Kathy Swanson is the president of Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, an 11-story hospital dedicated exclusively to the needs of women and babies. More than 14,000 babies are born at Winnie Palmer Hospital each year, making it one of busiest labor and delivery units in the country. Its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is the 4th largest in the country achieving one of the highest survival rates. Together, Winnie Palmer Hospital and Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children comprise Arnold Palmer Medical Center – the largest facility in the nation dedicated to the care of women and children.

Kathy began her career with Orlando Health – a non-profit system of hospitals in 1977 and has held various positions including administrator of Business Planning, administrator of Clinical/Ancillary Services, director of Nursing and Nurse Manager of Pediatric Services. Kathy was the vice president/executive director of Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. While running Arnold Palmer Hospital she was charged with the responsibility for the overall planning, development and opening of the new Winnie Palmer Hospital. Its doors opened to the community in May 2006.

Kathy holds Masters Degrees in both Business Administration and Health Services Administration and a Bachelors of Science in Nursing. She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Women’s Advisory Council. She has also served on the National Association of Professionals in Women’s Health (NAPWH), National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutes (NACHRI) and the Association of Florida Children’s Hospitals (AFCH).

Kathy and her husband have three children.

A Sanctuary of Hope and Healing
From the beginning, the guiding principle for every decision made about Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies has been the creation of a healing environment to nurture the body, mind and spirit. Furnishings, services and amenities more closely resemble the trappings of a five-star hotel. The unusual design features have positioned Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies as an architectural icon in the community.

Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies is truly state-of-the-art with comprehensive fetal diagnostics and labor and delivery services, a regional center for neonatal intensive care, maternal intensive care and a full continuum of women’s services.

Architect Jonathon Bailey shared, “Kathy (and several other top-ranking female hospital executives and nurses) were the inspiration of the project; they were the heart. They provided all the spirit that went into that job. The hospital is an invention based on what those women saw as their dream.” Winnie Palmer Hospital received the Award of Excellence, the highest honor given at the Golden Brick Awards, presented by the Downtown Orlando Partnership for contributions to the community.

“This building was designed by women for women. We are creating a legacy which is rapidly gaining national and world recognition for medical excellence. We are helping save and improve lives. That is a mission we will never give up,” shares Kathy.

Twenty years ago, women and children living in or visiting Central Florida who needed highly specialized medical care had no alternative but to travel long distances from home to receive treatment. With the philanthropic support and leadership of Arnold Palmer, his late wife, Winnie, and countless others, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies were made possible.