Healthcare organizations operate some of the most complex and sensitive digital environments in the economy. Hospitals, telehealth providers, and health systems manage vast amounts of patient data while supporting critical clinical systems that must remain operational at all times. Cybersecurity leaders in this sector play a crucial role in protecting patient information, maintaining regulatory compliance, and ensuring the resilience of healthcare delivery systems.
The following professionals represent cybersecurity leadership helping strengthen security strategy across Florida’s hospitals and healthcare ecosystem.
Kris Kistler — Chief Information Security Officer, Access TeleCare
Kris Kistler serves as Chief Information Security Officer at Access TeleCare, a national provider of acute and specialty telemedicine services supporting hospitals, clinics, and physician practices. In his role, he oversees cybersecurity strategy and risk management for digital healthcare platforms that enable remote clinical care across multiple medical specialties.
Kistler brings more than 25 years of experience in information technology and over 15 years as a CISO across healthcare, telecommunications, financial services, and managed security environments. His work focuses on strengthening regulatory compliance and operational security across frameworks including HITRUST, NIST, FISMA, PCI-DSS, and ISO standards while supporting secure telehealth infrastructure.
Robert Carvajal — Vice President & Chief Information Security Officer, BayCare Health Systems
Robert Carvajal serves as Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at BayCare Health Systems, one of Florida’s largest nonprofit health systems. In this role he leads cybersecurity strategy, threat management, and security operations designed to protect clinical systems, patient data, and healthcare infrastructure.
Carvajal previously held global cybersecurity leadership roles at Nielsen and NielsenIQ, where he oversaw cyber operations, governance, risk, and compliance programs. His career includes extensive experience building security operations teams, leading threat intelligence initiatives, and implementing enterprise security frameworks aligned with industry best practices.
Ted Stavracos — Vice President of Information Technology & Chief Information Security Officer, Tampa Family Health Centers
Ted Stavracos serves as Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Security Officer at Tampa Family Health Centers, where he oversees technology operations and cybersecurity strategy supporting community healthcare services.
With more than two decades of experience leading IT and cybersecurity teams across large organizations, Stavracos has guided technology integration efforts for numerous corporate acquisitions and major enterprise platform deployments. His leadership emphasizes strong governance, compliance with frameworks such as NIST and HITRUST, and building collaborative partnerships across healthcare organizations.
Dan Holland — Deputy Chief Information Security Officer, Tampa General Hospital
Dan Holland serves as Deputy Chief Information Security Officer at Tampa General Hospital, where he oversees cybersecurity governance, risk management, compliance, and data protection initiatives for one of Florida’s leading academic health systems.
Before entering the private sector, Holland served in the United States Coast Guard, where he led maritime security operations and managed strategic fleet programs. His cybersecurity leadership includes building governance frameworks, implementing FAIR-based cyber risk quantification, and strengthening security oversight for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence in healthcare environments.
Connie Barrera — Corporate Director & Chief Information Security Officer, Jackson Health System
Connie Barrera serves as Corporate Director and Chief Information Security Officer at Jackson Health System, where she leads cybersecurity governance and compliance efforts across one of Florida’s largest public healthcare networks.
Barrera has extensive experience in healthcare cybersecurity and compliance leadership, with previous roles at the University of Miami and Baptist Health South Florida. Her work focuses on strengthening security programs, regulatory compliance, and information assurance initiatives across large healthcare organizations handling highly sensitive patient and clinical data.
Cybersecurity’s Critical Role in Healthcare Resilience
Healthcare organizations face a rapidly evolving threat landscape that includes ransomware attacks, data breaches, and operational disruptions that can directly affect patient care. Strong cybersecurity leadership is essential to maintaining trust in healthcare systems while ensuring hospitals and providers can continue delivering critical services.
The leaders featured here represent professionals helping strengthen the cybersecurity foundations of Florida’s hospitals and healthcare institutions, protecting both digital health infrastructure and the patients who rely on it every day.
For a look at cybersecurity leaders building the tools, services, and security platforms that support organizations across industries, explore our feature on CISOs to Watch in Florida’s Computer & Network Security Industry.