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2022 SPECIAL SESSION I


SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 648
Commending Howard P. Kern.

 

Agreed to by the Senate, June 1, 2022

 

WHEREAS, Howard P. Kern, president and chief executive officer of Sentara Healthcare, has served his community and the Commonwealth for more than four decades; and

WHEREAS, after earning his bachelor’s degree from Binghamton University and a master of health administration degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, Howard Kern began his career at Sentara as an administrative resident in 1980 and rose to president and chief executive officer in 2016; and

WHEREAS, Howard Kern led Sentara through its transition from a traditional hospital system into the largest health system in Virginia and a fully integrated delivery network with more than 30,000 employees, 12 acute care hospitals, and medical groups located in four regions in Virginia and North Carolina that serve more than 900,000 members through Sentara Health Plans; and

WHEREAS, by combining the expertise of Sentara’s employees with the reach of local community partners, Howard Kern helped guide Hampton Roads and other Virginia communities through the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring the availability of testing and vaccinations sites, the safety of health care workers, and sufficient supplies for all who needed them; and

WHEREAS, Howard Kern recognized the future needs of health care in Hampton Roads and directed the construction of the Sentara Brock Cancer Center, began the process to align Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) with Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University to create the first school of public health in the region, and led the initiative to launch the EVMS-Sentara Healthcare Analytics and Delivery Science Institute; and

WHEREAS, under Howard Kern’s leadership, Sentara Healthcare received numerous awards, including a Most Generous Virginia Corporation award from Virginia Business magazine, one of the Fortune/IBM Watson Health Top 5 Large Health Systems, a Forbes magazine Best Employer for Women, and more than 20 years of recognition as a Best Hospital by U.S. News and World Report; and

WHEREAS, Howard Kern has also donated his time to numerous community organizations, including the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance, the Virginia Business Higher Education Council, the Norfolk State University Board of Visitors, and the Virginia Wesleyan University Board of Visitors; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That Howard P. Kern hereby be commended for his contributions as a health care leader and a pillar of the community and his service to the residents of Hampton Roads and the Commonwealth; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Howard P. Kern as an expression of the Senate of Virginia’s admiration for his personal and professional achievements.