Koovakada to oversee operations of Orlando Health’s southcentral region

Orlando Health has named Philip Koovakada as the new senior vice president, Orlando Health southcentral region, and president, Orlando Health – Health Central Hospital. He will serve as the senior leader of Orlando Health – Health Central, as well as coordinate the region’s operations with Orlando Health’s senior executive team.

 Philip comes to Orlando Health from Baptist Health System in San Antonio, Texas, where he served as president and CEO for St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital. Under his leadership St. Luke’s served the community as a comprehensive stroke center, a STEMI/Level IV trauma-receiving organization and a Level IV maternal/Level IV NICU-designated facility by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Prior to his role in San Antonio, Philip served as the chief executive officer for NMC Health Network in Nacogdoches, Texas, and held various leadership roles for Tenet in Nacogdoches and Palm Springs, California. 

 “Philip comes to us with an outstanding background with broad experience in acute and outpatient care, quality improvement, strategic development and operational/financial management,” said Jamal Hakim, MD, chief operating officer Orlando Health. “He will be a dynamic, optimistic, forward-thinking leader, and I’m eager for him to join our team.”

 Koovakada earned a bachelor’s in nursing from the University of St. Francis, a master’s in nursing and a master’s in healthcare administration from California State University Long Beach. He is also a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).

Philip begins his new role April 18.

 About Orlando Health

 Orlando Health, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, is a not-for-profit healthcare organization with $7.6 billion of assets under management that serves the southeastern United States.  Founded more than 100 years ago, the healthcare system is recognized around the world for its pediatric and adult Level One Trauma program as well as the only state-accredited Level Two Adult Trauma Center in the St. Petersburg region. It is the home of the nation’s largest neonatal intensive care unit under one roof, the only system in the southeast to offer open fetal surgery to repair the most severe forms of spina bifida, the site of an Olympic athlete training facility and operator of one of the largest and highest performing clinically integrated networks in the region. Orlando Health has pioneered life-changing medical research and its Graduate Medical Education program hosts more than 350 residents and fellows. The 3,200-bed system includes 16 wholly-owned hospitals and emergency departments; rehabilitation services, cancer and heart institutes, imaging and laboratory services, wound care centers, physician offices for adults and pediatrics, skilled nursing facilities, an in-patient behavioral health facility, home healthcare services in partnership with LHC Group, and urgent care centers in partnership with FastMed Urgent Care. Nearly 4,500 physicians, representing more than 90 medical specialties and subspecialties have privileges across the Orlando Health system, which employs more than 23,000 team members. In FY21, Orlando Health served nearly 160,000 inpatients and nearly 3.6 million outpatients. During that same time period, Orlando Health provided approximately $648 million in total value to the communities it serves in the form of charity care, community benefit programs and services, community building activities and more. Additional information can be found at http://www.orlandohealth.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @orlandohealth.