Virgil Underwood

Photo by Michael Switzer DesignWorks

By Sabrina McClure

Living in rural West Virginia for most of his life, Virgil Underwood has a connection to those communities and a desire to serve, which makes his role as president and CEO of Boone Memorial Health (BMH) a perfect fit.

“I accepted this position because the people we serve as a rural health system are me—they are my people,” Underwood says. “I grew up in Fayette County and have lived in Boone County for more than 25 years, so rural West Virginia is my home.”

Before his career at BMH, Underwood had little experience in the health care field. He graduated in 1980 from the West Virginia Institute of Technology with a degree in accounting, and he became a Certified Public Accountant in 1982. His first job after college was at One Valley Bank, where he worked as vice president for 11 years. During that time, he earned a postgraduate certificate from the University of Wisconsin.

For the next 21 years, he worked in the financial services and insurance industries, where he served in both leadership and ownership capacities. It was in 2011 when he first became acquainted with the health care industry and what was then known as Boone Memorial Hospital. He became a member of the hospital’s board of directors at this time and served until 2014. In February 2015, he was named the CEO of BMH.

Underwood’s limited experience in the health care field created some challenges, but he knew all successful companies, including hospitals, share a strong grasp of the same overarching objectives: measuring and improving quality, understanding revenue and expenses, holding people accountable and maintaining a strong focus on mission and community needs. One challenge was the rural component of BMH because rural health care is distinctly different than health care in more urban areas.

“In a rural health care setting, our challenges include ensuring adequate access to local care, patient transportation issues, recruiting highly qualified physicians and staff, developing and maintaining facilities and securing needed funding and financing,” he says.

Despite those challenges, Underwood loves his job, and the community embracing and working alongside BMH has been the most rewarding and validating aspect.

“The importance of providing rural health care in West Virginia cannot be overstated, and I am so honored to serve in a role that allows me to play a small part in such an important mission,” he says.

BMH has expanded significantly over the last few years and provides access to health care for citizens in multiple rural counties in the region. One important factor that led to that success is the partnerships that have been developed with other agencies and health care allies in the community.

“Our collaboration with WVU Medicine, CAMC Vandalia Health and Marshall Health has enabled us to increase access to care by providing highly specialized care right here in Boone County. I’ve learned that our advocates in federal, state and local governments are some of the strongest partners you can have as a health system,” he says.

BMH has many new projects underway. These new projects will create jobs, address food insecurities in the region and reduce the health care disparities in the community.

“We have expanded our mission significantly over the last few years to reflect our understanding that, as a rural health care provider, it’s not only about treating the sick. It’s about closing the care gaps to allow us to prevent disease and improving the social determinants of health—the nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes,” Underwood says.

Underwood gives credit to the people in his life for his personal and professional success and for the success of BMH.

“When I look at my wife, my children, my grandchildren, my friends and my colleagues, I am amazed at the intelligent, caring and hardworking people with whom I have been fortunate enough to surround myself,” he says.

Underwood’s passion for his community is also evident in the various capacities he serves the community outside of work. Underwood serves on the board of directors for Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College and the Driven Knights. His love for rural West Virginia has been a driving force throughout his career.

“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,” he says.