TAMPA, FL (April 5, 2022) – HCA Healthcare West Florida Division announces the promotion of Ken Wicker to chief executive officer (CEO) for HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital. Wicker currently serves as CEO of HCA Florida St. Petersburg Hospital and will join the Oak Hill team on April 25. He will be replacing the retiring CEO Mickey Smith.
“Ken is a strategic thinker with a track record of successfully aligning with physicians and developing a team approach to achieving patient satisfaction, quality and growth objectives,” said Ravi Chari, M.D., president of HCA Healthcare West Florida Division.
“We are excited to have him return to Hernando County where he has strong ties to the community and is committed to continuing Oak Hill Hospital’s unprecedented growth and expansion efforts.”
Prior to joining St. Petersburg Hospital, Wicker was CEO for CHS’s Brooksville Hospital. His healthcare career expands more than 22 years and includes serving as CEO of River Park Hospital in McMinnville, Tennessee and positions at other HCA Healthcare facilities including chief operating officer (COO) at Doctors Hospital in Augusta, COO at Ocala Regional Medical Center, and associate administrator at Fairview Park Hospital.
“Ken is a highly respected leader who joined St. Petersburg Hospital in April 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic. His knowledge of the Tampa Bay market was instrumental to his success in navigating the hospital through this crisis and positioning it for future growth,” explained Tim Burroughs, chief administrative officer for HCA Healthcare West Florida Division. “We wish him the best in his new position and are actively recruiting for his replacement.”
Ken earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Finance from the University of South Carolina and his Master in Business Administration and Master in Health Sciences from the University of Florida. His past community involvement in Hernando County has included being active in the Brooksville Rotary Club, Board of Hernando Progress, Relay for Life Hospital Chairman, and the Champions Club Advisory Council. He and his wife Kimberly have a son Carson and daughter Christine.
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About HCA Healthcare West Florida Division
HCA Healthcare West Florida Division is part of the HCA Florida Healthcare family providing 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 last year. HCA Healthcare West Florida includes 15 hospitals, 27 ER locations, 13 ambulatory surgery centers, numerous physician practices, graduate medical education programs, a regional lab, and consolidated service center. Our hospitals include HCA Florida Bayonet Point Hospital, HCA Florida Blake Hospital, HCA Florida Brandon Hospital, HCA Florida Citrus Hospital, HCA Florida Englewood Hospital, HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital, HCA Florida Largo Hospital, HCA Florida Northside Hospital, HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital, HCA Florida Pasadena Hospital, HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital, HCA Florida South Shore Hospital, HCA Florida South Tampa Hospital, HCA Florida St. Petersburg Hospital and HCA Florida Trinity Hospital.
About HCA Florida Healthcare
HCA Florida Healthcare, a part of HCA Healthcare, is a family of more than 450 affiliated sites of care, including hospitals, physician practices, freestanding emergency rooms and urgent care centers, offering a collaborative network of personalized care. United as a statewide network in 2021, HCA Florida Healthcare includes approximately 11,000 experienced doctors and 77,000 colleagues working together to deliver high-quality, collaborative care to more than 6.4 million patients each year. HCA Florida Healthcare is committed to improving more lives in more ways and giving back to the communities it serves. The network provided nearly $836.6 million in uncompensated care and invested significantly in innovative technologies and facilities across Florida, including the new $360 million state-of-the-art, multi-specialty HCA Florida University Hospital in Davie, Fla. A strong advocate for the next generation of healthcare professionals, HCA Florida Healthcare is also a major supporter of university-based healthcare programs and residencies and fellowships throughout the Sunshine State. For more information, please visit HCAFloridaHealthcare.com.