AdventHealth
Adventist Health System Sunbelt Healthcare Corporation, commonly known as AdventHealth, is a nonprofit health care organization affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Headquartered in Altamonte Springs, Florida, the organization operates health care facilities across multiple states in the United States and is the largest not-for-profit Protestant health care system in the country.
AdventHealth is a founding member of Coalition for Health AI and theTrustworthy and Responsible AI Network. In 2021, it ranked as the second-largest hospital network in Florida, and by February 2023, it was listed as the fifteenth-largest hospital system nationwide. As of December 2025, AdventHealth operates 57 hospitals across nine states, spanning 55 campuses.
On January 2, 2019, Adventist Health System Sunbelt Healthcare Corporation, also known as Adventist Health System/Sunbelt Inc. and Adventist Health System rebranded its facilities under the trade name AdventHealth. The rebranding excluded certain facilities in Colorado, Illinois and Texas that were operated through joint ventures.
In March 2022, AdventHealth became the first hospital network to receive the Emerald Award from the Leapfrog Group, recognizing achievements in health care quality and safety. On September 1, 2022, the organization announced the development of a new rapid diagnostic test to quickly detect Naegleria fowleri, commonly referred to as a brain-eating amoebas. In November 2024, AdventHealth was ranked first on Gartner's Healthcare Supply Chain Top 25 list, marking its first time achieving the top position.
History
Early history
On February 15, 1973, Southern Adventist Health and Hospital Systems, Inc. was founded at Florida Hospital Orlando. The organization unified nine hospitals across the Southern Union Conference, bringing together facilities that had operated independently for decades. The system later adopted the name Adventist Health System Sunbelt Healthcare Corporation.In late May 1999, Adventist Health System withdrew from negotiations to purchase three hospitals in the Tampa Bay area from Tenet Healthcare. The decision followed disagreement over valuation, with Tenet reportedly seeking between $200 to $250 million for the facilities.
Mardian J. Blair served as president and chief executive officer of Adventist Health System from 1984 until his retirement on January 1, 2000. He was succeeded by Thomas L. Werner, who had been selected for the role in August 1999.
2005-2018
In early November 2005, Thomas L. Werner announced his retirement as president and CEO of Adventist Health System. He was succeeded by Donald L. Jernigan, who was appointed to the position in late February 2006 and officially took office on March 1.During Jernigan's tenure, the organization relocated its corporate headquarters from Winter Park, Florida, to a new administrative campus in Altamonte Springs. The first phase, a five-story office building, opened in 2011 and received a Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The second office building opened in 2013.
On April 16, 2012, Adventist Health System joined the program Partnership for Patients from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
In late July 2016, construction began on a five-story office building and a seven-story parking garage, the third office building opened in 2018. Before moving to Altamonte Springs, Adventist Health System had its headquarters in Winter Park, Florida. On August 18, Jernigan announced his retirement.
On December 7, Adventist Health System board of directors chose Terry Shaw as president and CEO, he took office the same day.
In late April 2017, Adventist Health System had chosen David Ottati to be CEO for its rearranged Central Florida Division - North Region. He took office on May 1, replacing Florida Hospital East Florida Region CEO Rob Fulbright who died of a cardiac event at forty-seven.
On August 14, 2018, Adventist Health System announced that it would be rebranding its facilities to AdventHealth. Adventist Health System for two years had been working on rebranding, starting with a committee to study the topic.
At the time of the announcement it had forty-six hospital campuses and 80,000 employees.
The name change will make it easier for patients using the hospital networks new medical app, to schedule an appointment and to find a location.
2019-present
On January 2, 2019, its subsidiaries Florida Hospital, Gordon Hospital, Manchester Memorial Hospital, Metroplex Health System, Park Ridge Health and Shawnee Mission Health rebranded to AdventHealth. Except for its facilities in Colorado, Illinois and Texas that were part of joint ventures.On August 28, AdventHealth unveiled its command center which is named Mission Control. The command center was built for $20 million at AdventHealth Orlando's campus. GE Healthcare helped to build Mission Control, which is the largest command center and the second in Florida. Mission Control helps to keep track of the patients at AdventHealth's hospitals in central Florida. It is operated by 50 nurses, EMS, flight dispatchers, transport techs and other specialists. It will reduce a patients time in the ER and in a hospital bed.
Beginning in 2020, AdventHealth in central Florida hired 10,000 nurses to fill a predicted future shortage. It created a Nursing Advisory Panel to get input from nurses, they told the hospital network that they wanted more money and to continue their education. As a result, AdventHealth was investing a total of $140 million to improve the pay and education of its nurses.
On January 6, 2021, AdventHealth announced that Daryl Tol president and CEO of AdventHealth Central Florida Division had resigned. On January 14, it had chosen Randy Haffner to be the new president and CEO of its Central Florida Division. He took office on February 1. On August 19, AdventHealth announced that Mike Schultz president and CEO of AdventHealth West Florida Division would retire at the end of the year and that he would be replaced by David Ottati.
In late July 2023, AdventHealth created an AI Advisory Board which would be meeting every month to incorporate new AI technology into healthcare.
In early March 2024, AdventHealth launched its AirStar 1 helicopter to transport patients faster from its smaller hospitals to larger hospitals. Originally AdventHealth West Florida Division had relied on other companies for transporting patients. AirStar 1 will be based at Lakeland Linder International Airport and it will serve both the West and Central Florida Divisions.
In late March, AdventHealth had chosen Rajan Wadhawan to be chief clinical officer for its West Florida Division. He took office on April 21.
In late June, AdventHealth had chosen Andrew Weinfeld to be chief clinical officer for its East Florida Division. He took office on July 8.
On December 13, AdventHealth announced that its president and CEO Terry Shaw would be retiring.
On April 3, 2025, AdventHealth announced that it had chosen David Banks as president and CEO, he took office the same day. On November 4, AdventHealth had chosen Todd Goodman as chief financial officer, he will take office February 1, 2026, replacing Paul Rathbun who will be retiring.
Founding member
In early March 2024, AdventHealth along with Advocate Health, Boston Children's Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, Duke Health, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Mass General Brigham, MedStar Health, Mercy, Mount Sinai Health System, Northwestern Medicine, Providence, Sharp HealthCare, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Vanderbilt University Medical Center became founding members of Trustworthy and Responsible AI Network with Microsoft as the leader.In late March, AdventHealth along with Florida Blue Foundation, and Gordon Food Service became partners and founding members of the Culinary Health Institute; which was being built on the 4 Roots Farm Campus in Orlando, by John Rivers' founder of 4 Rivers Smokehouse. At the institute AdventHealth, the Orange County Public Schools and Valencia College would be teaching classes.
Also in late March, AdventHealth along with Amazon, Boston Children's Hospital, CVS Health, Duke Health, Google, ideas42, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Kaiser Permanente, Mass General Brigham, Mayo Clinic, MedStar Health, Mount Sinai Health System, Microsoft, National Health Council, Penn Medicine, Providence, Sharp HealthCare, Stanford Medicine, University of California Health System, UNC Health, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Yale New Haven Health System became founding members of Coalition for Health AI.
Former properties
On December 20, 2005, HCA Healthcare agreed to purchase from Adventist Health System Tennessee Christian Medical Center, an office building and a therapy center in Madison, Tennessee. As well as Tennessee Christian Medical Center Portland in Portland, Tennessee. On March 31, 2006, HCA Healthcare acquired the properties for $19.7 million.On January 4, 2013, Buddy LaCour and investors purchased the vacant lot where Florida Hospital Ormond Memorial once stood for $2 million.
On October 31, 2014, Emory-Adventist Hospital in Smyrna, Georgia closed.
On December 29, 2016, Adventist Health System sold its remaining interest of Greeneville Takoma Regional Hospital in Greeneville, Tennessee to Wellmont Health System for $13.5 million.
On February 3, 2020, it was announced that AdventHealth would sell Central Texas Medical Center to Christus Health. On April 1, it joined Christus Health and was rebranded as Christus Santa Rosa Hospital-San Marcos.
In late May 2022, Ormond Holdings LLC/Blackstream Development LLC purchased the vacant lot where Florida Hospital Oceanside stood for $2.05 million.
On June 12, 2023, AdventHealth officially left the nursing home market after it sold 8 facilities in Florida, one in Texas and one in Kansas, due to the high cost of operating the facilities.