HCA Florida North Florida Hospital announced this week the appointment of Dr. Alex Gumiroff as its new chief medical officer (CMO).
Gumiroff, who comes to Gainesville from HCA Florida Palms West Hospital in Loxahatchee, is the second executive to recently join the Gainesville hospital after Gabe Bullaro was named the new CEO in April. Bullaro replaced former CEO Eric Lawson, who retired after 36 years with HCA.
“At HCA Florida North Florida Hospital, we are committed to providing advanced and compassionate care to our community, and we are looking forward to Dr. Gumiroff’s leadership for our medical staff and colleagues,” Bullaro said in a press release. “With his extensive experience and commitment to physician engagement and exceptional patient care, Dr. Gumiroff is an invaluable addition to our leadership team. We eagerly anticipate the innovative, patient-centric contributions he will bring to our hospital.”
Gumiroff will be the CMO for both the 523-bed HCA Florida North Florida Hospital, along with its affiliated freestanding emergency rooms that include HCA Florida Millhopper Emergency, HCA Florida West End Emergency, HCA Florida Gainesville Emergency and HCA Florida Starke Emergency, along with the hospital’s outpatient centers.
Gumiroff replaces Dr. Sherrie Somers, who joined HCA’s Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas in August as its new CMO after two years on the job at North Florida Hospital.
“Dr. Somers is now the Chief Medical Officer for HCA Healthcare’s Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas, which is much closer to her family,” said hospital spokesperson Lauren Elliott in an email to Mainstreet.
The executive transition comes after North Florida Hospital went through a crippling surgical crisis in 2024, when the hospital faced widespread issues with dirty medical instruments being delivered to operating rooms. The problems persisted for months as the hospital revamped its sterile processing department, called in outside help, and erected temporary buildings — all while operating at reduced surgical capacity.
Lawson and Somers were the face of the crisis, with Somers authoring a January 2024 “action plan” to deal with the problems she acknowledged had festered for “6-12 months.” Surgeons who spoke with Mainstreet repeatedly pointed to hospital administrators as the source of the issues, saying they had not properly staffed or equipped the sterile processing department in order to save money.
At least one patient has sued HCA Florida North Florida Hospital for a post-op infection she experienced during the timeframe when the hospital was battling dirty instruments.
Gumiroff joins North Florida Hospital after serving as the system medical director of obstetrical services at Lee Health in Fort Myers, where he oversaw services and operations across five hospitals. During that time, he also served as OB-GYN Chair at HealthPark Medical Center and as clinical site director for OB Hospitalist Group, according to the release.
“It’s a true privilege to join the hospital community in Gainesville, and I look forward to collaborating with our exceptional team to set new standards of excellence in healthcare for north central Florida,” said Gumiroff in the press release.