Shands Jacksonville CEO departs to lead Tampa hospital

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Another top official in Jacksonville is off to Tampa.

UF & Shands Jacksonville CEO James R. Burkhart will be the new president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital.

The governing board made the announcement today.

Burkhart starts March 4 and is replacing the retiring CEO Ron Hytoff.

Burkhart has been with Shands Jacksonville since 2003 when he took the position of president and administrator. He became President and CEO in 2010.

"Mr Burkhart has the skill set and experience we wanted," said David A. Straz Jr., chairman of the Florida Health Sciences Center Inc., the governing board for Tampa General Hospital. "He works closely with a medical school and has a sharp focus on quality patient care. He has managed a safety net hospital that has faced financial challenges due to state cuts to reimbursements. I think the transition will be very smooth and he will build upon the success Tampa General already has achieved."

Burkhart is the second high-level official to leave Jacksonville for Tampa. Paul Anderson resigned as CEO of Jaxport to take the same job with the Tampa Port Authority.