Richmond Leader

A day in the life of the first woman to lead VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital

Trumpets and drums filled the room as VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital patients and residents of The Hundley Center long term care facility joined the Brunswick High School band for a performance during Black History Month.

  

“I was excited to dance here,” Azreaih Harry, a senior on the Brunswick High School dance team, said. “People in the hospital don’t get to hear music very often. It brings people together.”

  

It has been some time since visitors could come to the hospital for larger events due to pandemic restrictions. But as the wave of COVID-19 lessens in South Hill, CMH is opening up to members of the community, such as the high school band performance, to energize the atmosphere. It’s all part of the new president of CMH’s plan to engage residents and empower people to be the change they want to see.

A look into Barr’s first three months

For her first 90 days as president, Sheldon Barr spent time listening to team members, providers and the community to identify the lens through which they view CMH. The hospital provides care in a rural part of Virginia, with unique services such as rheumatology, gastroenterology and dentistry. Barr knows patients expect great outcomes and want to feel safe while receiving care.

As part of her work, Barr is tasked to reduce turnover and increase employee engagement. She also sits on two panels at the hospital with team members: the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion council and shared governance committee. On the DEI council, she serves as co-chair and leads the team by brainstorming ideas for celebrating national heritage months and ensuring processes are in place for patients to get equitable care. In shared governance, she makes sure every employee has a voice to make recommendations and improvements to department procedures, thereby increasing employee retention.

One of the people she works closely with is Mary Hardin, CMH’s vice president of patient care services.

“Sheldon has taken a broader approach to leadership through inclusion of frontline staff through executive leaders,” Hardin said. “She also provides transparency in her leadership.  

Each week, Barr meets with the executive committee in Richmond to make sure communication lines stay open. Recently they worked on aligning CMH’s 69-year-old mission and vision statements to match those of VCU Health for clarity and consistency across the health system, which highlights the importance of preserving and restoring the health of all patients through innovation in service, research and education. 

“Our strategic plan spans across four key themes as a health system which include: patient-centered care, workforce wellness, health equity and innovative research and education,” Barr said.

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