New Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer

PALM COAST, Fla., January 3, 2018 Florida Hospital Flagler has selected Wally De Aquino to serve as chief operating officer (COO) and Kathy Gover to serve as chief nursing officer (CNO).

Throughout De Aquinos 20-year career, he served in a variety of operational and financial positions. He joined Florida Hospital in 2009 as a business development manager with oversight of several physician practices. During his career at Florida Hospital Flagler, De Aquino was responsible for coordinating the design, construction and operations of the 34,000-square-foot Parkway Medical Plaza and started the walk-in clinic Prompt Care.

In 2014, De Aquino became the senior director of operations for the Florida Hospital Central Divisions South Region, providing leadership for several outpatient services including Florida Hospital Centra Care, outpatient rehabilitation and laboratory services, and Florida Hospital Medical Group.

He earned a Master of Business Administration in Health Care Administration from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. He also earned a bachelors degree in finance from the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth and an associates degree in business administration from Bristol College in Fall River, Massachusetts.

A Palm Coast resident since 2005, De Aquino is an active member of the community. He is currently a volunteer on Florida Hospital Flagler's CREATION Lifeteam and a volunteer soccer coach at Christ the King Lutheran Church and School. Additionally, he served as a board member of the Flagler County Free Clinic and was a former board member of the Community Professional Hospital Association.

Gover began her career at Florida Hospital in 1987 as a graduate nurse in an acute care pediatric unit. Throughout her 30-year nursing career at Florida Hospital and Arnold Palmer Medical Center, she has served in several staff and leadership roles.

Most recently, she served as senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Florida Hospital Orlando, a 1,200-bed, tertiary/quaternary facility. In this role, she was responsible for both critical and palliative care across seven Orlando campuses, as well as a high-volume cardiovascular program, comprehensive neurosurgical services, trauma orthopedics, transplant services, women's perinatal services and oncology.

Gover earned a Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Management from the University of Central Florida in Orlando and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Florida in Gainesville.

She is a member of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), Florida Organization of Nurse Executives (FONE), and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Additionally, she has served on the executive advisory board of the Academy for Creativity and Leadership (ACL) at the University of Central Florida.

About Florida Hospital Flagler

Florida Hospital Flagler is a member of Adventist Health System, a faith-based health care organization with 45 hospital campuses and 8,200 licensed beds in nine states, serving more than 5 million patients annually. With a mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ, Florida Hospital Flagler has 99-beds and is one of the seven Florida Hospitals in Flagler, Lake and Volusia counties that composes the Florida Hospital Central Florida Division - North Region. As the largest hospital system in the area, the Florida Hospital Central Florida Division - North Region has 1,226 beds and more than 7,800 employees.