Here are five things to know about Mr. Kern.
1. Mr. Kern joined Sentara in 1980 and served as its longtime COO. He assumed the CEO position a year ago, according to The Hampton Roads Business Journal.
2. As CEO, he leads a $5 billion health system with 28,000 employees and 12 hospitals in North Carolina and Virginia.
3. Mr. Kern told The Hampton Roads Business Journal leading a large health system requires effective communication skills. He said, “It starts with eye-to-eye, face-to-face communication, and I try to do it personally at least once a year in what I call town hall listen-and-learn sessions.” The sessions include visiting Sentara locations and hearing firsthand from staff.
4. Sentara also has a blog that acts as a platform for employees to discuss work-related topics and questions. Mr. Kern says he regularly responds to employees’ blog posts, according to the report.
5. He was named to the Virginia Business‘ list of “movers and shakers” in Virginia who are “making a difference in a wide range of fields,” according to the report.
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