John Duval, who retired in 2016 as CEO and vice president for clinical affairs at VCU Hospitals and Clinics in Richmond, Va., died June 9. He was 73.
Mr. Duval led VCU Health from 2003 to 2016 and oversaw significant growth, including the additions of Children’s Hospital of Richmond and Community Memorial Hospital, according to a June 18 health system news release.
He is remembered for his dynamic leadership, strategic vision and care for both patients and team members, the release said. His focus on patient safety and care quality led to several accolades at VCU Medical Center, including the American Hospital Association’s top honor for leadership and innovation in safety and quality improvement.
“We are truly grateful to John Duval for leading VCU Health with the compassion, motivation and strength to help us achieve such ambitious goals,” VCU Health CEO Marlon Levy, MD, said in the release. “His impact propelled our academic health system into the next chapter and left a lasting legacy among the VCU Health community. He will be forever remembered as one of our seminal and transformational leaders.”
After retirement, Mr. Duval moved to Tucson, Ariz., with his family. Before joining VCU, he spent six years as COO of University Medical Center at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson.
In 2026, he and his wife, Valli, established the John F. and Valli S. Duval Endowed Professorship for Gastrointestinal Oncology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine to support cancer research.
In a 2016 letter to colleagues announcing his retirement, Mr. Duval described his relationships with leadership and staff as “simply the best,” according to a June 24, 2016 news release.
“The terrific accomplishments of staff, the advances in quality and safety, the improvement of facilities, the uncompromising dedication to excellence in both service and education has been hallmark during my tenure here and is as exciting as it is humbling to contemplate,” Mr. Duval wrote. “I truly love seeing the pride our teams show in knowing that they are among the best to be found anywhere. Our teammates are never arrogant, but walk with a little well-earned swagger. VCU Health is an amazing force for good in all it does and in the lives it touches.”
In addition to his leadership at VCU Health, Mr. Duval held roles at the American College of Healthcare Executives, the American and Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Associations and the Boys and Girls Club of America.
VCU Health Chief of Health Impact Sheryl Garland said Mr. Duval was a visionary leader who set bold goals.
“He taught us that no challenge was too big to tackle, especially if it would result in improving the services provided to the communities we served,” she said. “John made you believe in his visions and then showed you the way to make it happen. He was an exceptional leader and mentor who will be missed.”
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