex health systems. Her work sits at the intersection of policy, culture, and measurable outcomes—ensuring that strategic intent translates into equitable, reliable, and person-centered care delivery.

As Service Coach & Performance Excellence System Leader at Wellstar Health System, Erica leads enterprise-wide efforts to embed Patient- and Family-Centered Care (PFCC) into organizational policy, governance structures, and performance frameworks. She partners with executive leadership to align regulatory requirements, value-based purchasing priorities, and system strategy with human-centered care design. Her portfolio includes the development and implementation of enterprise standards that integrate service excellence, workforce engagement, and operational accountability across acute and ambulatory settings.

Erica has spearheaded high-impact corporate initiatives that strengthen organizational reliability and cultural alignment. She led the implementation of a system-wide performance management infrastructure that streamlined processes, reinforced leader accountability, and improved employee engagement metrics. Through multidisciplinary collaboration, she has advanced service recovery redesign, patient experience governance models, and scalable leadership development programs that elevate care standards while improving operational efficiency. Her work reflects a deep commitment to translating policy into practice and ensuring that performance improvement efforts are both data-informed and equity-centered.
She facilitates the Wellstar Difference Maker Champions Network and the System PeopleCare Advisory Councils—structures designed to embed shared governance, community voice, and lived experience into system decision-making. Through these platforms, she advances co-design principles and strengthens alignment between frontline teams, executive leadership, and the populations they serve.

Previously, as Director of Patient Experience at Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center, Erica led comprehensive patient experience strategy, including value-based purchasing performance, service recovery infrastructure, volunteer services, communications, and patient engagement initiatives. Her leadership contributed to measurable improvements in patient satisfaction and strengthened the hospital’s culture of accountability, transparency, and compassionate care delivery.
A U.S. Army Veteran and former Sergeant responsible for supply and logistics operations supporting combat training missions, Erica brings disciplined systems thinking and operational rigor to healthcare transformation. Her military background informs her leadership philosophy: mission clarity, team cohesion, and unwavering commitment to those served.

Erica holds a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing from Augusta State University, a Bachelor of Science in Applied Computer Science, and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Information Technology from Troy State University. She is a certified TeamSTEPPS® Master Trainer and an international speaker whose expertise includes patient advocacy, process improvement, high-reliability culture development, and workforce engagement.
Her national and international contributions have been recognized with the Huron Group’s “What’s Right in Healthcare” Award. She serves in leadership and advisory capacities with the American College of Healthcare Executives, The Beryl Institute, PFCCpartners, Consumers Advancing Patient Safety (CAPS), and Easter Seals Disability Services. Her community engagement includes co-leading the A-Team Autism Support Group and championing inclusive employment practices for individuals with disabilities.

Erica Steed’s work reflects a sustained commitment to advancing healthcare systems that are not only high-performing, but also humane—where policy, operational excellence, and compassionate practice are fully integrated to improve outcomes for patients, families, and the healthcare workforce alike.