HCA Florida Capital Hospital Names Dr. Jack Atwater as Chief Medical Officer

HCA Florida Capital Hospital is pleased to announce the appointment of Jack Atwater, MD, board-certified anesthesiologist/intensivist, to the position of chief medical officer.

"Dr. Atwater's devotion to exceptional patient care, combined with his extensive clinical experience and operational expertise, are crucial to HCA Florida Capital Hospital as we continue to meet the community's healthcare needs," says Dale Neely, chief executive officer. "Working collaboratively with our esteemed medical staff and clinical teams, Dr. Atwater will continue to elevate the patient care experience while delivering the high-quality, compassionate healthcare that has become a staple of our hospital."

Dr. Atwater joins HCA Florida Capital Hospital with more than 30 years of clinical experience. Since 2001, he has been a general anesthesiologist with Envision Healthcare, collaborating with nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologist assistants to provide anesthetic team care at two hospitals and three ambulatory surgical centers in Tallahassee. Dr. Atwater regularly provided anesthetic care for trauma, cardiac, neurosurgical, vascular, orthopedic, pediatric, obstetric, gynecologic, and general surgery cases.

In addition to his physician duties, Dr. Atwater has actively participated in medical staff leadership and governance as a member of the medical executive committee and as the physician advisor at HCA Florida Capital Hospital. Dr. Atwater was a member of the HCA Florida Capital Hospital board of trustees from 2012 to 2024 and served as the board chairman from 2020-2023 during the COVID crisis. He has also been chairman of both the utilization review and credentials committees. Dr. Atwater has long had a keen interest in medical education in the Tallahassee community and has held an appointment as a clinical assistant professor at the Florida State University College of Medicine continuously since 2004.

Dr. Atwater obtained his B.S. and M.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Florida. He subsequently earned his M.D. and completed his residency in anesthesiology at the University of Florida College of Medicine. Dr. Atwater completed his fellowship in anesthesiology critical care at Wilford Hall United States Air Force (USAF) Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, and earned his USAF flight surgeon wings as a distinguished graduate of the aerospace medicine primary course at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas. He was qualified as a flight surgeon aircrew member in C-130, C-21, and F-16 aircraft.

During his USAF service, Dr. Atwater gained extensive experience in operational medicine while working as a critical care aeromedical transport team leader performing multiple long-range air transfers of unstable and critically ill patients. He was also a member of the USAF mobile ophthalmologic surgical team providing anesthetic care during humanitarian cataract and eye misalignment surgeries performed in medically underserved areas located outside of the United States.