VHHA Elects 2020-2021 Board of Directors Officers During (Virtual) Annual Fall Board Meeting

November 11, 2020

New Slate of VHHA Board of Directors Officers Include Carilion Clinic Executive Vice President and COO Steven C. Arner, Clinch Valley Health CEO Peter M. Mulkey, and HCA Healthcare Capital Division President Tim McManus

RICHMOND, VA – The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) has elected the 2020-2021 slate of officers to its Board of Directors. The Board, comprised of hospital and health system leaders across the Commonwealth, unanimously elected Carilion Clinic Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Steven C. Arner as Chairman, Clinch Valley Health CEO Peter M. Mulkey as Vice Chairman, and HCA Healthcare Capital Division President Tim McManus as Secretary-Treasurer. Other Board of Directors officers include immediate past Chairman Dr. Michael P. McDermott, Mary Washington Healthcare President and CEO, and VHHA President and CEO Sean T. Connaughton.

“In a time of significant societal upheaval during a global pandemic, Virginia’s hospital collaborated with each other, with our partners in state government, and with many other stakeholders to respond to this unprecedented public health crisis,” said Arner. “Our shared work as we rose to this challenge and protected public health is a testament to the strong leadership of our outgoing Chairman, Dr. Mike McDermott of Mary Washington Healthcare, as well as the dedicated effort of hospital team members across the Commonwealth. Many challenges lie ahead. I am honored and humbled that my colleagues have entrusted me with this great responsibility. We will continue the important work of combatting COVID-19 and enhancing health care delivery to meet the needs of patients in our ongoing quest to make Virginia the healthiest state in the nation.”

Throughout the pandemic, Virginia has had more than 194,000 COVID-19 cases and its hospitals have treated more than 21,000 patients who contracted the virus. VHHA and its members have worked with partners and stakeholders to develop strategies addressing a range of logistical issues related to testing access, staffing, telehealth, medical surge and capacity considerations, equipment and resource needs, licensing and practice authority issues, behavioral health considerations, financial challenges, and more. Virginia hospitals and the health care heroes who staff them continue to battle this dangerous virus to protect the health and well-being of the Commonwealth and its residents.

Traditionally, VHHA Board of Directors officers are elected at the Association’s annual Spring Meeting. That meeting was not held this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and VHHA’s Board officers agreed to extend their terms from 12 to 18 months in the midst of the public health emergency response. Due to the continued health risks posed by COVID-19, VHHA did not hold an in-person Fall Conference this year and instead conducted the Board of Directors meeting and officer elections virtually. The new slate of Board officers will also serve 18-month terms. VHHA annual awards that are normally presented to Virginia health care leaders at the Fall Conference are now scheduled to be awarded during the Spring Meeting, tentatively set for April 2021. The Fall Conference is the premier annual gathering for hospital and health care stakeholders from across the Commonwealth and beyond. The slate of newly elected VHHA Board of Directors officers elected during the Nov. 11 virtual meeting are:

• Carilion Clinic Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Steven C. Arner is the new VHHA Board of Directors Chairman. He began his career with Carilion in 1996 as a financial analyst and has also held roles including budget manager, human resources and analytics director, hospital administrator at Carilion Stonewall Jackson Hospital, and senior vice president of cardiothoracic and vascular services, surgical services, environmental services, and engineering and maintenance. Arner also previously served as an associate in CIGNA’s HealthService Leadership Program from 2002-2003 and is on the Board of Directors for the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce and Feeding America Southwest Virginia.
• Board Vice Chairman Peter M. Mulkey, PharmD, MHA, is the CEO of Clinch Valley Health. He began his career at Clinch Valley as a clinical pharmacist, later becoming director of pharmacy and a clinical instructor in the Medical College of Virginia’s Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutics. Mulkey has also previously served as assistant administrator and COO at Clinch Valley. He is a Fellow of the American College of Health Executives and in 2018 earned the designation of Certified Professional in Patient Safety after completing concentrated educational work with a national patient safety organization.
• Tim McManus, FACHE, President of HCA Healthcare’s Capital Division, is the new Secretary-Treasurer. McManus has spent more than 25 years working in health care leadership, including previously serving as CEO of Chippenham and Johnston-Willis Hospitals and CEO of HCA Healthcare Northern Virginia and Reston Hospital Center. He is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

In addition to the Board Officers, VHHA’s Executive Committee also includes Augusta Health President and CEO Mary N. Mannix, Inova Health System President and CEO Dr. J. Stephen Jones, and Riverside Health System CEO William B. Downey.

About VHHA: The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association is an alliance of 110 hospitals and 26 health delivery systems that develops and advocates for sound health care policy in the Commonwealth. Its mission is to achieve excellence in both health care and health to make Virginia the healthiest state in the nation. Its vision is through collaboration with members and stakeholders, to ensure the sustainability of Virginia health care system, transform the delivery of care to promote lower costs and high value across the continuum of care, and to improve health for all Virginians. Connect with VHHA through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Julian Walker
Vice President of Communications
(804) 297-3193 office
(804) 304-7402 mobile
jtwalker@vhha.com