Jonathan A. Velez, MD
President, Baptist Health Louisville
Jonathan A. Velez, MD, began his role as president of Baptist Health Louisville on July 17, 2023.
Dr. Velez began his healthcare career in Colorado Springs, Colorado where he spent 11 years as an emergency medicine physician. The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine graduate received his bachelor’s degree in computer science. He was employed as chief software engineer for a Massachusetts company for two years while an undergraduate at the University of Vermont.
While still working in the ER, Dr. Velez began his crossover to administrative roles melding his information technology and medicine backgrounds. In 2007, he joined Memorial Health System in Colorado Springs as its chief medical information officer, after working with the system on an electronic health record project. He was then named chief information officer.
In 2012, he moved to the Hartford HealthCare Corporation in Connecticut, serving three years as vice president and chief medical information officer for the five-hospital system. While there, he led a 20-month effort to implement the Epic electronic medical record – the system used by Baptist Health. In 2015, he was promoted to vice president of medical affairs, still focusing on the Epic deployment, but also on patient safety and quality of care efforts. In 2017, he moved to Florida to join Lee Health’s Gulf Coast Medical Center where he has served as chief operations and physician executive for six years.
In his spare time, Dr. Velez is an instrument rated private pilot. He and his wife Oksana – an accomplished violinist – have two sons who attend Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Dr. Velez began his healthcare career in Colorado Springs, Colorado where he spent 11 years as an emergency medicine physician. The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine graduate received his bachelor’s degree in computer science. He was employed as chief software engineer for a Massachusetts company for two years while an undergraduate at the University of Vermont.
While still working in the ER, Dr. Velez began his crossover to administrative roles melding his information technology and medicine backgrounds. In 2007, he joined Memorial Health System in Colorado Springs as its chief medical information officer, after working with the system on an electronic health record project. He was then named chief information officer.
In 2012, he moved to the Hartford HealthCare Corporation in Connecticut, serving three years as vice president and chief medical information officer for the five-hospital system. While there, he led a 20-month effort to implement the Epic electronic medical record – the system used by Baptist Health. In 2015, he was promoted to vice president of medical affairs, still focusing on the Epic deployment, but also on patient safety and quality of care efforts. In 2017, he moved to Florida to join Lee Health’s Gulf Coast Medical Center where he has served as chief operations and physician executive for six years.
In his spare time, Dr. Velez is an instrument rated private pilot. He and his wife Oksana – an accomplished violinist – have two sons who attend Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.