▁In ▁April , ▁news ▁broke ▁that ▁Kelly ▁Mc Cre ary ▁would ▁guest ▁star ▁in ▁the ▁Season ▁ 1 0 ▁finale . ▁It ▁wasn ' t ▁known ▁until ▁the ▁season ▁finale ▁a ired ▁that ▁her ▁character , ▁Dr . ▁Pier ce , ▁was ▁h ired ▁by ▁Dr . ▁Yang ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁new ▁head ▁of ▁card io . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁discovered ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁episode ▁that ▁Dr . ▁Ell is ▁Grey ▁was ▁her ▁birth ▁mother . ▁ ▁On ▁August ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁Sand ra ▁Oh ▁revealed ▁that ▁after ▁the ▁t enth ▁season ▁she ▁would ▁be ▁leaving ▁Grey ' s ▁An atom y . ▁It ▁was ▁announced ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁that ▁G ai us ▁Charles ▁and ▁T essa ▁Fer rer ▁were ▁not ▁having ▁their ▁options ▁picked ▁up ▁for ▁Season ▁ 1 1 , ▁meaning ▁that ▁Season ▁ 1 0 ▁would ▁be ▁their ▁last ▁season ▁as ▁regular s ▁on ▁the ▁show . ▁On ▁January ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁it ▁was ▁announced ▁that ▁Ellen ▁Pom pe o ▁and ▁Patrick ▁D emp sey ▁had ▁renew ed ▁their ▁contract s ▁for ▁another ▁two ▁seasons , ▁as ▁Mer ed ith ▁Grey ▁and ▁D erek ▁She ph erd ▁respectively , ▁meaning ▁their ▁characters ▁will ▁be ▁stay ing ▁on ▁the ▁medical ▁drama ▁for ▁seasons ▁ 1 1 ▁and ▁ 1 2 . ▁On ▁May ▁ 2 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁it ▁was ▁announced ▁that