Adventist Health System Sunbelt Healthcare Corporation (doing business as AdventHealth, and formerly as Adventist Health System initialed as AHS) is an American hospital network. It is headquartered in Altamonte Springs, Florida. It operates healthcare facilities across multiple states. It is the largest Protestant nonprofit organization in the country and is affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
AdventHealth is a founding member of Coalition for Health AI (CHAI) and the Trustworthy and Responsible AI Network (TRAIN). The hospital network is the Official Health Care Provider for Florida Citrus Sports, Legoland Florida Resort, Orlando Magic, Orlando Solar Bears, Orlando Squeeze and Orlando Valkyries; the Official Health Care Partner for Daytona International Speedway; the Official Health and Wellness Partner for the Tampa Bay Lightning; the Official Medical Provider for runDisney and also Osceola Magic . Other partners of AdventHealth are Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Track Shack, USTA National Campus and Walt Disney World.
In 2021, it was the second-largest hospital network in Florida. In February 2026, it was listed as the eleventh-largest hospital system nationwide. As of August 2026, AdventHealth operated 57 hospitals across nine states, spanning 55 campuses. Becker's Hospital Review and Healthcare Dive count only 55 hospitals as they exclude AdventHealth for Children and AdventHealth for Women.
On March 19, 2015, Adventist Health System settled a lawsuit that accused it of violating the False Claims Act for $5.4 million, for unsupervised radiation precedures. On September 21, the hospital network settled multiple lawsuits for a total of $118.7 million, that accused it of violating the Stark Law and False Claims Act. It was the largest settlement ever paid by a hospital network for violating the Stark Law.
On February 19, 2016, the hospital network settled a lawsuit that accused it of violating the False Claims Act for $2.09 million, after one of its hospitals used leftover chemotherapy drugs.
On January 2, 2019, the majority of the medical facilities were rebranded to AdventHealth. The rebranding excluded facilities in Colorado, Illinois, and Texas operated through joint ventures.
In March 2022, the hospital network became the first to receive the Emerald Award from the Leapfrog Group, recognizing achievements in healthcare quality and safety. In April, AdventHealth and Ascension dissolved their joint venture AMITA Health. On September 1, the organization announced a rapid diagnostic test to detect Naegleria fowleri, commonly referred to as brain-eating amoebas.
In August 2023, AdventHealth and CommonSpirit Health dissolved their joint venture Centura Health. In November 2024, AdventHealth ranked first on Gartner's Healthcare Supply Chain Top 25 list, its first time at the top.
In April 2025, David Banks became president and CEO of AdventHealth, replacing Terry Shaw who retired after 40 years with the hospital network.
Structure AdventHealth organizes its hospitals into four divisions.
DivisionPresident/CEOTerm in officeAdventHealth Central FloridaBrian Adams?-PresentAdventHealth East FloridaRob DeiningerMay 4, 2025 – PresentAdventHealth West Florida David OttatiAugust 19, 2021 – PresentAdventHealth Multi-State Andrew JahnApril 1, 2024 – Present
History Early history On February 15, 1973, Southern Adventist Health and Hospital Systems, Inc. was founded at Florida Hospital Orlando. The organization unified nine hospitals across the Southern Union Conference, uniting facilities that had operated independently for decades. The system later adopted the name Adventist Health System Sunbelt Healthcare Corporation. They did this after the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists applied for the trade name Adventist Health System on December 26, 1979.
Mardian J. Blair served as president and CEO of AHS from 1984 until his retirement on January 1, 2000. He was succeeded by Thomas L. Werner.
In 1993, Louis Smith Memorial Hospital in Lakeland, Georgia was sold to Lanier Health Services, Inc. In 1996, the Centura Health joint venture was founded by Adventist Health System and Catholic Health Initiatives. On August 1, 2023, Centura Health was dissolved with Avista Adventist Hospital, Castle Rock Adventist Hospital, Littleton Adventist Hospital, Parker Adventist Hospital, Porter Adventist Hospital in Colorado being rebranded to AdventHealth.
In May 1999, AHS withdrew from negotiations to purchase three hospitals in the Tampa Bay area from Tenet Healthcare. The decision followed disagreement over valuation, with Tenet reportedly seeking between $200 million and $250 million.
2005-2019 In November 2005, Werner was succeeded by Donald L. Jernigan. During Jernigan's tenure, the organization relocated its headquarters from Winter Park, to a new administrative campus in Altamonte Springs. The first phase, a five-story office building, opened in 2011 and received a Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The second office building opened in 2013.
On December 20, 2005, HCA Healthcare agreed to purchase from Adventist Health System, Tennessee Christian Medical Center, a medical office building and a therapy center in Madison, Tennessee. As well as Tennessee Christian Medical Center Portland in Portland, Tennessee. On March 31, 2006, HCA Healthcare purchased the properties for $19.7 million.
On April 16, 2012, Adventist Health System joined the Partnership for Patients program from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
On October 31, 2014, Emory-Adventist Hospital in Smyrna, Georgia closed.
On February 1, 2015, Adventist Midwest Health and Alexian Brothers Health System founded AMITA Health a nine hospital joint venture, the third-largest in Illinois. On April 1, 2022, AMITA Health was dissolved with AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center Bolingbrook, AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center Hinsdale, AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center GlenOaks and AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center La Grange being rebranded to AdventHealth. On May 1, Adventist Health System stopped leasing Jellico Community Hospital, in Jellico, Tennessee after 40 years.
On December 8, 2016, Terry Shaw became president and CEO.
On January 5, 2017, Wellmont Health System purchased Greeneville Takoma Regional Hospital in Greeneville, Tennessee from Adventist Health System for $13.5 million.
In 2018, a five-story office building and a seven-story parking garage were completed. On August 14, AHS announced that it would rebrand itself as AdventHealth. At the time it had forty-six hospital campuses and 80,000 employees.
On January 2, 2019, Florida Hospital, Gordon Hospital, Manchester Memorial Hospital, Metroplex Health System, Park Ridge Health and Shawnee Mission Health rebranded to AdventHealth. Its facilities in Colorado, Illinois, and Texas did not change, as they were managed via joint ventures.
On August 28, the hospital network launched a command center. The facility was built for $20 million on the Orlando campus. GE Healthcare helped build it. At the time it was their largest command center and the second-largest in Florida. Upon opening, Mission Control was staffed by 50 nurses, EMS personnel, flight dispatchers, transport techs, and other specialists. Its mission was better tracking of its patients in central Florida. In November 2019, AdventHealth ended a partnership with University of Central Florida College of Medicine, after it had agreed to become a part owner of a teaching hospital with HCA Healthcare. The partnership with the medical school had started with Florida Hospital in October 2007.
2020-present From 2020 to May 2024, AdventHealth hired 10,000 nurses to fill a predicted future nursing shortage in central Florida. A Nursing Advisory Panel provided input from nurses. The panel asked for more money and to continue nurses' education. AdventHealth invested $140 million to improve pay and education.
On April 1, 2020, the hospital network sold Central Texas Medical Center to Christus Health, which it renamed Christus Santa Rosa Hospital-San Marcos.
COVID-19 On March 5, 2020, AdventHealth began treating its first COVID-19 patient. Later that month AdventHealth received $110 million from the CARES Act to pay for employees during the pandemic. In April, the Director of Pharmacy at AdventHealth Ocala developed a pharmacotherapy regime named ICAM to treat patients. In May, the hospital had a 96.4 percent success with it. ICAM is made up of antibiotics, blood thinners, steroids and vitamins. On April 10, AdventHealth opened its first COVID-19 testing site at Daytona International Speedway. On April 14, it opened a testing site at Daytona State College. On April 15, it opened a testing site at The Mall at Millenia. On April 21, it opened a testing site at Seminole Towne Center. On April 22, it opened a testing site at Adventure Island. On April 23, it opened a testing site at Osceola Heritage Park. On April 25, it opened a testing site at Lake-Sumter State College. On April 28, it opened a testing site at Posner Park. On April 29, it opened a testing site at AdventHealth Center Ice. On May 4, all AdventHealth hospitals in the state resumed elective surgeries; all employees and patients were required to get tested, visitors were limited, and everyone was required to wear a mask. On May 16, AdventHealth Central Florida Division terminated its partnership with COVID-19 testing laboratory MicroGen DX after it failed to deliver on time and gave mishandled 60,000 tests, triggering a Food and Drug Administration investigation. On July 28, Governor Ron DeSantis visited AdventHealth Orlando. He praised it for allowing end-of-life visitation unlike many other hospitals. On December 16, AdventHealth Orlando began administering the Pfizer vaccine, vaccinating over 20,000 frontline workers in Orlando and Celebration, Florida in one day. They shared supplies with HCA Healthcare, Nemours Children's Health and Orlando Health. Also on the same day frontline workers were vaccinated at AdventHealth Tampa, five days later the frontline workers at AdventHealth Daytona Beach were vaccinated and six days later frontline workers at AdventHealth Ocala were vaccinated. On December 23, AdventHealth opened a monoclonal antibody outpatient clinic at AdventHealth Orlando. Patients were treated with Casirivimab/imdevimab and Bamlanivimab.
On January 4, 2021, AdventHealth Central Florida Division moved to "yellow status" and two days later to "red status". On January 15, AdventHealth opened a testing site inside of Orlando International Airport at Terminal A. During the first week of March, AdventHealth honored those who lost their lives to the COVID-19 pandemic by having its medical facilities lights blue during the night.