BayCare Health System President and CEO Recognized for Transformative Leadership, Workforce Innovations, and Community Impact
New York, April 14, 2026 – TIAA Institute, in collaboration with Becker's Healthcare announced 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 annual award recognizes healthcare leaders whose vision and service reflect an enduring commitment to excellence in healthcare leadership, employee value proposition, and community impact.
"BayCare Health System is recognized as West Central Florida's leading healthcare provider, and Stephanie Conners has been a driving force behind that distinction," said Surya Kolluri, Head of the TIAA Institute. "A nurse by training and a visionary by nature, she has championed the well-being of both patients and team members, proving that the strongest healthcare systems are built on the strength of their people."
TIAA Institute Louise Whitfield Carnegie Award
The award is named in honor of Louise Whitfield Carnegie, a philanthropist whose leadership of the Carnegie Corporation of New York helped to advance health, education, and social progress in early twentieth-century America.
Her husband, Andrew Carnegie, founded TIAA in 1918 to help educators retire securely.
About the Recipient
Under Stephanie D. Conners' leadership, BayCare has grown into the largest academic healthcare provider in West Central Florida, operating 16 hospitals — with a 17th under construction — and hundreds of outpatient facilities serving one-third of the region's healthcare needs. Connors is leading Baycare’s $2.9 billion investment to close gaps across the care continuum, from quaternary care to home-based medicine, guided by her vision of advancing care "from first breath to last breath."
Her leadership has been defined by a deep commitment to the people who deliver care. In a post-pandemic environment, she personally led dozens of town halls and listen-and-learn sessions with physicians and team members across the system. Her innovations include the region's first proton therapy accelerator, a virtual hospital model, an AI partnership to reduce clinician cognitive burden, and a Stress First Aid program developed in partnership with the American Nurses Association Enterprise to support frontline caregiver wellbeing.
Connors began her career early, starting as a hospital volunteer candy striper and bedside nurse before becoming one of the country's youngest chief nurses and one of the first five Six Sigma Black Belts in healthcare. Today, she leads a system of 34,000 team members that returns an estimated $500 million annually in community benefit.
"I am deeply honored and humbled to receive this award," said Stephanie D. Conners. "This recognition reflects our collective commitment to harnessing innovation, investing in our team, and expanding to better serve our communities. It belongs to the 34,000 team members who are the heart of BayCare, and our greatest asset."
The Louise Whitfield Carnegie Award will be bestowed annually by TIAA Institute with recipients selected by an independent panel of judges.
To learn more, visit TIAA’s Awards page.
About TIAA Institute
The TIAA Institute is a think-tank within TIAA, conducting cutting-edge research in the areas of financial literacy and longevity literacy, lifetime income, retirement plan design and behavioral finance in the context of retirement. The Institute provides consulting services for higher education and the broader nonprofit sector. For more information, visit www.tiaainstitute.orgOpens in a new window.
About TIAA
TIAA helps provide secure retirements and outcome-focused investment solutions to millions of people and thousands of institutions. It paid more than $5.9 billion in lifetime income to retired clients in 2024 and has $1.5 trillion in assets under management (as of 12/31/2025).
About Becker’s Healthcare
Becker’s Healthcare is the go-to source for healthcare decision makers and one of the fastest growing media platforms in the industry. Through print, digital, and live event platforms, Becker’s Healthcare equips healthcare leaders with the information and forums they need to learn, exchange ideas and further conversations about the most critical issues in American healthcare.
About BayCare Health System
BayCare Health System is West Central Florida’s leading not-for-profit healthcare provider, comprised of 16 hospitals and hundreds of ambulatory care locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. With 34,000 team members, BayCare delivers high-quality healthcare services to the communities it serves with compassion, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
Learn more about TIAA
Read the latest TIAA news