John Cunha, DO, FACOEP Appointed Permanent Chief Medical Officer of Holy Cross Health

Dr. Cunha had been serving as the interim CMO

 

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (September 11, 2026) – John Cunha, DO, FACOEP has been named the permanent Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Holy Cross Health, effective September 1. 

“Dr. Cunha has been dedicated to the Holy Cross mission and community for two decades, first as a physician and colleague and most recently as the steady presence who served as our Interim CMO,” said Pierre Monice, MBA, FACHE, President and CEO of Holy Cross Health. “I am grateful he is taking this role permanently. I cannot think of anyone better suited to lead our clinical enterprise forward.”

Dr. Cunha brings more than 20 years of clinical and administrative experience to this role. Since joining the Holy Cross Emergency Physician Group in 2006, he has served as Vice Chair of the Emergency Department since 2016 and a member of the Holy Cross Health Board of Directors since 2019, where he chairs the Quality and Safety Committee. He recently completed a four-year term as President of the Medical Staff, earning the trust and respect of physicians across every specialty and leading the medical staff with a clear, steady voice through the post-COVID period and leadership transitions.

As Interim CMO, Dr. Cunha oversaw, along with nursing leadership, the successful opening of the Holy Cross Health Center & Emergency Care — Deerfield Beach in May. He is the patient satisfaction champion for Holy Cross Emergency Medicine, work that has helped position the Holy Cross ED among the top-performing departments in Trinity Health.

“During my more than two decades at Holy Cross Health, leading the team that opened the free-standing ED in Deerfield Beach earlier this year is one of my proudest accomplishments,” Dr. Cunha said. “In my new role as CMO, I look forward to continuing to build upon and nurture my relationships with the physicians, staff and our patients.”

As CMO, Dr. Cunha will provide medical leadership across quality, safety and physician partnership work and will serve as a key partner to medical staff leadership and the Executive Leadership Team. His strong relationships with physicians and his deep understanding of what it takes to deliver excellent care are exactly what this role calls for.

Following an extensive search for a permanent CMO, Dr. Cunha emerged as the clear choice. He’s a leader whose clinical credibility, institutional knowledge and strong relationships with physicians set him apart. His appointment ensures continuity and strength in Holy Cross Health’s clinical leadership.

Dr. Cunha earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey and graduated from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. He completed an internship at St. Barnabas Hospital and his residency in emergency medicine at Union Hospital and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey. He’s board-certified in emergency medicine by the American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine.

Outside of his work at Holy Cross Health, Dr. Cunha has been the Medical Director for the City of Oakland Park Fire Rescue & EMS since 2012 and is active on Broward County EMS and stroke committees. He previously served on the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross-South Florida region.

When he’s not saving lives in the ED, he’s saving goals at the rink as the goalie in adult hockey leagues in Pompano Beach, Florida. He also serves on the Board of Directors and as Medical Director for Honor Flight South Florida, a volunteer organization that takes veterans to Washington, D.C. for a day to see the memorials and honor their service and sacrifice. Dr. Cunha and his wife dedicate time to Dachshund rescue, placing dozens of dogs in permanent homes after fostering them. 

Holy Cross Emergency Physicians is located at 4725 N. Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale and can be reached at 954-492-5753.

 

A member of Trinity Health, Fort Lauderdale-based Holy Cross Hospital, dba Holy Cross Health, is a full-service, not-for-profit, Catholic, teaching hospital operating in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy for more than 70 years. Holy Cross Health earned High Performing ratings for five Types of Care in U.S. News and World Report’s 2026-2027 Best Hospital rankings; received the American Heart Association’s Commitment to Quality award for achieving high performance across three or more clinical areas in the Get With The Guidelines® program for two years running in 2025 and 2026; received "LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality High Performer” designation from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2026 Healthcare Equality Index; and received four out of five stars in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings for two consecutive years in 2025 and 2026. Additionally, Holy Cross Wound Healing and Hyperbarics program earned the 2025 Center of Distinction award by Healogics®, Physicians Outpatient Surgery Center at Holy Cross HealthPlex landed a spot on Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers 2025 and Holy Cross Health Foundation is designated as a High Performer from the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy. Holy Cross Health was also named among the 2024 America’s Best-In-State Hospitals by Newsweek and selected as a Forbes America’s Best Employers for Healthcare Professionals in 2025. Through strategic collaborations and a commitment to being a patient-centered, transformative and healing presence, the 557-bed hospital offers progressive inpatient, outpatient and community outreach services and clinical research trials to serve as the community’s trusted health partner for life. Holy Cross Health also includes the new Holy Cross Health Center & Emergency Care — Deerfield Beach, which opened in May 2026; Holy Cross HealthPlex outpatient facility; The Holy Cross Health Family Health Center in Oakland Park; urgent care centers; and more than 40 Holy Cross Medical Group offices, a multi-specialty physician-employed group of 200+ physicians providing services throughout Broward County. Holy Cross Health Center & Emergency Care – Fort Lauderdale at Sunrise is currently under construction and is expected to open in August 2027. To learn more about Holy Cross Health, visit holy-cross.com, and connect with them on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.