HCA Florida Memorial Hospital named Chris Kovacs as its new chief operating officer.
He will relocate from another HCA hospital, Memorial Satilla Health in Waycross, Georgia, and will begin his new role in Jacksonville on Aug. 1.
“Chris has an extensive operational and leadership background that pairs well with our vision and strategy for the future,” HCA Florida Memorial Hospital CEO Reed Hammond said in a July 2 news release.
Kovacs began his career in health care as an emergency room registrar at Advent Health in Palm Coast. After graduating from the University of Florida, Kovacs was selected for an executive residency program with HCA Healthcare at HCA Florida North Florida Hospital in Gainesville.
Kovacs was vice president of operations at HCA Florida Fort Walton for two years. In 2022, he became the COO at Memorial Satilla Health.
Kovacs attended the University of North Florida, receiving a bachelor’s in political science with a minor in history. He received a master’s degree in health care administration from the University of Florida.
HCA Florida Healthcare, comprises 48 hospitals, 77,000 employees and 11,000 physicians at more than 570 care sites, 50 urgent care centers and more than 350 physician practices and freestanding emergency rooms.
HCA Florida Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville is a full-service, acute care, Level II trauma hospital with 454 inpatient beds, three freestanding emergency rooms and a Women’s Center.