Nicole Thomas will become the first female at Jacksonville, Fla.-based Baptist Health to hold the title of hospital president.
She will replace Ron Robinson, who is retiring as president of 269-bed Baptist Medical Center South in Jacksonville, Baptist Health's second-largest hospital.
Ms. Thomas joined Baptist Health in 2011 as vice president of operations and specialty services. In 2014, she was promoted to senior vice president of specialty services with oversight of neurosciences, orthopedics and oncology. Most recently, she had primary executive responsibility for Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center, a partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, according to a news release. Baptist MD Anderson will open a new facility in 2018.
During her tenure, Baptist Health's neurosciences program saw significant growth including the creation of the Stroke & Cerebrovascular Center at Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville; primary stroke center certification at Baptist Health's community hospitals; comprehensive stroke center designation for Baptist Jacksonville; and the launch of the Baptist Neurological Institute, according to a news release. Additionally, she led the program and introduction of robot-assisted partial knee replacement surgery.
Prior to joining Baptist Health, Ms. Thomas was with St. Luke's Episcopal Health System in Houston leading the surgical services line and developing its primary care network, including opening the first St. Luke's Medical Clinic, the news release states.
Ms. Thomas earned a master's degree in healthcare administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a bachelor's degree in public health administration from Dillard University in New Orleans.
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