Bay Medical names new president

PANAMA CITY — Bay Medical Sacred Heart has a new president with Panama City ties, hospital overseers announced on Wednesday.

The Sacred Heart Health System has named Heath Evans as president, after having served as the Panama City hospital’s chief operating officer for the past year. The appointment comes less than a week after Sacred Heart took operational control of the hospital and announced plans to invest $47 million to restore the facility, which was battered by Hurricane Michael.

Evans replaces Scott Campbell, who was appointed president by the hospital’s previous operator, Ardent Health Services, in January.

In Florida, Ascension operates Sacred Heart Health System based in Pensacola and St. Vincent’s HealthCare based in Jacksonville. Before last week’s deal, Bay Medical was a joint venture between Ascension and Ardent, with Ardent acting as the hospital’s operator. Ardent announced in December that it would sell its controlling interest in the hospital to Ascension because of uncertainty following the hurricane.

According to a Wednesday press release, Evans was raised in the Panama City area and began his health care career as a firefighter and paramedic. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in health services administration from the University of Central Florida, Evans earned a master’s degree in business administration and health care administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

“This community means so much to me. … I was raised here, I met my wife here, I served as a firefighter here and now I’m raising my children here,” Evans said in the news release. “I’m honored to be entrusted with the position of leading this wonderful hospital as we work together to rebuild, to grow and to provide this community with compassionate, personalized care.”

Before working at Bay Medical, Evans served as chief operating officer of South Georgia Medical Center in Valdosta. He also served in leadership roles in North Okaloosa Medical Center in Crestview, East Georgia Regional Medical Center in Statesboro and as CEO of Shands Live Oak Regional Medical Center in Live Oak.

“The leaders of Ascension and Sacred Heart are tremendously excited and honored to have someone with Heath’s experience, leadership skills and devotion to the local community to lead Bay Medical Sacred Heart into a new and exciting future,” Tom VanOsdol, president and CEO of Ascension Florida, said in the news release. “The hospital, its staff and physicians, and the entire community are facing extraordinarily difficult challenges in the wake of Hurricane Michael, and in response to these challenges, we’re casting a new vision and charting a new course for the future for healthcare services in Bay County.”

After finalizing its deal with Ardent, Ascension announced it would invest $47 million in Bay Medical to repair hurricane damage and bolster services. The investment includes opening 144 beds in the hospital’s south tower. Improvements to the hospital will include upgrades to information technology and the creation of new space for physician offices and laboratory, imaging and pharmacy services.

Also, the hospital campus will undergo a major cleanup, requiring demolition of some of its buildings. Afterward, there will be more space for parking and potential future growth.

Editor's Note: This story was edited on March 21 to correct the name of Bay Medical's former president.