Baptist Health Care's Mark Faulkner Sets June 2027 Retirement; Brett Aldridge Named Successor

Baptist Health Care President and CEO Mark Faulkner will retire on June 30, 2027, after 14 years leading the system and 34 years with the organization, Yahoo reported. Executive Vice President and COO Brett Aldridge has been named incoming president and CEO effective July 1, 2027.

Faulkner's 14 Years Leading Baptist Health Care

The Baptist Health Care Board of Directors named Aldridge as Faulkner's successor. Aldridge will be the fifth CEO in the system's 75-year history. A Pensacola native, he joined Baptist in 2010 with the Andrews Institute Research Foundation before moving into system leadership roles in strategy and operations, and he took his current role in 2023.

Faulkner said in a prepared statement: "It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve as Baptist Health Care's President and CEO." He also said he has "full confidence in Brett and the entire Baptist team as they carry our mission and the Baptist Way forward."

Faulkner currently serves on the Florida Hospital Association Board of Trustees, having previously been its chairman, and is a member of the American Hospital Association Regional Policy Board. The report described his tenure as a period of significant growth and transformation for the area's only locally based health care system.

Aldridge's Record as COO

Since assuming the COO role in 2023, Aldridge has improved Baptist's operational metrics, according to the report, with the organization receiving top scores in patient satisfaction, improving retention, setting record financial results and earning the area's only 4-star CMS quality results. He has led initiatives including Baptist's COVID response and the move to the new Baptist Hospital campus.

Baptist Health Care's Scale in Northwest Florida

According to akta.pro company records, Baptist Health Care was founded in 1951 and operates three hospitals, four medical parks and the Andrews Institute, with Baptist Hospital, Gulf Breeze Hospital and Jay Hospital among its facilities. The same records describe it as one of the largest non-governmental employers in Northwest Florida. Baptist Hospital was named a 2026 Forbes Top Hospital, and in 2025 Baptist Heart & Vascular Institute became the first in the nation to earn a combined Intersocietal Accreditation Commission accreditation.

Other Health System Leadership Changes

Catholic Health Services named Frank L. Kurre, a deacon and board member, as president and CEO, replacing interim president Gary Havican, Newsday reported on October 28, 2026. Beth Israel Lahey – Anna Jaques Hospital named Kevin McNeil as CFO, Becker's Hospital Review reported on October 26, 2026.