Fort Walton Beach Medical Center CEO announces upcoming retirement

The CEO of Fort Walton Beach Medical Center will retire later this year, according to an announcement from the HCA Healthcare North Florida Division.

Mitch Mongell joined Fort Walton Beach Medical Center in 2013, and his leadership has facilitated the hospital’s growth through new and expanded services and sites of care.

Some of Mongell’s accomplishments while at the hospital include the expansion of the impatient rehabilitation facility in Destin, the construction of two free-standing ERs in Destin and Navarre, the full renovation of the main hospital ER and the construction of a two-story patient tower that will provide 42 new beds, a new supply warehouse, a dietary kitchen and cafeteria, and a new four-floor parking garage.

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He also has led his team through times of crisis, from managing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to serving in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael. He was named the Destin Chamber of Commerce's 2019 Business Person of the Year, and the following year Fort Walton Beach Medical Center was named the 2020 Corporate Business of the Year.

In a written statement, Richard Hammett, president of the HCA Healthcare North Florida Division, commended Mongell and the Fort Walton Beach Medical Center team for growing the hospital’s capacity to care for the Northwest Florida community.

"We are grateful for Mitch's leadership and his 25 years of service to HCA Healthcare, and wish him the very best in his retirement," he said. "A national search is underway for his successor.”

Fort Walton Beach Medical Center is a 267-bed full-service hospital with more than 300 physicians, according to the hospital's website.

HCA Healthcare North Florida Division includes 14 hospitals in North Florida and Central Florida, including Twin Cities Hospital in Niceville, West Florida Hospital in Pensacola and Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center in Panama City.

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