Baptist Health Announces Key Leadership Appointments Across Several South Florida Hospitals
CORAL GABLES, FL — March 23, 2026 — Baptist Health has announced several leadership appointments that will support continued growth and operational excellence across the health system’s network. Carlos Hernandez, Nathaniel Ortiz and Drew Grossman will assume new leadership roles beginning May 1, and Raymond Perez has been named executive director of the new Baptist Health Rehabilitation Hospital.
“These leaders reflect our mission-driven culture and commitment to high-quality care and exceptional service,” said Glenn Waters, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Baptist Health. “We are confident they will continue to build on the strong foundation across our system while advancing our strategic priorities and serving the ever-evolving healthcare needs of our communities.”
Carlos Hernandez Named CEO of Baptist Health Doctors Hospital
Carlos Hernandez has been named chief executive officer of Baptist Health Doctors Hospital. He will also serve as executive leader for Baptist Health Orthopedics, strengthening partnerships with South Florida’s premier professional and collegiate sports organizations, including the Miami HEAT, Miami Dolphins, Inter Miami CF and Florida Panthers.
Hernandez most recently served as vice president and chief operating officer for Baptist Health Doctors Hospital and Baptist Health West Kendall Baptist Hospital, where he helped lead strong performance in financial stewardship, quality and safety, patient experience and team engagement.
Nathaniel Ortiz Named CEO of Baptist Health West Kendall Baptist Hospital
Nathaniel Ortiz has been named chief executive officer of Baptist Health West Kendall Baptist Hospital. Ortiz currently serves as chief operating officer at Baptist Health Baptist Hospital and has extensive experience leading complex clinical operations, strategic growth initiatives and large-scale capital projects.
In his current role, Ortiz has helped strengthen operations while advancing innovation across key service lines. He has served as administrative lead for the Surgical Services Steering Committee and chaired the Surgical Technology Committee, where he led the implementation of LeanTaaS, an advanced analytics, data-driven software platform, to support surgical volume growth and operational efficiency.
Drew Grossman Named CEO Advisor for Baptist Health Sunrise Hospital
Drew Grossman will serve as CEO Advisor for Baptist Health Sunrise Hospital, helping guide the hospital’s operational framework as construction progresses. Groundbreaking for Sunrise Hospital recently took place, and the facility is scheduled to open in early 2029.
Grossman will continue in his current role as chief executive officer for Baptist Health Fishermen’s Community Hospital and Baptist Health Mariners Hospital in the Florida Keys while taking on this additional responsibility.
Raymond Perez Named Executive Director of Baptist Health Rehabilitation Hospital
Raymond Perez has been named executive director of the new Baptist Health Rehabilitation Hospital, opening August 2026 in South, Miami, Florida. The new joint-venture rehabilitation hospital with Lifepoint Rehabilitation, an operating division of Lifepoint Health, is a three-story, 100,000-square-foot facility featuring 62 private inpatient rooms that significantly expands our system’s capacity to meet growing community demand for high-quality inpatient rehabilitation care.
Ray brings more than 15 years of leadership in inpatient and post-acute rehabilitation, most recently serving as administrative director of rehabilitation services at Baptist Health Homestead Hospital. In that role, he led a team of more than 150 multidisciplinary professionals and drove significant growth in rehabilitation services, while advancing quality, patient satisfaction and key accreditation milestones.
For more information on Baptist Health leadership, please visit Executive Leadership | Baptist Health South Florida.
About Baptist Health
Baptist Health is the largest healthcare organization in the region, with 12 hospitals, more than 29,000 employees, 4,500 physicians and 200 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities and physician practices spanning across Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Baptist Health has internationally renowned institutes specializing in cancer care, brain and spine care, heart and vascular care and orthopedic care. In addition, it includes Baptist Health Medical Group; Baptist Health Quality Network; and The Baptist Health PineApp, a virtual health platform. Baptist Health South Florida is an academic and clinical affiliate of Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. A not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy and committed to its faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence, Baptist Health has been recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and is the most awarded healthcare system in South Florida by U.S. News and World Report. For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net/Newsroom and connect with us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.
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