Baptist Health Care CEO to Retire in 2027
Brett Aldridge, currently executive vice president and COO, will succeed Mark Faulkner as president and CEO on July 1, 2027.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in People
Baptist Health Care President and CEO Mark Faulkner has announced his retirement effective June 30, 2027. The Board of Directors has named Executive Vice President and COO Brett Aldridge as his successor, effective July 1, 2027.
Why it matters
The leadership transition gives Baptist Health Care a planned handoff from a long-serving chief executive to an internal successor. Aldridge's appointment keeps continuity within the organization as the system prepares for its next chapter in Pensacola.
Faulkner has led Baptist Health Care for 14 years after 34 years with the organization, while Aldridge will become only the fifth CEO in the system's 75-year history. The announcement does not address whether any operational targets will change under new leadership.
The players
Baptist Health Care
A Pensacola-based health system that has earned top patient satisfaction scores and the area's only 4-star CMS quality rating.
Mark Faulkner
Baptist Health Care's outgoing president and CEO, who currently serves on the Florida Hospital Association Board of Trustees and previously chaired that board.
Brett Aldridge
Baptist Health Care's incoming president and CEO, currently serving as executive vice president and COO and a Pensacola native.
The details
Faulkner announced his retirement in a prepared statement, and the Baptist Health Care Board of Directors subsequently named Aldridge as successor. Aldridge joined the organization in 2010 with the Andrews Institute Research Foundation and assumed his current role in 2023.
Timeline
2010: Brett Aldridge joins Baptist Health Care with the Andrews Institute Research Foundation.
2023: Aldridge assumes his current role as executive vice president and COO.
June 30, 2027: Mark Faulkner's retirement takes effect.
July 1, 2027: Brett Aldridge becomes president and CEO.
Leadership Context
Mark Faulkner's service as chairman and current membership on the Florida Hospital Association Board of Trustees link Baptist Health Care's leadership to statewide hospital governance. The planned handoff to Brett Aldridge keeps the system's executive role within its own internal leadership pipeline.
Patients and families using Baptist Health Care's services should see no immediate change from the leadership announcement, as the transition is scheduled for mid-2027. The timeline gives the system well over a year to manage the handoff before the new CEO takes over.
The takeaway
Planned succession gives Baptist Health Care a clear, internal path to its next chief executive. Patients and local residents can expect continuity in leadership as the system transitions in mid-2027.
What happens next
Mark Faulkner's retirement takes effect June 30, 2027, and Brett Aldridge becomes president and CEO on July 1, 2027.
Further reading
Explore more People coverage in Pensacola to follow other leadership moves in the local business community.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Pensacola News Journal.
