TAMPA, Florida – (January 9, 2020) – HCA Healthcare West Florida welcomes Leanne Salazar, APRN, DNP, MBA as the Chief Nurse Executive. Salazar was promoted from Oak Hill Hospital, a West Florida facility in Hernando County, where she most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer.
“Leanne’s strategic, supportive and inspirational leadership as a nurse champion has been instrumental in Oak Hill’s milestone achievements over the last several years,” explained Chari. “This included having some of the lowest RN turnover rates in the company, the highest percentage of board certified nurses, and an HCA Unit of Distinction winner every year since 2015, including the number one unit in HCA Healthcare in 2019,”
She began her HCA Healthcare career at Oak Hill Hospital as Vice President of Quality in 2011. In 2013, she was promoted to Chief Nursing Officer and then to Chief Operating Officer in 2019. Prior to that, she held multiple nursing leadership positions at Spring Hill Hospital, for a wide range of services including the ER, ICU, Medical/Surgical, Telemetry, Pediatrics, and Mother-Baby units. Salazar earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from American Sentinel University, Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University South Florida, and her Associate of Science in Nursing from Pasco Hernando Community College.
She is well regarded for her extensive community involvement in Hernando County which includes serving on the Board of Directors for the Dawn Center; SAFE Clinical Director for Hernando County Health Department; and on the Board of the Hernando Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Hernando Facilitator of Health Day.
“Every day we seek to raise the bar higher not just for ourselves, but for healthcare everywhere,” said Chari. “I am thrilled to have Leanne leading the charge with our nursing caregivers to ensure we deliver the highest quality care to the patients we are privileged to serve.”
About HCA Healthcare West Florida
HCA Healthcare West Florida provides a complete continuum of high quality programs and services to meet the healthcare needs of residents and businesses throughout west Florida, caring for more than 1.2 million patients. HCA West Florida includes 15 hospitals, 25 ER locations, 14 ambulatory surgery centers, numerous physician practices, graduate medical education programs, a regional lab, and consolidated service center. HCA West Florida is affiliated with HCA Healthcare, one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services. With its founding in 1968, HCA Healthcare created a new model for hospital care in the United States, using combined resources to strengthen hospitals, deliver patient-focused care and improve the practice of medicine.