Widely recognized for her expertise in the construction, building, setup and operation of ambulatory surgery centers, Amy B. Ziegler has held the role of ambulatory surgery center (ASC) administrator at Lake Nona Surgery Center since 2025. In this capacity, she manages day-to-day operations, ensures safe patient care, maintains adequate staffing and physician engagement, oversees financial performance and upholds accreditation standards. Concurrently with her work at Lake Nona Surgery Center, Dr. Ziegler is the director of business administration at The Cardiovascular Center of Florida, the surgery center’s parent organization. In both positions, she demonstrates her commitment to advancing cardiovascular services.
Prior to her current appointments, Dr. Ziegler was director of nursing and director of business administration at the Advanced Heart and Vascular Surgery Center at Deltona, where she played a pivotal role in developing service lines and meeting rigorous accreditation standards. Her earlier experience includes time as the manager of advanced practice ambulatory and thoracic oncology nurse practitioner at Stanford Health Care; director of advanced practice nursing and allied health professionals, nurse practitioner, and clinical practice manager for the cardiovascular surgery program at NorthBay Health; acute care nurse practitioner at the University of Rochester Medical Center; cardiothoracic nurse practitioner at Dean Health System (now SSM Health Dean Medical Group) and SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital; and cardiothoracic nurse practitioner and registered nurse at Elmhurst Hospital.
Alongside her extensive work across many noteworthy organizations, Dr. Ziegler dedicated nearly 20 years to teaching trauma nursing courses through the Emergency Nurses Association, where she was active from 1998 to 2017. Her career began as a registered nurse at St. James Hospital in 1994, Riverside Hospital in 1995 and Ingalls Memorial Hospital (now The University of Chicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital) in 1996.
Throughout her professional journey, Dr. Ziegler has sought consistent growth through her education, beginning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Lewis University in 1995. She obtained a Master of Science in Nursing with a focus on acute care from Loyola University Chicago in 2004. Subsequently, Dr. Ziegler earned a doctorate of nursing practice in executive leadership from the University of San Francisco in 2018. Underscoring her broad knowledge base, she holds certifications as an acute care nurse practitioner from the American Nurses Credentialing Center; as an acute and critical care nurse from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses; and advanced certification as a nurse executive through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
To remain aware of developments affecting her field, Dr. Ziegler has maintained her professional affiliation with a number of pertinent organizations. She has held membership in the Society of Critical Care Medicine since 2004. Dr. Ziegler is also affiliated with the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care Inc., where she recently became a surveyor. She also served as a board member of the California Association for Nurse Practitioners.
Dr. Ziegler’s career is further distinguished by her contributions to professional literature and education. She has co-authored articles for mainstream outlets like CBS News and has presented at such events as the California Association for Nurse Practitioners Annual Educational Conference and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Midwest Conference. Her writing and research also appeared in the professional journal Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing.
Among her many achievements, Dr. Ziegler considers the most meaningful to be leading teams through successful accreditation processes for ASCs specializing in cardiovascular services — a relatively new field within ambulatory care. She takes pride in celebrating these milestones with her staff, ensuring that each team member feels valued. Dr. Ziegler attributes her professional accomplishments to an unwavering commitment that has enabled her to excel across various roles within hospital systems. Before expanding into executive leadership, she was driven by the desire to advance the quality of services for nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Lifelong learning remains one of Dr. Ziegler’s core values. She continually seeks opportunities for growth while prioritizing patient safety above all else.
In addition to her primary vocation, Dr. Ziegler is a loving mother to her daughter Sophia, with whom she boasts a close relationship marked by open communication and shared interests. Among those interests, they particularly enjoy playing golf and frequent visits to Disney parks — a pastime so beloved to Dr. Ziegler that she has earned the nickname “Disney” from friends, family and colleagues.
As she moves forward, Dr. Ziegler strives to further establish herself as an industry leader whom others can rely on for support in ASC development and accreditation processes. She looks forward to providing guidance to peers within these specialized healthcare settings.