Healthcare Executive David O’Brien Named Market CEO for Kindred Hospitals of South Florida

Experienced operations and nursing leader will oversee specialty hospitals in Coral Cables, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Riviera Beach

RIVIERA BEACH, Florida (Jan. 23, 2024) – David O’Brien, who has spent the past decade as an administrator for operations and nursing at hospitals in South Florida and other parts of the South, was recently named the Market Chief Executive Officer for Kindred Hospitals of South Florida. In his new role, O’Brien oversees all strategic planning, finances, operations and personnel for Kindred’s four specialty hospitals in the market: Kindred Hospital South Florida – Coral Gables, Kindred Hospital South Florida – Fort Lauderdale, Kindred Hospital South Florida – Hollywood, and Kindred Hospital The Palm Beaches in Riviera Beach.  

As Market CEO for Kindred Hospitals of South Florida, O’Brien is responsible for leading the four long-term acute care hospitals with a combined 265 beds that specialize in treating medically complex patients recovering from serious injury or illness. In addition, Kindred Hospital The Palm Beaches and Kindred Hospital South Florida – Fort Lauderdale each feature an 11-bed inpatient acute rehabilitation unit. O’Brien comes to Kindred Hospitals after serving nearly two years as Administrative Director of Nursing for Baptist Health South Florida Bethesda Hospitals in Boynton Beach.

“It’s an honor to take on the role of Market CEO for Kindred Hospitals of South Florida and to use the administrative and clinical experience I’ve gained throughout my career to help bring high-quality, compassionate care to patients in our communities who are facing complex medical challenges,” O’Brien said. “We have an incredible team of caregivers and staff at our Kindred Hospitals in Fort Lauderdale, Coral Gables, Riviera Beach and Hollywood, and I am fortunate to be in a role that allows me to support and empower them to do what they do best, which is to serve our patients and our communities.”   

O’Brien brings significant experience as a Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer to his new CEO role. From 2017 to ’21, O’Brien had stints as COO at Broward Health Medical Center and Salah Foundation Children’s Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, St. Mary’s Medical Center and Palm Beach Children’s Hospital in West Palm Beach, and Hilton Head (South Carolina) Regional Hospital.  In 2017-18, he was Market COO for Tenet Healthcare for a group of six hospitals in South Carolina and Massachusetts.  O’Brien also has served as CNO for Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center (2015-17) and Coral Gables Hospital (2014-15).

An RN, O’Brien began his healthcare career in New York, where he spent six years in nursing leadership at New York-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center and advanced to the role of Director of Nursing.

“As leading providers of specialty hospital care in South Florida, Kindred Hospitals is thrilled that David O’Brien has joined our team as the new CEO for the South Florida market,” said Mark LaRoche, Senior Vice President, Specialty Hospital Operations, for ScionHealth, which is the parent company of Kindred Hospitals. “David’s broad leadership experience in a range of hospital settings in South Florida and elsewhere – both in administration and as a clinician – will be a tremendous asset in helping our hospitals achieve excellent patient outcomes and business growth.”

O’Brien earned the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing and Master of Health Administration from Phoenix University. He also holds the credential of Nurse Executive Advanced-Board Certified (NEA-BC). He is former chief of the Pearl River (New York) Volunteer Fire Department.