Health Care
Brett Aldridge Tapped as Successor
After 34 years at Baptist and 14 as its leader, Faulkner will hand the reins to a Pensacola native who has run day-to-day operations since 2023.
Mark Faulkner, president and CEO of Baptist Health Care, announced today that he will retire on June 30, 2027. The Baptist Board of Directors has named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Brett Aldridge as the next president and CEO, effective July 1, 2027.
Aldridge will be the organization’s fifth CEO in its 75-year history.
The Outgoing CEO
A long run at the top. Faulkner has spent 34 years at Baptist, the past 14 as president and CEO. Baptist describes him as “raised and rooted in Northwest Florida” and credits him with guiding the area’s only locally based health care system through a period of significant growth and transformation.
A statewide and national role. Faulkner currently serves on the Florida Hospital Association Board of Trustees, where he previously served as chairman. He is also a member of the American Hospital Association Regional Policy Board.
“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve as Baptist Health Care’s President and CEO.”
Mark Faulkner
The Incoming CEO
A hometown hire. Aldridge is a Pensacola native who joined Baptist in 2010 with the Andrews Institute Research Foundation. He then moved into system leadership roles in strategy and operations before becoming executive vice president and chief operating officer in 2023.
The record Baptist cites. According to the announcement, Aldridge has improved operational metrics since taking the COO job. Baptist points to:
- Top scores in patient satisfaction
- Improved employee retention
- Record financial results
- The area’s only 4-star CMS quality results
Baptist also says he led its COVID response and the move to the new Baptist Hospital campus.
“Following a thorough and intentional selection process, Brett is the clear choice to lead us into the future.”
Dave Cleveland, Chair, Baptist Health Care Board of Directors
Key dates
- June 30, 2027: Faulkner’s retirement takes effect
- July 1, 2027: Aldridge becomes president and CEO
- Until then: Faulkner and Aldridge work together on the transition
A Planned Handoff
Eight months of overlap. Baptist says the move concludes an “intentional, multi-year succession process.” Faulkner and Aldridge will work closely together until June 30, 2027, to keep what the organization calls its strong momentum going.
What the announcement does not say. The release offers no detail on how the board’s selection process worked, whether outside candidates were considered, or what Faulkner’s post-retirement role, if any, will be. Those are fair questions for a system of Baptist’s size and community footprint.
Aldridge said his focus will remain on “investing in our people, strengthening our culture, advancing clinical excellence” and keeping Baptist a trusted source of care.