Rick Metzger named CEO of Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola

Rick Metzger has been named president and chief executive officer of Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola, effective October 12. Metzger, a registered nurse with over two decades of experience in patient care and hospital operations, succeeds Will Condon, who recently transitioned to the role of CEO of Ascension Sacred Heart Health System.

Metzger returns to the Ascension network after previously serving as vice president of operations and chief operating officer at Ascension Providence from 2016 to 2023. Most recently, he served as CEO of USA Health Providence Hospital in Mobile, Alabama. During his tenure there, he led a financial improvement plan resulting in over $10 million in operational savings and oversaw a transition to a new electronic medical record system. He also contributed to improving the hospital’s Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade from a C to a B.

Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola is a critical regional facility, housing the area’s only Level I trauma center and the Studer Family Children’s Hospital. Metzger stated his primary focus will be expanding access to care and building upon the foundation established by his predecessor.