With a focus on operational excellence and community impact, Thomas J. Gough will help shape the future of Northeast Florida’s most preferred health system.
Jacksonville, Fla., August 12, 2026 – Following a national search, Baptist Health has named Thomas J. Gough as executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO), effective September 14, 2026.
As COO, Gough will serve as a key member of Baptist Health’s executive leadership team, overseeing operations across the health system. Working closely with the President and CEO Matthew A. Zuino, MSIS, FACHE, and other members of the executive leadership team, Gough will guide efforts to advance operational excellence, strengthen quality and patient safety, enhance patient experience and support sustainable growth. He will also help align clinical and operational priorities, expand access to integrated care and ensure Baptist Health continues to meet the evolving needs of the communities it serves.
“Baptist Health is entering a new chapter of growth and innovation and Gough brings the leadership experience needed to help us build for the future,” said Zuino. “By aligning strategy, operational excellence and patient-centered care, he will play a critical role in expanding Baptist Health’s impact on the communities we serve.”
Gough succeeds Zuino in the role following Zuino’s transition from EVP and COO to President and CEO earlier this year.
Gough brings nearly four decades of executive leadership experience and spent the last decade at a nationally recognized health system in North Carolina. As EVP and COO at WakeMed Health and Hospital System in Raleigh, he led the health system through a period of significant growth and transformation. During his tenure, the organization expanded access to cancer care, opened new care locations, improved patient safety and quality outcomes, and advanced innovative approaches that enhanced both patient experience and operational performance. His leadership also contributed to national recognition for clinical excellence, workplace culture, diversity and maternity care, while supporting the system’s commitment to expanding access and serving vulnerable communities.
Prior to his tenure at WakeMed, Gough held senior leadership roles in operations and performance excellence with Care New England, Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. He earned his Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from the University of Minnesota and his Bachelor of Science in Health Planning and Administration from Pennsylvania State University.
“Baptist Health has an outstanding reputation for clinical excellence and a deep commitment to the communities it serves,” said Gough. “What impressed me most was the incredible team who brings the mission to life every day. I’m honored to join an organization with such a strong legacy in serving Northeast Florida. I look forward to working alongside Matt, the leadership team and team members across the system as we build on that foundation and help shape an even stronger future for the patients and communities who count on Baptist Health.”
Gough has served on several health system, foundation and community boards focused on advancing health care quality, innovation and community well-being, including the North Carolina Healthcare Association Board of Trustees and the national Board Advisory Council for Premier, a technology-driven health care improvement company with more than 4,250 member hospitals. A former Academic All-American in Track and Field at Pennsylvania State University, he has remained active in athletics and youth mentorship throughout his career.
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About Baptist Health
Based in Jacksonville, Florida, Baptist Health is a community-based health system focused on making health care easier to access while working to improve health and well-being. As the area’s only locally governed, faith-based, not-for-profit health system, Baptist Health delivers a full spectrum of preventive and specialty care through its 200+ ambulatory locations, six acute care hospitals, home health and virtual care offerings. Through its comprehensive approach to whole-person health for children and adults, Baptist Health provides the area’s largest network of primary care, urgent care and behavioral health care, as well as many specialty services and several wellness centers. Destination centers of excellence include Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center, Baptist Heart Hospital, Baptist Neurological Institute, and Wolfson Children’s Hospital, the only full-service children’s hospital serving the region. To help people get the care they need when and where they need it, the health system leverages digital technology to enhance the delivery of its high-quality, seamless, patient-centered care. Baptist Health is vital to the community, caring for more patients in Northeast Florida than any other provider. The health system has been consistently ranked as “most preferred” for more than 30 years and has been named one of “America’s Greatest Workplaces in Health Care” by Newsweek magazine. To learn more, visit BaptistJax.com.
