Adventist HealthCare Names Opal Howard Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Adventist HealthCare today announced the appointment of Opal Howard as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. Howard will serve as a member of the health system's senior leadership team and lead human resources strategies across the organization.

Following a comprehensive national search, Howard was selected for her extensive leadership experience, commitment to team member engagement and proven ability to align workforce strategies with organizational goals. 

"Opal is an accomplished and mission-driven leader with a track record of strengthening culture, developing high-performing teams and advancing innovative workforce strategies," said John Sackett, President and Chief Executive Officer of Adventist HealthCare. "Her experience, strategic perspective and passion for supporting team members make her the ideal leader to help us continue building an exceptional workplace where people thrive while advancing our Mission of extending God's care through the ministry of physical, mental and spiritual healing." 

Howard joins Adventist HealthCare with more than 30 years of progressive human resources leadership experience at AdventHealth. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer for AdventHealth's East Florida Division, where she led workforce strategy for more than 12,000 team members and collaborated with executive leaders to align workforce initiatives with clinical, operational, and financial priorities. 

Throughout her career, Howard has assumed increasingly broader leadership responsibilities. As Vice President of HR Business Operations for AdventHealth's Central Florida Division, she oversaw human resources operations supporting more than 36,000 employees. Previously, as Vice President and HR Business Partner for AdventHealth's North Region, she led efforts that significantly reduced employee turnover and successfully guided the transition to a new HR operating model. 

Earlier in her career, Howard served in executive director, director and associate director roles, leading regional integration initiatives, standardizing HR practices across multiple facilities, implementing new technologies and developing workforce solutions that enhanced transparency, recognition and team member engagement. 

Howard holds a Master of Business Administration in healthcare management and a Bachelor of Science in human resources from Western Governors University. She is a Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

"I am honored to join Adventist HealthCare and its dedicated team," said Howard. "I look forward to supporting our people, strengthening our culture and advancing strategies that help team members bring their best selves to work each day as we continue our vision to be the trusted choice for exceptional whole-person care in every community we serve." 

Adventist HealthCare is a leading faith-based healthcare system serving the Washington, D.C., region since 1907. The system offers a convenient, connected network of hospitals, rehabilitation services, home care, physician practices, cancer and cardiac centers, and outpatient imaging. As of Spring 2026, Adventist HealthCare is the only health care system in Maryland with all acute care hospitals having a Leapfrog "A" Safety Rating. Adventist HealthCare's commitment to provide exceptional, compassionate whole-person care is guided by its mission to extend God's care through the ministry of physical, mental, and spiritual healing.

Contact:

Sebrena Sawtell
[email protected] 

SOURCE Adventist HealthCare