Sentara reorganizes to market-based model

Sentara Health has changed its operating model to a market-based system, the Hampton Roads-based health system announced Tuesday.

Its hospitals will be divided into four markets — eastern, northwestern and two southeastern markets — with each hospital reporting to its market president.

“The new structure allows us to tailor our approach and operational strategies based on the unique needs of each community, while still benefiting from the consistency and coordination of market-based leadership,” Eric Conley, Sentara executive vice president and president of acute and post-acute care, said in a statement.

Sentara’s southeast market – Norfolk encompasses the Sentara Leigh Hospital and Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. Its leaders are as follows:

• Dana Weston Graves, senior vice president and acute care market president
• Mike Genco, vice president and market chief medical officer
• Jennifer Kreiser, vice president and market chief nursing officer

The southeast market – Virginia Beach consists of Sentara Princess Anne Hospital, Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, and Sentara Albemarle Medical Center, which is in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Its leaders are:

• Joanne Inman, senior vice president and acute care market president
• Bogdan Neughebauer, vice president and market chief medical officer
• Sonia Cooper, vice president and market chief nursing officer

Sentara’s eastern market will include the Sentara CarePlex Hospital in Hampton, Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center in Williamsburg, Sentara Obici Hospital in Suffolk, and Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital in Halifax. The market leaders are:

• Kapua Conley, senior vice president and acute care market president
• Chris O’Connell, vice president and market chief medical officer
• Shannon Martin, vice president and market chief nursing officer

The northwestern market consists of the Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, Sentara RMH Medical Center in Harrisonburg, and Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center in Woodbridge. Its leaders are:

• Jeff Joyner, senior vice president and acute care market president
• Robert Garwood, vice president and market chief medical officer
• Christy Grabus, vice president and market chief nursing officer

The new model positions Sentara for continued growth, according to a news release.

“The model ensures our local efforts are part of a cohesive market and regional-level strategy that creates collaborative and complementary acute service offerings rather than competing ones and sets the stage for future growth,” Conley said in a statement.

A not-for-profit health system, Sentara operates 11 hospitals in Virginia and one in northeastern North Carolina. It has 34,000 employees. The Sentara Health Plans insurance division has more than 1 million members in Virginia and Florida.