Tessa Quinn
As of July 2025, the CEO of the University of Virginia Medical Center, Wendy Horton, announced her resignation. She was appointed to the role in April 2020 and has since overseen all UVA Health Medical Center operations. An interim hospital CEO will be named to replace her. The chief administrative officer of the UVA Medical Center is Abdullahi Somo, who works with senior executives, physician leaders, faculty, and team members on strategic priorities, system initiatives, and major projects.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Wendy Horton |
| Position | CEO of the University of Virginia Medical Center |
| Resignation | Announced on July 16, 2025 |
| Interim Replacement | To be announced |
| Chief Administrative Officer | Abdullahi Somo, MBA |
| Chief Administrative Officer (UVA Health) | Mary Frances Southerland, JD, MBA |
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What You'll Learn
- The current chief administrative officer of UVA Health is Mary Frances Southerland
- Abdullahi Somo previously served as the chief administrative officer of the UVA Medical Center
- Wendy Horton was the CEO of the UVA Medical Center until her resignation in 2025
- UVA Health is a network of facilities that support patient care, research, and education
- UVA Community Health includes an integrated network of outpatient services and several medical centers
The current chief administrative officer of UVA Health is Mary Frances Southerland
Southerland received her undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She went on to obtain a Juris Doctor (JD) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Campbell University.
As the chief administrative officer, Southerland oversees, directs, and implements critical initiatives for UVA Health. She is a key member of the senior leadership team and her primary area of focus is providing oversight and leadership for the Northern Virginia strategy.
Prior to taking on her current role, Southerland served as General Counsel and Chief of Staff of UVA Physicians Group (UPG). In her role as General Counsel, she provided legal advice and guidance to the organization, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations. As Chief of Staff, she played a crucial role in supporting the CEO and managing the day-to-day operations of the UPG.
UVA Health is a network of facilities that support patient care, research, and education. The organization is committed to providing excellence and innovation in healthcare, as well as training health professionals and creating and sharing health knowledge. With Southerland's expertise and leadership, UVA Health continues to make strides in delivering quality healthcare and advancing its strategic initiatives.
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Abdullahi Somo previously served as the chief administrative officer of the UVA Medical Center
The University of Virginia (UVA) Health has a leadership network consisting of several individuals. One notable leader within UVA Health is Abdullahi Somo, who previously served as the chief administrative officer of the UVA Medical Center.
Somo, who holds an MBA, collaborated with a diverse group of stakeholders, including senior executives, physician leaders, faculty, and team members. He played a crucial role in driving forward strategic priorities, system initiatives, and major projects. Somo's focus was on operational efficiency, growth and expansion, and financial stewardship. His commitment to excellence, innovation, and superlative quality in patient care, as well as in the training of health professionals, made him an invaluable asset to the UVA Health team.
Prior to joining UVA Health, Somo gained valuable experience in perioperative services at renowned medical institutions, such as The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, OSU Brain and Spine Hospital, and Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital. His expertise in operational efficiency and financial stewardship likely contributed to his successful tenure as the chief administrative officer.
In his role, Somo worked closely with leaders in the Medical Center to align with the broader goals of UVA Health. This includes the network's commitment to patient care, research, and education. While Somo previously served as the chief administrative officer, it appears that more recently, UVA Health has had female leadership in this role, with Mary Frances Southerland, JD, MBA, serving as the current Chief Administrative Officer, overseeing critical initiatives and providing key oversight for the Northern Virginia strategy.
The UVA Health System has undergone leadership transitions, with CEO Wendy Horton, MBA, PharmD, announcing her resignation in 2025. An interim hospital CEO was to be named to replace Horton, leaving the UVa Health System without permanent leadership for a period of time. The dynamic nature of healthcare administration often leads to changes in leadership, and UVA Health continually strives to promote excellence in patient care and operational effectiveness.
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Wendy Horton was the CEO of the UVA Medical Center until her resignation in 2025
Wendy Horton, the former CEO of the UVA Medical Center, resigned from her position in 2025. Horton had been an integral part of the University of Virginia Health System, overseeing all UVA Health Medical Center operations. With extensive experience in senior administrative healthcare leadership for academic medical centres, she was a passionate advocate for healthcare quality and care redesign.
Horton's time at UVA began in April 2020, and during her tenure, she significantly contributed to the growth of the academic medical centre. She also played a pivotal role in progressing UVA Health's ambitious 10-year strategic plan. Her leadership skills and expertise in healthcare administration were highly regarded, and she was recognised for optimising care processes and leveraging new technology to ensure patient-focused healthcare resources were efficiently directed.
However, Horton's appointment as CEO was not without controversy. Before joining UVA, she served as the chief administrative officer for the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. During her time there, she worked with Kent, the dean of the Ohio State University School of Medicine. Kent was criticised for his hiring practices, and while Horton was not mentioned in a letter of no confidence regarding Kent, her name surfaced in conversations about his disregard for standard hiring procedures at UVA.
In 2025, Horton announced her resignation, adding to the exodus of top executives from the UVa Health System. Her departure left the top-ranked hospital system in the Commonwealth without permanent leadership. Horton's exit was not an isolated incident, as it came on the heels of UVa President Jim Ryan's abrupt resignation due to pressure from the Trump administration Department of Justice over diversity policies.
Horton's resignation marked the beginning of a new chapter in her career. She planned to relocate to San Francisco to take on a new role as senior vice president and president of adult care services within the University of California, San Francisco's health system. An interim hospital CEO was expected to be named to steer UVA Medical Center through this transition and maintain the standard of excellence in patient care, research, and education that Horton helped uphold.
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UVA Health is a network of facilities that support patient care, research, and education
The current interim president of the University of Virginia is Mahoney, who joined the Law School faculty in 1990 and served as dean from 2008-2016. Rosner serves as the interim executive vice president for health affairs and leads UVA Health. The previous CEO of the University of Virginia Medical Center, Wendy Horton, resigned in 2025, and an interim leader was expected to be named before her departure in September of that year.
UVA Health's leadership team also includes Dr. Paige, who is responsible for the efficiency and standardization of clinical operations across the health system's hospitals, clinics, and other clinical care settings. Dr. Just is the chief executive officer of UVA Physicians Group, overseeing all UPG operations. Shannon serves as the chief executive officer of UVA Community Health, which includes an integrated network of outpatient services and medical centers in Culpeper and Northern Virginia.
The chief administrative officer of the University of Virginia Medical Center is Abdullahi Somo, who collaborates with senior executives, physicians, faculty, and team members on strategic priorities, system initiatives, and major projects. Somo previously served in perioperative services at various medical centers and as an administrator in primary care for OhioHealth Inc. Mary Frances Southerland, JD, MBA, serves as the Chief Administrative Officer for UVA Health, overseeing and implementing critical initiatives and providing leadership for the Northern Virginia strategy.
UVA Health's network of facilities includes the UVA School of Medicine, where individuals like Dr. Derdeyn, a leader in neurointerventional radiology and stroke research, serve as educators and scientists. The health system also encompasses UVA Community Health, led by Shannon, which offers outpatient services and medical centers in several locations.
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UVA Community Health includes an integrated network of outpatient services and several medical centers
UVA Health represents a network of facilities that support patient care, research, and education. The UVA Health System includes UVA Community Health, which offers an integrated network of outpatient services and several medical centres.
UVA Community Health is currently led by CEO Dr. Shannon, who joined with extensive experience in emergency medicine. Shannon is responsible for overseeing all UVA Community Health operations, including the UVA Culpeper Medical Center, UVA Haymarket Medical Center, and UVA Prince William Medical Center.
The UVA Health System has recently undergone leadership changes, with CEO Wendy Horton announcing her resignation in July 2025. Horton, who has an extensive background in senior administrative healthcare leadership, previously served as the chief administrative officer at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Her departure from UVA Health left the system without permanent leadership, as she was one of the three top executives to exit within a short span of five months.
The interim hospital CEO, expected to be named in the near future, will play a crucial role in maintaining stability and guiding the organization's strategic direction.
The chief administrative officer of the University of Virginia Medical Center is Abdullahi Somo, who holds an MBA. Somo collaborates with senior executives, physicians, faculty, and team members to align with UVA Health's mission of providing excellence and innovation in patient care, training health professionals, and creating and sharing health knowledge.
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Frequently asked questions
The current hospital administrator or Chief Administrative Officer of UVA Health is Mary Frances Southerland, JD, MBA. She oversees and directs critical initiatives for UVA Health and is a key member of the senior leadership team.
The previous hospital administrator or CEO of UVA Health was Wendy Horton, MBA, PharmD. She resigned from her position in 2025.
Mahoney is the current interim president of the University of Virginia. He joined the Law School faculty in 1990 and has served as dean of the Law School from 2008-2016.
