President and Chief Executive Officer , Boone Memorial Health
Virgil Underwood
President and Chief Executive Officer , Boone Memorial Health
SABRINA MCCLURE
Living in rural West Virginia for most of his life , Virgil Underwood has a connection to those communities and a desire to serve , which makes his role as president and CEO of Boone Memorial Health ( BMH ) a perfect fit .
“ I accepted this position because the people we serve as a rural health system are me — they are my people ,” Underwood says . “ I grew up in Fayette County and have lived in Boone County for more than 25 years , so rural West Virginia is my home .”
Before his career at BMH , Underwood had little experience in the health care field . He graduated in 1980 from the West Virginia Institute of Technology with a degree in accounting , and he became a Certified Public Accountant in 1982 . His first job after college was at One Valley Bank , where he worked as vice president for 11 years . During that time , he earned a postgraduate certificate from the University of Wisconsin .
For the next 21 years , he worked in the financial services and insurance industries , where he served in both leadership and ownership capacities . It was in 2011 when he first became acquainted with the health care industry and what was then known as Boone Memorial Hospital . He became a member of the hospital ’ s board of directors at this time and served until 2014 . In February
2015 , he was named the CEO of BMH .
Underwood ’ s limited experience in the health care field created some challenges , but he knew all successful companies , including hospitals , share a strong grasp of the same overarching objectives : measuring and improving quality , understanding revenue and expenses , holding people accountable and maintaining a strong focus on mission and community needs . One challenge was the rural component of BMH because rural health care is distinctly different than health care in more urban areas .
“ In a rural health care setting , our challenges include ensuring adequate access to local care , patient transpor-
Photo by Michael Switzer DesignWorks .
tation issues , recruiting highly qualified physicians and staff , developing and maintaining facilities and securing needed funding and financing ,” he says .
Despite those challenges , Underwood loves his job , and the community embracing and working alongside BMH has been the most rewarding and validating aspect .
“ The importance of providing rural health care in West Virginia cannot be overstated , and I am so honored to serve in a role that allows me to play a small part in such an important mission ,” he says .
BMH has expanded significantly over the last few years and provides access
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