July, 28, 2025 – HCA Florida Highlands Hospital is pleased to announce the appointment of David Was as its new chief executive officer, effective July 28, 2025. Was brings nearly two decades of extensive healthcare leadership experience to his new role, with a strong focus in operational excellence, strategic growth, and fostering a positive workplace culture.
Was most recently served as chief operating officer (COO) of HCA Healthcare’s Live Oak Mental Health & Wellness. In this role, he led the opening of the newly constructed $48M freestanding 60-bed behavioral health facility in Charleston, South Carolina and oversaw all construction of the project.
In his prior roles, Was served as COO of HCA Florida Aventura Hospital in Miami-Dade County and HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital in the Orlando area. At HCA Florida Aventura Hospital, he notably drove improvements in colleague retention and championed a high-performing workplace culture, reflected in excellent employee engagement throughout many areas of the hospital.
“David has demonstrated a proven ability to drive transformational change, exceed customer expectations and deliver strong financial and operational performance in competitive, growth-oriented markets,” said Charles Gressle, president of HCA Healthcare’s East Florida Division. “We are confident that under his leadership, HCA Florida Highlands Hospital will continue to elevate the quality of care and service we provide to the Sebring community and beyond.”
Was earned his bachelor’s degree and an MBA from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and has been active in each of the communities in which he has served.
About HCA Florida Highlands Hospital
HCA Florida Highlands Hospital is a 126-bed acute care facility accredited by The Joint Commission. Key services include orthopedic and spine care, urology, cardiac catheterization, and vascular, gynecological and minimally-invasive surgeries. Additionally, the facility is also home to a dedicated senior emergency room. Proudly serving the Sebring community since 1965, HCA Florida Highlands Hospital aims to provide high-quality, exceptional patient care.
About HCA Florida Healthcare
HCA Florida Healthcare, a part of HCA Healthcare, is a family of more than 650 affiliated sites of care, including hospitals, physician practices, freestanding emergency rooms and urgent care centers. As one of the state’s leading healthcare networks, HCA Florida Healthcare’s 11,100 experienced doctors and more than 84,000 colleagues work together to deliver equitable, evidence-based collaborative care through more than 12 million patient encounters annually. HCA Florida Healthcare is committed to improving more lives in more ways and giving back to the communities it serves. In 2024, the network provided more than $1 billion in uncompensated care and contributed more than $3.7 million to community organizations across the state. In addition, HCA Florida Healthcare offers patients access to highly trained specialists, including the state’s most comprehensive cardiovascular network. A strong advocate for the next generation of healthcare professionals, HCA Florida Healthcare is a leader in in training future healthcare professionals, offering 151 Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs at 27 different hospitals with more than 2,400 residents. For more information, please visit HCAFloridaHealthcare.com.
