Meet Wren Roberts, the Senior Director of Support Services who is responsible for managing all food, environmental and security services for Centra. Wren began his career in the healthcare industry in 1992 after graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management. Understanding that it is easy to become burnt out in the hospitality industry, Wren decided he wanted to do something more meaningful with his career than just manage a hotel or restaurant. This led him to work for Marriott in their Healthcare Food Operations Management Division and two other hospitals in Virginia before joining Centra in 2007.
Wren describes his current role as being a manager of a resort because of how it touches everything from the food a patient is eating to the cleanliness of their room and the security of each facility. One motto that Wren has encouraged all individuals within the Support Services Department to adopt is, “priority you!” In other words, he encourages every staff member to put the patient first and to compartmentalize their priorities to the present moment. He believes this mindset allows his team to pursue excellence rather than perfection.
Wren’s shared that his favorite part of his role at Centra is that no day is the same, remarking, “I love that!” On the other hand, the most challenging part of his role has been figuring out how to deliver great experiences around food delivery and environmental services in an unstable industry with reduced resources. Wren also shared* that the most impactful thing he’s learned since starting work at Centra in 2007 is, “You’re only as good as the people around you. I am
nothing without the people around me. It’s not about you at all, it’s about the team you build. If you don’t build the team, it’s not going to work.”
Wren recently got to be a part of a unique team through his participation in Centra Leadership Academy (CLA). His CLA Team consisted of Mike Coffey, Barbara Williams, Lauren Wade and Kristin King. Together, they were tasked with choosing a topic or problem related to Centra and workshopping a solution. Examining the most recent Community Health Needs Assessment led his team to the topic of food and specifically, food insecurity within the central Virginia region.
They identified that Centra has partnered with Lynchburg Grows for the last six years and that the FreshRx Program could be better utilized across our healthcare system to address this need. The main opportunities that Wren’s group found were addressing the shortage in nutrition educators for the program by asking Centra registered dieticians to participate and better
promoting the program to CMG providers to increase patient participation. They also started exploring ways to utilize the Centra food truck in collaboration with Lynchburg Grows.
Another community need that Wren cares deeply about is being a bridge out of poverty, especially within city limits. One way he has worked to be a bridge is through his involvement on the board of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Central Virginia. When asked what he is excited about for 2023, Wren said, “adventuring!” This comes as no surprise considering some of his favorite past times are hiking, biking, camping and anything else that involves the outdoors. When asked, “if you could share a meal with anyone, who would it be and why,” he said, “My paternal grandfather because he lived in the perfect time capsule from 1882 to 1975. I would love to pick his brain.”
We are grateful for all the work that Wren and his team do at Centra and how they embody the values of excellence, teamwork and stewardship through their care of our patients and facilities.