VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital names next president

Virginia Commonwealth University Health Community Memorial Hospital in Mecklenburg County announced Thursday that Sheldon Barr will be its next president, effective Dec. 11.

Barr will be the first woman to lead the South Hill hospital in its 68-year history.

“I am excited to deliver on VCU Health’s mission to preserve and restore health for all people of Virginia and beyond,” she said in a statement. “Community Memorial Hospital has been a beacon for excellent patient care for decades, and I look forward to serving the community, our team members and our patients in my new role.”

Barr was most recently CEO of HCA Florida South Shore Hospital. Beforehand, she was chief operating officer at HCA Virginia’s Chippenham Hospital in Chesterfield County.

HCA Healthcare named Barr the HCA Executive Development Program 2021 Mentor of Year. She also received the Frist Humanitarian Award, named for HCA co-founder Dr. Thomas F. Frist Sr.

Barr holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Virginia. She also has an MBA from Western Governors University.

Barr succeeds Scott Burnette, who retired this year. During his tenure, VCU Health CMH gained a new inpatient facility, an oncology and rehabilitation facility and a multi-specialty building that houses 15 clinics.

VCU Health acquired the facility, then called the Community Memorial Healthcenter, in 2014. In 2017, VCU Health cut the ribbon for the new 167,000-square-foot hospital.

VCU Health CMH operates a hospital with 70 patient rooms and a long-term care facility with 140 beds. The facility also offers outpatient programs like hospice. CMH has more than 800 employees and 177 providers across 26 medical specialties.