Mary Ellen Poe MSA, RN, CAHA

After a nationwide search, Hospice of Marion County Inc. and Its Affiliated Companies selected Mary Ellen Poe, former Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of TideWell Hospice and Palliative Care in Sarasota, and welcomed her to the organization on Monday, May 18th, as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Mary Ellen has spent the last 20+ years of her professional career in Florida, ranging from nursing administration in the ‘80s to head Good Shepherd Hospice in Auburndale to Vice President/Operations at Hospice of Southwest Florida, which became TideWell Hospice and Palliative Care. Since 2005, she was Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer at TideWell. Poe brings a wide array of skills and experience to the role, including leadership expertise based on the Studer Excellence in Healthcare training, plus oversight for an organization of 800 employees with an average daily census of 1,200 patients.

“When I had the opportunity to meet with representatives from many sectors of the organization,” says Mary Ellen, “I quickly realized what it is that makes Hospice of Marion County and Its Affiliated Companies so special! It is the exceptionally dedicated care and service that they have provided every day for 26 years as the county’s only not-for-profit hospice. I am eager to be a part of this dynamic and visionary organization. We have exciting opportunities in our future!”

Poe replaces Alice J. Privett who retired in March after serving as the company’s leader for the past 16 years.