The current chief transformation officer for Centra Health and Virginia Commonwealth University alumnus, Michael Elliott, PharmD, MSHA, FACHE, will join the health system in May.
VCU Health System announced it has elected the organization's first COO.
Michael Elliott, PharmD, MSHA, FACHE, will lead operations for the Richmond, Virginia-based academic health system starting May 15.
Elliott, who is an alumnus of Virginia Commonwealth University, will be responsible for integrating the health system's organizational strategic plan and operations. The health system is comprised of VCU Medical Center, Community Memorial Hospital, Tappahannock Hospital, Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU, and MCV Physicians.
"Implementing this new COO role at the system level is a pivotal step as we continue to develop equitable, high-quality, cost-effective, and integrated clinical programs across all our hospitals and clinics," Art Kellermann, MD, senior vice president for VCU Health Sciences and CEO of VCU Health System, said in a statement. "Dr. Elliott has a strong record of improving the performance of integrated health systems that span the entire continuum of care, which made him stand out among a talented pool of candidates from across the country. As a VCU alum, he is no stranger to our organization and reflects our longstanding commitment to give outstanding care to our patients, steadfast support to our team members, and an excellent education to our learners."
In his current role, Elliott serves as senior vice president and chief transformation officer for Centra Health, a nonprofit health system in Lynchburg, Virginia. His responsibilities include leading the organization's business development, strategy, community health, government relations, and external affairs. He's also responsible for the Centra Foundation, which provides money to develop and direct resources to support Centra.
He also previously served as Centra's senior vice president and COO. During his tenure at Centra, he led the development and launch of the Community Health Department, which focuses on community health equity. He also helped coordinate a regional COVID-19 vaccination effort and education initiative during the pandemic.
"Operational excellence matters because it allows us to expand services into more communities," Elliott said in a statement. "VCU Health is continuing an exciting journey of growth, and I am excited to strengthen our operational efficiency to better serve our patients, team members, and the community at large."
Melanie Blackman is a contributing editor for strategy, marketing, and human resources at HealthLeaders, an HCPro brand.