The TIAA Institute, in collaboration with Becker’s Healthcare, is proud to announce Stephanie D. Conners, President and CEO of BayCare Health System, as the inaugural recipient of the Louise Whitfield Carnegie Award for Leadership Excellence in Healthcare. The Award recognizes a healthcare leader whose vision reflects an enduring commitment to excellence, employee value proposition, and community impact.
Conners, a nurse-turned-CEO, has championed transformative workforce initiatives at BayCare, including a nationally recognized Virtual Nurse program that returns valuable time at the bedside to frontline caregivers, a “Stress First Aid” pilot developed with the American Nurses Association Enterprise, and a groundbreaking AI partnership designed to reduce the cognitive burden on clinical staff. Her leadership has driven significant expansion of BayCare’s hospital facilities and deepened the system’s commitment to its 34,000 team members and the communities they serve.
The Award honors the legacy of Louise Whitfield Carnegie, whose philanthropic leadership advanced health, education, and social progress. Her husband, Andrew Carnegie, founded TIAA in 1918.