Orlando Health last week named Dan Bowen president of Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital.
Bowen will work with Ohme Entin, who was tasked with overseeing the three Florida East Coast hospitals Orlando Health purchased in October 2024 from Steward Healthcare as part of Steward’s bankruptcy liquidation.
Orlando Health kept the Sebastian and West Melbourne hospitals open, but shuttered the Rockledge hospital in April 2025, declaring it too old to renovate up to current health, building and safety standards.
Ron Bierman was the last executive to lead the Sebastian hospital from January 2020 to his departure in 2024 amid Steward auctioning off its network of hospitals across the nation.
Bowen, who is not a medical doctor but holds an MBA and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives credential, took over the 145-bed hospital on Jan. 19, but declined this paper’s request for an interview or answers to specific questions.
Given the opportunity, this paper would have asked Bowen about the status of major capital improvements and equipment repairs undertaken at the hospital in 2024 and 2025 following the Orlando Health takeover from Steward, and if he plans to engage the community Board of Directors in hospital operations.
In a statement released by Orlando Health, Bowen said, “Sebastian River Hospital plays a vital role in the health and wellbeing of this community. I’m honored to join the Orlando Health East Region and excited to work alongside our physicians, team members and community partners to build on the hospital’s strong foundation while advancing access, quality and patient-centered care.”
According to the press release, Bowen brings 25 years of private sector and military healthcare administration experience, serving most recently as chief operating officer for Piedmont Medical Center in South Carolina.
Prior to that, Bowen “spent 21 years in the United States Air Force, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. During his military career, Bowen led large-scale medical logistics, equipment management and construction initiatives at the Air Force’s largest medical center at Travis Air Force Base in California,” the release said.
According to a June 12, 2024, Piedmont Medical Center press release announcing his hire as COO in South Carolina, Bowen earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, and received his MBA from Webster University.
East Region head Entin said in a prepared statement, “As Orlando Health continues to invest in the East Region, Dan’s leadership will be instrumental in expanding services, strengthening clinical excellence and meeting the increasing healthcare needs of the communities we serve.”
