Lee Echols, vice president of marketing and communications at Northside Hospital, has been named to the Becker’s Hospital Review list of the nation’s hospital and health system chief marketing officers to know.
Echols has served as a vice president at Northside since 2014. He leads all marketing and communications functions for Northside including advertising, media relations, digital strategy, community partnerships and brand management. 
He also contributes to strategic planning and oversees the Northside Hospital Foundation.
The 78 driven, innovative thinkers featured on the Becker’s list are responsible for implementing impactful marketing and business-building strategies for their U.S. hospitals and health systems. Echols is one of only two marketing executives in Georgia to earn placement on the 2024 edition of the list, which was published in March 2025.
Since coming to Northside, Echols has led a complete overhaul of the hospital’s brand with a focus on enhancing the patient, family and employee experience. He’s led data-driven campaigns that align with evolving community needs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he launched the Healers, Helpers, Heroes and #TalkAboutIt campaigns, the latter generating Northside’s highest-ever social media engagement.
The award-winning Look to Northside campaign, which launched in 2022, featured 48 patient stories and generated more than 57 million media impressions. It helped to restore post-pandemic public confidence in health care, leading to increased digital engagement and brand visibility.
Just launched this week, Echols’ latest campaign - HEARD - highlights the unique and complex health care needs of women and empowers them to advocate for their own health care approaches. More information is available at northside.com/heard.
Learn more about awards and recognitions across the Northside system.
