Centra, Central Virginia's Medical Leader

W. Michael Bryant has been named as the next president and CEO of Centra, Kenneth S. White, chairman of the Centra Board of Directors, announced Monday. He will replace George W. Dawson, who will retire this fall after nearly three decades at the helm of the national award winning healthcare system headquartered in Lynchburg. Bryant is expected to begin his new role on October 10.

Bryant is currently president and CEO of Methodist Health Services Corporation, which includes Methodist Medical Center of Illinois, a 329-bed nonprofit, regional integrated tertiary medical center located in Peoria, Ill. Bryant has led Methodist Health Services Corporation since 1999, and today it is nationally recognized for outstanding quality and service. Bryant’s appointment was unanimously approved by the Centra Board of Directors after a six-month national search. The board engaged an executive search firm to help identify top candidates across the country.

“The high standards of healthcare we are accustomed to expect here do not exist everywhere,” said White. “The search committee of our board has worked long and hard to find someone who understands and appreciates the quality and service values of Centra and who has the vision and desire to enhance our current levels of care and lead us through the uncertain future facing healthcare organizations in this country. The track record and experience of Michael Bryant clearly show that he is the person we have been looking for.

“We feel confident that we have made the right choice in our new CEO. Centra has earned national recognition, and we know Michael will help us continue to provide our region with nationally ranked, top quality healthcare. We are fortunate to be able to build on the foundation George has developed over nearly 30 years. As a board, we believe Michael will help us stay completely focused on continuing our strategy to remain a locally governed, nonprofit integrated healthcare system providing a comprehensive range of healthcare services for our region.”

“I want to thank the Centra board for selecting me as the successor to George Dawson,” Bryant said. “Centra is an outstanding nationally recognized health system, and it is indeed a privilege to become part of a high performing team consisting of board members, physicians, leadership and employees. In particular, I was very impressed, almost overwhelmed, by the strength and the enthusiasm of the physicians I met regarding their commitment to excellence and to providing the best care for their friends and neighbors. I am so honored to be joining the Centra family and the central Virginia community.”

Bryant, 56, has more than 20 years experience leading two health systems—­Methodist and the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton in Hamilton, N.J. As president and CEO of Methodist Medical Center, Bryant oversees a tertiary medical center with approximately 3,000 employees, more than 700 physicians and an employed medical group with 167 physicians and providers located in 32 sites in six counties, a Physician Hospital Organization (PHO) for managed care, numerous joint ventures, a 500-student college of nursing and two medical residencies, all serving an area of 1 million people. Methodist has earned national prominence for quality and patient and physician satisfaction. Like Centra, Methodist Medical Center is recognized for its overall excellence, quality of services, safety, advanced technology and dedication to serving the health and medical needs of the regional community. Methodist holds a number of national top honors also earned by Centra, including twice receiving Magnet, nursing's highest national honor.

Methodist has earned the State of Illinois’ highest quality award, the Lincoln Award for Achievement of Excellence, patterned after the national Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award. Methodist was named among the Best Places to Work For in Illinois and has seven disease-specific certifications from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

White said, “Naming George’s successor has been difficult. Not only has his visionary leadership helped earn Centra a national reputation for quality, but he also has ensured Centra’s focus on improving the health for all people in our region. George will leave a lasting legacy of personal achievement for the betterment of our community.”

Prior to becoming president and CEO of Methodist, Bryant spent 14 years with the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton, including 10 years as president and CEO. He is known for his major focus on communication with key audiences, from employees and physicians to patients and the community at large, White said. “The organizational values and quality that he has helped instill in his hospitals are also those that we believe are paramount for Centra. And that was one of the major influences in our selection.”

Bryant is co-founder and board member of a number of economic-related organizations, including Peoria NEXT, a consortium of research-based institutions, and the CEO Roundtable.

Bryant earned his master’s in business administration from the University of Chicago in 1985, became a Certified Public Accountant in 1978 and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration/accounting from Indiana University that he received in 1978.

In joining Centra, Bryant will oversee a healthcare system that has had tremendous growth in its regional service area, earned dozens of national awards for quality, service, safety and patient satisfaction, and is known for its efficiency and financial stability.

During his nearly three decades, Dawson led the transformation of Centra from three community hospitals to a major national healthcare leader. Today, nonprofit Centra has 6,000 employees, a medical staff of nearly 500, Lynchburg General, Virginia Baptist and Southside Community hospitals, health and rehabilitation centers, a cancer center and physician practices serving an area from Bedford to Farmville and from Nelson County to Danville. In addition, Centra’s services include residential outpatient mental health facilities, home health and hospice programs, mammography centers, a sleep disorders center and a center for wound care and hyperbaric medicine.

Bryant will be moving to Lynchburg with his wife Paula. The couple has three children: Elyse, Eric and Evan. Dawson and his wife Rosemary plan to stay in the Lynchburg area and continue to be actively involved in a broad range of endeavors in the regional community.