Nicole B. Thomas named hospital president of Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville

Nicole B. Thomas has been appointed hospital president of Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville. She was the first female and first African American to lead a Baptist Health hospital when she was named Baptist Medical Center South’s president in 2016.

Thomas has served in health care administration for 25 years and joined Baptist Health in 2011 as vice president of operations and specialty services. She was promoted in 2014 to senior vice president of specialty services overseeing neurosciences, orthopedics and oncology. Thomas had primary executive responsibility for the formation of Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2015.

As president of the 271-bed Baptist South, Thomas oversaw the campus expansion project, including a new 8-story patient tower to house an additional 138 patient beds, an 80,000-sq.-ft.medical office building, and a visitor parking garage. She also ignited growth in specialty services at Baptist South, expanding orthopedic and general surgical services, adding 18 maternity suites, opening a Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center satellite location and a 12-bed Wolfson Children’s Hospital Emergency Department to provide care for the entire family close to home. Under Thomas’ leadership, Baptist South has been recognized for its excellent quality, patient experience and team engagement.

“Nicole Thomas is a perfect fit to lead Baptist Jacksonville,” said Michael A. Mayo, DHA, FACHE, president and CEO of Baptist Health. “Her ability to overcome challenges, combined with her results-driven nature and collaborative leadership style, will take Baptist Jacksonville to the next level in providing the highest quality patient care possible.”

"I'm thrilled to have Nicole at the helm of Baptist Jacksonville," said Matt Zuino, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Baptist Health. "She is an exemplary leader who has proven her dedication to caring for our patients, building strong teams and serving the community."

Baptist Jacksonville is the largest Baptist Health hospital with 489 beds and 4,400 team members. Though the search process is well underway, a hospital president for Baptist South has not yet been named.

“It is an honor to be appointed to serve in an even bigger way, impacting the lives of patients and their families in our community,” said Thomas. “I look forward to joining Baptist Jacksonville’s team members and physicians to further the hospital’s mission of providing safe, high-quality, compassionate health care. I am truly blessed to have a career that allows me to be part of the healing experience.”

Thomas was named among Modern Healthcare magazine’s Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare in 2018 and 2020 and one of 70 African American leaders in health care to know by Becker’s Hospital Review in 2020. She was also named a Woman of Vision by Girls Inc, Woman on the Move by ONYX magazine and was honored by the Northeast Florida Girl Scout Council as one of its Women of Distinction.

She is an engaged member of the community, volunteering and holding leadership roles in several local organizations. Thomas is a member of the board of directors for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Jacksonville branch, the board of directors of Tiger Academy and serves on the OneJax Advisory Board. In addition, she was the first chapter president of the North Florida Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives. She currently serves on the senior advisory council of the Florida chapter of the National Association of Health Services Executives and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Thomas has been honored for her community advocacy and leadership work on numerous occasions. She was named a Woman of Influence by the Jacksonville Business Journal and received a Women in Business Award from the Jacksonville Women's Network. Thomas received the National Women of Achievement Profiles of Prominence and the American College of Healthcare Executives Regent's Senior Healthcare Executive Award. A fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, Thomas has a Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she was a Minority Merit Scholar and Institute for Diversity in Healthcare Management Scholarship recipient. Thomas received a Bachelor of Science in Public Health Administration from Dillard University in New Orleans. She is also a graduate of Leadership Jacksonville.