For the first time in Florida’s history, more than 450 HCA Florida Healthcare affiliated sites of care across the state have united under a shared brand, a transformation that creates a leading collaborative healthcare network throughout the state.
HCA Florida Healthcare connects approximately 11,000 physicians and 77,000 colleagues serving their communities at 49 hospital campuses, more than 350 physician practices and freestanding emergency rooms and more than 50 urgent care centers. New facility names clearly illustrate connection to a unified, collaborative network of caregivers.
Ross Taylor, MD, joined Osceola Regional Medical Center, now known as HCA Florida Osceola Hospital, where he is Chief Medical Officer, two years ago, and the healthcare system’s connected physician network was a major factor in his decision to take the role.
Taylor was first drawn to the medical field due to his natural curiosity to learn about all things living and all things human paired with his drive to make the greatest possible impact on human life. He took an interest in the leadership side of healthcare when, as an orthopedic surgeon, he started spotting opportunities to increase the quality of care and efficiencies in his practice.
“As I developed a desire to lead, I took on roles of increasing responsibility over time, first as president of my orthopedics practice, then leadership roles within the medical community in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and then with the South Carolina Orthopedic Association,” Taylor said. “I really grew into the opportunity that was presented to me with HCA. Before joining HCA Florida Osceola Hospital, I realized there was an opportunity to borrow from my other experiences and apply them to a local hospital. HCA is well known for its quality and driving that quality using data to implement best practices and achieve better outcomes within the overall healthcare system.”
In the nearly two years since he joined the hospital, Taylor has led his team to reduce hospital-acquired infections, patient mortalities and C-section rates and improve lengths of stay.
“Everything I have done is really more of a credit to those around me,” Taylor said. “I have the opportunity to lead a tremendously talented team in quality and safety, who have been key in implementing best practices at the hospital and unit level.”
Being part of HCA Florida Healthcare’s physician network doesn’t just benefit the physicians, it also benefits patients across the state – particularly through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Across the HCA system, early in the pandemic, HCA hospitals were situated in areas, like Texas and Florida, where the local effects were particularly pronounced,” Taylor said. “HCA was brilliant in taking what was learned in caring for those patients early in the pandemic when there was no playbook and creating a network with which that knowledge could be shared across all HCA hospitals. We were on phone calls every day to learn the latest techniques and bringing that to our physicians at the bedside. We had regular town halls at the national, divisional and local level to ensure those best practices were disseminated. We had a very robust experience with COVID and outcomes that stand up as some of the best in the world.”
However, the pandemic isn’t the only area where this type of communication and learning occurs.
“When it comes to trauma, stroke and heart attack care, three areas where HCA hospitals also excel, we’re constantly sharing best practices across the network to promote better outcomes,” he said. “We are part of the largest physician learning network in the world and part of a healthcare system that promotes learning through artificial intelligence in ways that improve patient care. By leveraging that innovation, the scale of 450 affiliated sites of care and the experience of 11,000 physicians, we are able to bring all of our best practices to the bedside in Central Florida to provide the highest level of care for our patients,” he continued. “That connectedness brought me here and it’s why I stay.”
