New members of the Board of Directors announced for HCA Florida St. Petersburg Hospital

St. Petersburg, FL — HCA Florida St. Petersburg welcomes three new members to their Board of Directors today, including:

• Jesus Lanza, M.D.
• Christina McCoy, D.O.
• Jacob L. Diaz, Ed.D.

“It’s a privilege to have Dr. Lanza, Dr. McCoy and Dr. Diaz join the Board of Directors at HCA Florida St. Petersburg Hospital. All three individuals are distinguished leaders in their fields and in the St. Petersburg community,” says Brent Burish, chief executive officer of HCA Florida Pasadena Hospital and HCA Florida St. Petersburg Hospital.  “Their diverse backgrounds will enhance our governance and continue to drive our mission: Above All Else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life.”

Said Dr. Jesus Lanza, “I am proud to serve on HCA Florida St. Petersburg Hospital’s Board. I look forward to helping lead this hospital as we grow and continue to elevate the exceptional care offered to our patients in St. Petersburg and Pinellas County.”

Dr. Lanza, who also serves as the Chief of Staff at HCA Florida St. Petersburg Hospital, is one of the leading Intensivists overseeing critical care medicine within the hospital. Dr. Lanza is Board Certified in Internal Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and Board Certified in Pulmonary Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). He is the author of multiple abstracts and peer reviewed articles. 

Dr. Christina McCoy is a Family Medicine Physician at Labrador Primary Care Center, supporting the St. Petersburg community for several years before expanding primary care services to Gulfport in 2023.

A strong supporter of Medical Education, Dr. McCoy previously served as a Community Preceptor for the Bayfront Health Family Medicine Program. She also served as a Physician Presenter at the Gulfport Senior Center. Dr. McCoy has been an Educational Preceptor for the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, the University of Tampa Physician Assistant Medicine Program and the Barry University Physician Assistant Medicine Program.  She is a Florida licensed physician and Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Dr. McCoy said, “This great hospital has already accomplished so much under with outstanding board leadership, and caregivers, including the nurses, doctors, and staff. I am proud to be a part of their critical work, which has only just begun.”

Dr. Jacob Diaz currently serves as the Regional Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Success and Dean of Students and most recently served as the Regional Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Success and Dean of Students at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg since 2018. From 2014 to 2018, he served as Dean of Students and Director of Housing and Residence Life at USF St. Petersburg. Previously, he held a variety of leadership positions at Seattle University in Seattle, Washington and at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont. 

Dr. Diaz received the Pillar of the Profession from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators in 2020. He was awarded the University of South Florida Outstanding Staff Award in 2018 and was inducted as an honorary member of Seattle University’s Tau Sigma in 2013. Dr. Diaz is a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and has served as a faculty member for mid-level and senior level institutes hosted by the American College Personnel Association. 

He is also an author of multiple publications and presentations. 

“We’ve seen extraordinary growth and change in the Tampa Bay region, and particularly in St. Petersburg in the last decade,” said Dr. Diaz.” I am excited to be a part of the leadership team of this hospital, which will catalyze that growth and change against the backdrop of a mission and vision to provide the best possible care to our patients. I am excited for the future of HCA Florida St. Petersburg Hospital, and am thrilled to be a part of the team.”