Riverview’s Hector Lorenzo is the new St. Joseph’s Hospital-South patient services director. As patient services director, Lorenzo is part of the Riverview hospital’s leadership team involved with planning, organization, policy development and priority-setting. He’ll oversee nursing personnel and lead and evaluate the nursing team and set objectives and long-term goals. He’ll also work closely with clinical and medical teams in monitoring and evaluating patient care and services.
Lorenzo succeeds Rita Smith, newly appointed vice president and chief nursing officer at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South, Plant City’s South Florida Baptist Hospital and BayCare Hospital Manatee, scheduled to open in 2028 in Palmetto.
Lorenzo has been a registered nurse both in Puerto Rico and locally since 2007. He’s been at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South since 2014, where he’s held supervisory and management positions since then, including charge nurse, administrator on duty and assistant nurse manager. Since 2020, Lorenzo has been nurse manager on St. Joseph’s Hospital-South’s cardiac medical unit. He was also project manager for the BayCare Virtual Hospital, housed at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South.
In announcing Lorenzo’s appointment, Smith noted Lorenzo’s key strengths, which include patient experience, quality outcomes, operations, leadership development and hospital and system initiatives.
“Throughout his career at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South, Hector has demonstrated a consistent commitment to high-quality, patient-centered care, staff engagement and operational excellence,” Smith wrote in the announcement. “He is well respected by his peers, his team and leadership at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South and BayCare. I am confident that his leadership will be a valuable addition to the St. Joseph’s Hospital-South leadership team as we continue to advance nursing practice, deliver exceptional care to our patients and community and support our departments in achieving top-decile performance.”
“As I step into this new role as director of patient services, I hope to foster a collaborative approach across all disciplines, recognizing that our success depends on working together and sharing a common vision and goals,” Lorenzo said. “As a leader, I am committed to building on the strong culture we have developed over the years and continuing to support our team in delivering high-quality care in a safe environment. I also look forward to focusing on opportunities to enhance the overall patient experience and improve clinical outcomes.”
Lorenzo holds a master’s degree in health care administration and bachelor’s in nursing.