Krista Hatley
Krista Hatley
April 28, 2025
April 21, 2025 – HCA Florida Lake City Hospital today announced the appointment of Krista Hatley as chief nursing officer (CNO), effective April 21. In her new role, Hatley will oversee all nursing units the 141-bed full-service medical and surgical acute care hospital and its affiliated freestanding emergency room, HCA Florida Suwannee Emergency, located in Live Oak.
“Krista’s expertise and background knowledge will be critical in shaping the strategic direction of our nursing operations, ensuring our community continues to receive the highest standard of care,” said Jill Adams, chief executive officer of HCA Florida Lake City Hospital. “She embodies the qualities of an exceptional healthcare leader. Her leadership and collaboration with clinical and support teams will be instrumental in advancing HCA Healthcare’s mission to care for our patients and colleagues like family.”
Hatley most recently served as the assistant chief nursing officer (ACNO) at HCA Florida North Florida Hospital. Key initiatives that Hatley has been pivotal in leading as ACNO are the execution of patient care experience, supporting new nurses through implementation of new programs, and taking on the role of the executive clinical lead for the hospital’s new Sarah Cannon Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program.
“I am honored to join the incredible team at HCA Florida Lake City Hospital and step into this role at such an exciting time in our hospital’s growth,” said Krista Hatley, chief nursing officer of HCA Florida Lake City Hospital. “With the addition of the new two-story patient tower—bringing 28 additional beds to our intensive care and surgical recovery units and expanding our capacity to 141 beds—we are better positioned than ever to elevate care. My top priority will be ensuring an exceptional patient experience, and I’m committed to supporting our nurses and staff as we continue to deliver compassionate care to our community.”
In August 2017, Hatley started at HCA Florida North Florida Hospital as the director of the neonatal intensive care unit and was promoted director of women’s and children’s after only four months. After a year in the director role, she was promoted to vice president of women’s and children’s and remained in that role until she accepted the ACNO opportunity in 2022.
Hatley has been with HCA Healthcare for seven years and has 19 years’ experience in various nursing fields. She earned a bachelor’s of science in nursing from East Tennessee State University and is currently continuing her education by pursuing a master’s degree in nursing leadership from Galen College of Nursing, with an expected completion date of August 2025.
About HCA Florida Lake City Hospital
HCA Florida Lake City Hospital, a 141-bed acute care hospital serving the communities of Columbia, Hamilton and Suwannee counties for over 65 years. HCA Florida Lake City Hospital is part of HCA Florida Healthcare offering medical and surgical programs including 24-hour emergency care, critical care, heart care, interventional cardiology, orthopedics, cancer care and imaging services. HCA Florida Lake City Hospital is an Accredited Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission and an Accredited Chest Pain Center by the American College of Cardiology.
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.
“Krista’s expertise and background knowledge will be critical in shaping the strategic direction of our nursing operations, ensuring our community continues to receive the highest standard of care,” said Jill Adams, chief executive officer of HCA Florida Lake City Hospital. “She embodies the qualities of an exceptional healthcare leader. Her leadership and collaboration with clinical and support teams will be instrumental in advancing HCA Healthcare’s mission to care for our patients and colleagues like family.”
Hatley most recently served as the assistant chief nursing officer (ACNO) at HCA Florida North Florida Hospital. Key initiatives that Hatley has been pivotal in leading as ACNO are the execution of patient care experience, supporting new nurses through implementation of new programs, and taking on the role of the executive clinical lead for the hospital’s new Sarah Cannon Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program.
“I am honored to join the incredible team at HCA Florida Lake City Hospital and step into this role at such an exciting time in our hospital’s growth,” said Krista Hatley, chief nursing officer of HCA Florida Lake City Hospital. “With the addition of the new two-story patient tower—bringing 28 additional beds to our intensive care and surgical recovery units and expanding our capacity to 141 beds—we are better positioned than ever to elevate care. My top priority will be ensuring an exceptional patient experience, and I’m committed to supporting our nurses and staff as we continue to deliver compassionate care to our community.”
In August 2017, Hatley started at HCA Florida North Florida Hospital as the director of the neonatal intensive care unit and was promoted director of women’s and children’s after only four months. After a year in the director role, she was promoted to vice president of women’s and children’s and remained in that role until she accepted the ACNO opportunity in 2022.
Hatley has been with HCA Healthcare for seven years and has 19 years’ experience in various nursing fields. She earned a bachelor’s of science in nursing from East Tennessee State University and is currently continuing her education by pursuing a master’s degree in nursing leadership from Galen College of Nursing, with an expected completion date of August 2025.
About HCA Florida Lake City Hospital
HCA Florida Lake City Hospital, a 141-bed acute care hospital serving the communities of Columbia, Hamilton and Suwannee counties for over 65 years. HCA Florida Lake City Hospital is part of HCA Florida Healthcare offering medical and surgical programs including 24-hour emergency care, critical care, heart care, interventional cardiology, orthopedics, cancer care and imaging services. HCA Florida Lake City Hospital is an Accredited Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission and an Accredited Chest Pain Center by the American College of Cardiology.
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.