STEPHANIE CONNERS
PRESIDENT & CEO, BAYCARE HEALTH SYSTEM, CLEARWATER
BayCare is the largest not-for-profit health care system serving West Central Florida, providing services at 16 hospitals and hundreds of other locations. Annually, BayCare dedicates 10% of its revenue to helping those who can’t afford care and improving public health. In 2024, it had $6.27 billion in revenues, 33,000 employees and provided $467 million in community benefit. Conners has served as president & CEO since 2022 and has advocated at the state and federal levels for policies that expand hospital-at-home care, which she says “enhances outcomes, eases stress on families and frees up hospital resources — ensuring better access to acute care for all Floridians.”
EDUCATION: Villanova University (BS), Eastern University (MBA)
FIRST JOB: I dreamed of attending Villanova University and becoming a nurse, inspired by taking care of my grandmother at an early age. Eventually, I became a candy striper and an EMT while excelling in high school. After graduating from Villanova, I began a career as a bedside nurse at the University of Pennsylvania.
SOMETHING SURPRISING: When I leave this world, I don’t want to be remembered for a remarkable career. Instead, I want to be remembered for being a loving mother, devoted wife and someone who made a meaningful difference in the lives of others. My hope is that by living authentically and striving to be the best version of myself, I’ve impacted others. In the end, it’s not titles that matter, but the lives we touch. I want my legacy to be one of love, purpose and humanity.
