Regional health care system, after long search, names new leader

BayCare Health System’s search for a new CEO, which kicked off in February, has concluded with the hiring of Stephanie Conners. She will succeed Tommy Inzina, who plans to retire by the end of the year.

Conners, 50, will also serve as president of Clearwater-based BayCare, west-central Florida’s largest not-for-profit health care provider and one of the region’s largest employers. She began her career as a nurse and is currently executive vice president and COO at Jefferson Health, a large, not-for-profit health care system based in Philadelphia.

“I am humbled and honored to lead such a remarkable organization,” Conners states in a news release. “Its legacy of compassionate care is palpable, and I look forward to helping ensure its future success. It is my personal mission to make a difference in the lives of others.” 

BayCare, the release states, generates nearly $5 billion in annual revenue and has more than 27,700 team members. It primarily operates in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk and Pasco counties and, in addition to its 15 hospitals, it has relationships with more than 5,800 local community physicians and other providers.

“For the board, it was paramount that we find a leader who is committed to BayCare’s legacy of mission-driven, community-focused health care,” BayCare Board Chairman Rick Colón states in the release. “In Stephanie Conners, we see an engaging and compassionate leader who will lead BayCare into its next era of serving the community’s health, our team members and our medical community.”