Cole Phillips
BS ‘12, AB ’12
Providing vital healthcare to the vulnerable
School/College
Franklin College of Arts & Sciences
City
Athens, Georgia
Occupation
Mercy Health Center
CEO & Medical Director
Biography
Cole leads a team of 16 staff members and over 130 student and professional volunteers seeking to make excellent healthcare accessible to Athens-Clarke County and the surrounding 12 counties. During his time as CEO and medical director, Mercy Health Center has grown 78% in patient volume, increased fundraising by nearly 30%, and was recently recognized as the Nonprofit of the Year in Athens for 2025. As an adjunct faculty member of the UGA School of Medicine, Cole devotes time to mentoring over 100 UGA student volunteers, sharing wisdom and the ways UGA can prepare each of them to do life-changing work. Cole was also recognized as the Blue Key Honor Society Young Alumnus Award winner in 2025, an award given annually to an individual who was a member while a student and whose early professional and personal contributions indicate a special level of service to the state and nation.
