New nursing leaders at HCA Florida Blake Hospital

Two nursing veterans are now leading nursing operations at HCA Florida Blake Hospital. Todd Haner, DNP, MBA, RN was recently named chief nursing officer (CNO), and Shelly Castro, MSN, RC is now serving as assistant chief nursing officer. Before this role, Haner served as CNO at HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital and Castro was the director of critical care at Sarasota Doctors Hospital. Haner also served as CNO at Lower Keys Medical Center in Key West. 

At HCA Florida Blake Hospital, Haner will oversee all nursing departments. He has almost three decades of nursing leadership experience including as administrative director for the University of Miami and professional nursing consulting. He also serves on the board of the Galen College of Nursing. He received his Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Miami and holds a Master’s in Business Administration with a focus on healthcare and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He is originally from Ohio and is a veteran of the United States Air Force.

Shelly Castro also has more than 30 years of experience in the nursing profession. She started her nursing career as a medic in the United States Air Force. As a new graduate registered nurse, Castro worked at Blake Hospital on a Medical/Surgical/Oncology unit, and served as a nurse leader at Sarasota Memorial Hospital for 18 years, growing the hospital’s women’s services line. In 2019, Castro joined HCA Florida Brandon Hospital as the manager of Labor and Delivery. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Nursing from the University of South Florida and a master’s degree in nursing leadership from Walden University.  

Blake Hospital is a 383-bed tertiary hospital serving the community since 1973. It is the only Level II trauma center and burn center in Manatee County. The team of approximately 1,400 caregivers and nearly 300 physicians who have privileges at the hospital, provide patients with award-winning, advanced medical care.