Dec. 9, 2024

For its next chief financial officer, Sanford Health has named an executive who most recently worked in Florida.

Scott Wooten takes over the CFO role Jan. 15 following a national search. He most recently served as executive vice president and CFO at Jacksonville-based Baptist Health for eight years, where he established a long-term financial growth plan that more than doubled the system’s annual top line revenue and led to S&P rating upgrades to AA stable.

Wooten also held executive finance roles with Alegent Creighton Health in Nebraska, AdventHealth Central Florida and AdventHealth North Texas. He also led Wooten Strategic Advisors, providing consulting services to physician groups, health systems, insurance companies, retail pharmacies and nonprofit organizations.

“Scott is an accomplished and experienced finance leader with a distinguished record of success, and we are thrilled to welcome him to Sanford Health. Scott’s inclusive leadership style and dedication to our mission align well with Sanford’s culture,” president and CEO Bill Gassen said in a statement. “I am confident that with Scott’s leadership, we will be well positioned to build on our strong financial performance, accelerate our strategies and continue reinvesting in our patients, our people and the communities we serve.”

Wooten graduated from Union College and completed his MBA at the University of Dayton. He is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and completed strategy certificates at Harvard Business School and Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

“Sanford Health is a role model for delivering exceptional care to patients in rural America, and I am looking forward to being a part of the voice that advocates for accessible, high-quality health care for all those we serve,” Wooten said. “Sanford Health has the rare combination of being financially healthy and incredibly visionary, and I am excited to join the team and committed to ensuring we continue to drive strong financial stewardship well into the future.”

Longtime Sanford executive Bill Marlette came out of retirement to temporarily fill the CFO position after Michelle Bruhn left to become CFO at Phoenix Children’s. Marlette will return to retirement when Wooten starts next week.