Meet the Man Responsible For Quality of Care At Your Next Niceville Hospital Visit:

In Brief:

Morgan Talley, the new Chief Nursing Officer at Twin Cities Hospital, chose a healthcare career influenced by his childhood asthma treatments and has over two decades of experience in nursing.
Talley focuses on providing leadership and advancement opportunities for the hospital’s nursing staff, supported by HCA’s tuition programs.
He is involved in long-term planning, including the development of a free-standing emergency department in DeFuniak Springs and the growth of nursing programs at Northwest Florida State College.

Twin Cities Hospital’s newest Chief Nursing Officer, Morgan Talley, knew from an early age that he wanted to work in healthcare.

Talley was once a child who spent way too much time in nursing rooms in his home state of Texas with regular asthma attacks.

As he got older – medical professionals helped him control his asthma so that he could play sports. The care they gave him stuck with him as he chose a career path in college.

Initially, he thought about going the physical therapy route – but ended up deciding on nursing. “I’m super proud of that decision,” Talley said, “24 years later, [I’m] still loving the job – I’ve been afforded a lot of good opportunities and a lot of growth and I’m so happy to be where I’m at. I love the fact that I chose nursing.”

Since nursing school – he’s earned master’s and doctorate degrees in nursing and has spent more than two decades, including in Pensacola during the COVID-19 pandemic, working to provide people with the best care in the world.

What Does A Chief Nursing Officer Do?

As a Chief Nursing Officer, Talley spends less time than a line-level nurse in the trenches, checking vitals and administering medication.

Instead, Talley ensures the more than 100 nursing staff members have what they need to do a good job. He provides them with leadership and ensures they have a path to advance up the ranks of the nursing world, should they want to – thanks to tuition programs HCA Twin Cities Hospital offers to nurses.

Looking at the Future of HCA Presence in Northwest Florida

He also helps to plan the long-term vision to produce better medical outcomes for patients. “There’s a lot of health needs throughout Okaloosa County, and I look forward to the growth that we are seeing happen here at Twin Cities.”

The mission includes helping to set up a free-standing emergency department in DeFuiniak Springs sometime between late 2025 and early 2026.

That means hiring more nurses and helping to hire more support staff. He also makes sure they have enough security guards, phlebotomists, and other positions as needed.

Luckily for him, Northwest Florida State College’s upgraded nursing school should be pumping out RNs at a much faster clip, thanks to the BP Oil Spill restitution money.