CEO of Sentara Healthcare to Retire By Year's End

Howard P. Kern started his healthcare career at Sentara more than four decades ago and has served as CEO since 2016.

The president and CEO of Sentara Healthcare has announced his planned retirement, the nonprofit health system that serves communities in Virginia and North Carolina, recently shared.

Howard P. Kern will retire by the end of 2022 but will remain in his role until a successor is put in place.

HealthLeaders reached out to Sentara about the organization's succession plan, but no further comments are being released at this time. According to the press release, an ad hod committee of the Board is currently conducting a thorough search for Kern's successor.

"I am fortunate to have worked with many truly exceptional leaders, but what has really set Sentara apart from other excellent organizations has been the way these leaders have come together as a team, with a unified purpose, to accomplish extraordinary things," Kern said in a statement. "That said, Sentara is entering a new era in healthcare, and I believe the time for new leadership is now … I will support the Board and new CEO in whatever way I can to ensure a smooth transition that assures continued success for that individual, the system, and our communities."

Kern joined the health system in 1980 where he worked as an Administrative Fellow for Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia. He has also served in multiple leadership roles over his four-decades long tenure with the health system, including COO, and most recently as president and CEO, a role he assumed in 2016.

While leading the health system, Kern established the Sentara Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Cultural Competency, and the Department of Health Equity; and he launched the Sentara Cares community engagement program, which funds $50 million annually to address health equity and social determinants of health in the community.

He led the integration and affiliation of eight of Sentara's hospitals and finalized Sentara's transaction to acquire Virginia Premier Health Plan in partnership with VCU Health System. Additionally, under his leadership, the health system became the largest health system in the Commonwealth of Virginia, reaching net revenues of more than $10 billion.

He continues to lead the 12-hospital health system through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on ensuring patient safety and continued quality care.

"Howard’s contributions to Sentara Healthcare and our communities is immeasurable. His focus on affordable quality care, improved patient outcomes, and staff satisfaction has enhanced Sentara’s success," Dian Calderone, chair of the Sentara Healthcare board of directors, said in a statement. "His growth-oriented vision for the system, his commitment to community engagement and impact and health equity, and his navigation through the COVID-19 pandemic and championing public health and medical education in Hampton Roads have cemented his legacy and ensured the long-term health and welfare of the communities Sentara serves."