UF Health creates expanded Northeast Florida system, names three SVP/regional presidents

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — UF Health has named two executives to expanded leadership roles in the Central Florida market and a newly formed Northeast Florida system, joining a recent executive appointment for the Greater Gainesville region.

The regional alignment of UF Health’s clinical enterprise is an important step designed to help manage the significant growth of patient care programs, services, and facilities, officials say.

Hospital system executives will now hold the title of senior vice president and regional president for their respective geographic areas:

• Patrick L. Green, FACHE, will oversee the UF Health St. Johns and the UF Health Jacksonville hospital systems as SVP & Northeast Florida regional president. This includes the new hospital and facilities being built in Durbin Park. Green has served as CEO of UF Health Jacksonville since July 2023.
• Heather B. Long, M.S.N., will become SVP & Central Florida regional president for our UF Health hospitals and outpatient locations in The Villages and Leesburg, including UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital and UF Health Leesburg Hospital, and outpatient locations throughout Lake and Sumter counties. Long has served as CEO of UF Health Central Florida since December 2022.
• Michael D. Holmes, M.H.S., recently appointed to oversee UF Health Shands inpatient and hospital-based outpatient facilities and the UF Health Ocala Neighborhood Hospital, will join UF Health on March 17 as SVP & Greater Gainesville regional president. He is currently the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Yale-New Haven Hospital.

“UF Health has entered an exciting new phase as part of our long-term journey to unify our clinical system of care into a cohesive enterprise with a corporate structure that complements our academic and research endeavors,” said Stephen J. Motew, M.D., M.H.A., FACS, president and system CEO of the UF Health clinical enterprise. “I am confident this change recognizes the wide responsibilities of our leaders at a system level and will help ensure that we reflect the voices and experiences of faculty, community physicians, and staff across the organization, as well as those we collaborate with in the community, leading to a more aligned and patient-centered UF Health focused on clinical excellence.”

Kerry Watson, UF Health St. Johns interim CEO, will depart in June as planned after playing an instrumental role in integrating UF Health St. Johns into the health system, and providing leadership to guide the hospital system’s strategic direction and drive organization performance and growth during a critical transition period these past several months, Motew said. Watson’s departure creates an opportunity to align inpatient and hospital ambulatory care facilities more closely in Jacksonville and St. Johns, given the proximity of these hospital systems to each other

Green has successfully collaborated with the city of Jacksonville and other civic and community leaders, and has led major new initiatives in Northeast Florida. Under his leadership, the organization has made significant progress in advancing the mission of UF Health to better serve the communities in the area.

“I am incredibly excited about this new opportunity for the UF Health system as it will allow us to work even closer together to provide the best possible health care services from Flagler and St. Johns counties to Southeast Georgia,” Green said. “UF Health Jacksonville has proudly served the city and surrounding counties for decades, and now collaborating with UF Health St. Johns as part of this regional market — including UF Health Flagler Hospital and the expansion of the UF Health Durbin Park health campus — is exciting for everyone in the region. I look forward to working with our physician colleagues and staff who have dedicated their careers to providing outstanding care to residents across St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra, and Palm Coast. UF Health will continue to demonstrate our commitment to the growth and development of this great community.”

Long said she is looking forward to continuing to collaborate with civic and community leaders to shape the future of health care in the region and bring the best and brightest minds to addressing patients’ challenging health needs.

“This is an exciting new chapter, not only for UF Health, but for the communities we have the privilege to serve,” said Long. “Unifying our clinical system of care allows us to continue to expand innovative approaches to care locally, while leveraging the advantages of an academic health system, including clinical trials not available elsewhere. For decades, our hospitals in The Villages and Leesburg have been pillars of trusted care for Lake, Sumter, and surrounding counties, and I’m thrilled to continue to build on that proud legacy. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with our dedicated physicians and staff, whose unwavering commitment to excellence continues to transform the lives of our community."

Holmes will oversee UF Health Shands inpatient and outpatient facilities, as well as the UF Health Ocala Neighborhood Hospital. He said he shares in UF Health’s vision for optimizing collaboration across the clinical enterprise to bring the best in compassionate care and world-class outcomes to UF Health’s patients and communities.

“I’m looking forward to collaborating with everyone at UF Health to make a meaningful difference,” Holmes said. “I am committed to fostering a culture of collaboration across our clinical network, where every team member works together to deliver the highest standard of care. By uniting our strengths and expertise, we will continue to optimize outcomes, ensuring that every individual who comes to us receives the world-class care they deserve.”