New CMO for Ascension Sacred Heart Bay & Gulf

New Chief Medical Officer to lead Ascension Sacred Heart Bay/Ascension Sacred Heart Gulf 

PANAMA CITY, FL– Ascension Sacred Heart Bay and Ascension Sacred Heart Gulf are pleased to announce Dr. Kunal Jani as the new Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for both Catholic, non-profit hospitals. Dr. Jani will oversee clinical and medical staff operations. In addition to his role as CMO, he will continue to provide leadership for the Interventional Radiology service line at Sacred Heart Bay, and the Interventional and Diagnostic Radiology service lines at Sacred Heart Gulf. 

“I have had the privilege to work with Dr. Jani since 2019 and I have seen first-hand his strong commitment to excellence in care for all patients we serve,” said Robin Godwin, President of Sacred Heart Bay. “We are pleased to have this exceptional healthcare leader step into this role to continue to serve our communities.”

Previously Dr. Jani served as a vascular and interventional radiologist and was the department head for radiology and radiological services for Sacred Heart Bay and Gulf. Dr. Jani is board-certified in diagnostic and interventional radiology. Before joining Ascension in 2019 as a diagnostic and interventional radiologist, he worked in the area in radiology. 

“It is an honor to serve in a position where I can positively impact the health of individuals and our community,” said Dr. Kunal Jani, Chief Medical Officer of Sacred Heart Bay and Sacred Heart Gulf. 

Dr. Jani earned his medical degree from Mayo Medical School. He then completed a diagnostic radiology residency followed by a fellowship in vascular and interventional radiology both at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. When not caring for patients, Dr. Jani enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with family.

Ascension Sacred Heart Bay is the region’s only Level II Trauma Center, offering the highest level of emergency care in the area for life-threatening injuries and illnesses. The hospital is nationally recognized for its cardiovascular care and is the only comprehensive cardiovascular program in the tri-county area. Sacred Heart Bay provides open heart surgery, minimally invasive valve replacement surgery (TAVR), and pulse field ablation and the WATCHMAN device for atrial fibrillation (AFib). Ascension Sacred Heart Bay is an accredited stroke center. All patient rooms are private. To learn more about Sacred Heart Bay visit ascension.org/BayFL.

Ascension Sacred Heart Gulf provides emergency care, general surgery, women’s imaging including 3D mammography, advanced diagnostic imaging including lung and cardiac CT, rehabilitation, and interventional radiology. To learn more about Sacred Heart Gulf visit ascension.org/GulfFL. 

About Ascension Sacred Heart 

Ascension Sacred Heart, based in Pensacola, Florida, operates five hospitals and more than 100 other sites of care and employs more than 6,440 associates. In fiscal year 2023, Ascension Sacred Heart provided more than $142 million in community benefit and care for persons living in poverty. Ascension is one of the nation’s leading non-profit and Catholic health systems, with a Mission of delivering compassionate, personalized care to all with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. In FY2023, Ascension provided $2.2 billion in care of persons living in poverty and other community benefit programs. Ascension includes approximately 134,000 associates, 35,000 affiliated providers and 140 hospitals, serving communities in 19 states and the District of Columbia. Visit  www.ascension.org.