USA Health CEO Owen Bailey to retire Aug. 1

Owen Bailey, MSHA, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer of USA Health, the academic health system for the University of South Alabama, announced he is retiring on Aug. 1, 2025, following almost 38 years in healthcare administration.

A nationally recognized healthcare leader, Bailey has been in his current role with USA Health since 2016, having previously served as the administrator of USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital for five years where he led construction of a new $72 million children’s tower that doubled the size of the facility.

“As a proud part of the University of South Alabama family, I can confidently say we have assembled one of the best, most patient-centered groups of healthcare professionals in the world,” said Bailey. “Taking care of people is a true privilege, and it has been an honor and a blessing to work with so many talented and compassionate teams throughout my career.”

As CEO, Bailey held a dual appointment as senior associate vice president for the University of South Alabama. He has been a driving force behind the health system’s expansive growth from seven facilities in 2016 to more than 40 care-delivery sites in 2025. Most recently, he was part of the executive team that led the October 2023 acquisition of Ascension Providence, negotiating an agreement that brought on an additional 1,800 employees and 14 clinics in two states, a move that made USA Health the largest public health system in the region. Today, USA Health is responsible for a more than a $1 billion annual impact on the Gulf Coast economy.

In his role, Bailey also was responsible for overseeing more than 7,700 employees who work in three hospitals, a freestanding emergency department, the Mitchell Cancer Institute, and dozens of care delivery sites along the Gulf Coast. Following the most challenging years of the COVID pandemic, Bailey created a Department of Spiritual Care in 2022 to help support employees, patients and their families with the addition of chaplains and counselors.

“Owen’s contributions to USA Health over the past 14 years have been invaluable, helping make our academic health system one of the very best in the nation,” said USA President Jo Bonner. “We are truly grateful for all he has done for our patients and our community.”

With a focus on improving patient access and quality care, Bailey oversaw numerous initiatives, including expansion of the Fannie Meisler Trauma Center at University Hospital, implementation of community health efforts during the global pandemic and creation of the health system’s Industrial Medicine Program. In March 2024, the health system also opened a $20 million Pediatric Emergency Center at Children’s & Women’s Hospital, nearly doubling the size of the space.

As more families move to west Mobile and Baldwin County, Bailey expanded USA Health’s footprint in those areas by creating a west Mobile campus that features a state-of-the-art freestanding emergency department, an imaging center and a three-story physician office building. In Fairhope, one of the nation’s fastest growing areas, he led efforts to create the Mapp Family Campus that now features a physician office building complete with an imaging center, a public teaching kitchen and an ambulatory surgery center.

Under Bailey’s leadership, USA Health has also expanded its services in rural southwest Alabama. Beginning with a management agreement with Monroe County Hospital in 2022, USA Health has grown its relationships with other rural Alabama hospitals within a 100-mile radius of Mobile. In fall 2023, USA Health formed the Southwest Alabama Rural Hospital Collaborative with 10 rural hospitals to share ideas, cost saving measures, grant opportunities and USA Health’s intellectual capital to enhance the sustainability of rural hospitals and serve community residents. In 2025, Grove Hill Memorial Hospital became the second hospital to enter a management agreement with the academic health system.

“Much of the remarkable growth and success USA Health has achieved over the past decade can be directly attributed to Owen,” said John V. Marymont, M.D., MBA, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine. “Owen has been an exceptional leader — visionary, steady, and deeply committed to our mission — but even more impressive is the kind of person he is. Anyone who knows him recognizes that he embodies the true spirit of servant leadership.”

Bailey has been honored with numerous industry awards, including the Alabama Hospital Association’s Distinguished Service Award in 2023. In 2024, Bailey was named to Becker’s Hospital Review list of 96 Academic Medical Center CEOs to Know — his second consecutive year receiving this recognition. He is on the Board of Directors for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Alabama, the Business Council of Alabama and has served as chairperson of the Alabama Hospital Association Board of Directors, among other positions.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in health administration from Auburn University where he served as drum major of the Auburn University Marching Band. Bailey also earned a master’s degree in health administration from UAB. He and his wife, Genie, have four adult children. Prior to joining USA, Bailey led Fairhope’s Thomas Hospital as president and chief executive officer from 1992-2006 before joining Infirmary Health System as an executive vice president from 2006-2011.

“It has been a tremendous honor to work in close partnership with Dr. John Marymont since 2016,” said Bailey. “He is a person of such integrity and devotion to the academic mission. There could have been no better partner to work with as we strived together to move the health system forward. We have a devoted leadership team which has worked very hard on all these initiatives over the years.”

Natalie Fox, DNP, PNP-BC, chief physician enterprise officer for USA Health, has been named interim CEO. Dr. Fox will work closely with Bailey and others in leadership to ensure a smooth transition.