Virgil Underwood, chief executive officer and president of Boone Memorial Health (BMH), was one of 10 individuals named to the WV Executive magazine 2024 Health Care Hall of Fame on Feb. 27 during an event at the University of Charleston.
A West Virginia native, born in Fayette County, Underwood has lived in Boone County for more than 20 years. Underwood spent the majority of his career in the financial services and insurance industries before becoming allied with the health care industry in 2011 as a member of the BMH Board of Directors. Underwood served on the BMH board through 2014 before subsequently being named the BMH chief executive officer and president in Feb. 2015.
Since that time, milestones under Underwood’s leadership have included completion of a modern, new 78,000-square foot hospital facility in 2016, expanding the health system’s mission by rebranding Boone Memorial Hospital as Boone Memorial Health, launching four rural health clinics, a specialty clinic, the BMH Foundation for Community Health, and a substance use disorder and treatment center that serves Boone, Lincoln, Logan, and Kanawha counties.
Looking ahead, Underwood and the BMH team have plans that include the development of a 45,000-square foot health and wellness center in Danville and a farmers market and greenhouse in downtown Madison.
“I am truly humbled by this award,” Underwood said. “I love what I do and am grateful for the team of intelligent, caring, hardworking people surrounding me. It is the BMH Family who is reflected in this achievement. Together, we understand the importance of providing rural health care in West Virginia, and together, we are driven to do more than just treat the sick. Our work is also about closing the care gaps and creating innovative solutions to prevent disease and improve the social determinants of health – the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes.”
The WV Executive Health Care Hall of Fame is an awards program recognizing those who go above and beyond in the health care industry and its supporting industries, including doctors, nurses, hospital administrators, educators, researchers, scientists, innovators, and entrepreneurs. Nominees must have been in their current position and lived in West Virginia for at least the last two years; made a significant contribution to the state’s health care industry; and have a passion for making the Mountain State a better, healthier, and happier place to live.
Underwood continued by saying, “I think West Virginians still possess the mindset of people helping people and working together in a neighborly manner, which is an essential quality in both health care and community. Here in West Virginia, we’re all part of a big family, so being able to work in a role where we can give back to that community is very important to me.”
The WV Executive article honoring Underwood for the 2024 Health Care Hall of Fame may be accessed at this link.
