Khelsea Bauer named president/CEO for AdventHealth DeLand

AdventHealth has named Khelsea Bauer president/CEO for AdventHealth DeLand, effective Feb. 23.

In this role, Bauer will oversee the 170-bed campus and lead the team that cared for nearly 130,000 patients, performed 3,500 surgeries and earned recognition from the Leapfrog Group as one of the nation’s safest hospitals, receiving both an “A” grade and a Top Hospital distinction in 2024.

Bauer will report to Lorenzo Brown, president/CEO for AdventHealth operations in west Volusia, north Lake and south Sumter counties.

“Khelsea has been a part of the East Florida Division family for several years, living our mission and making a memorable impact in each role she’s been asked to serve in,” Brown said. “With her diverse background and her passion for collaboration, driving results and cultivating wholehearted teams, I know she will serve our DeLand team and communities well as we seek to deliver quality, whole-person care -- every person, every time.”

With nearly 10 years of leadership experience at AdventHealth, Bauer currently serves as the chief operating officer for AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach.

Since stepping into that role in 2021, Bauer has overseen several key initiatives that helped grow and elevate the experience at AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach, including investing more than $3 million in campus improvements, new imaging and surgical equipment and launching the hospital’s first robotic surgery program in January 2023.

Prior to that, she served in a variety of leadership roles, including director of operations at AdventHealth Fish Memorial and director of strategic program management for the East Florida Division.

"I am honored to step into this role and look forward to working alongside the dedicated AdventHealth DeLand team as we continue to extend our promise of wholeness to our community,” Bauer said. “Together, we will build on our strong foundation to deliver high-quality, faith-based health care in support of our mission.”

Bauer earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish for International Trade from Andrews University in Michigan and a Master of Business Administration from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida.

As a New Smyrna Beach resident, Bauer actively contributes to community development, including serving on the city’s task force focused on addressing homelessness and leading AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach’s Caring for the Caregiver Committee, which focuses on community service and team recognition activities.

She is also a board member of the Edgewater Economic Development Board and the Southeast Volusia Chamber of Commerce. She is an active member of her church community, serving as board member and elder.

Outside of work, she enjoys using her musical talents playing the violin with her local church praise team, traveling and going on adventures with her family.