LewisGale Medical Center has hired Willie Payton, Jr. as chief operating officer for the 506-bed acute-care medical and surgical facility.
Before joining LewisGale Medical Center, Payton served as vice president of operations at Johnston-Willis Hospital in Richmond, VA, and has operated clinical and nonclinical services including emergency preparedness, security, safety, endoscopy, engineering, environmental services, food and nutrition services, imaging, and patient transportation.
“We are excited to welcome Willie to our executive team and leverage his experience managing multiple interdisciplinary teams,” said Lance Jones, LewisGale Regional Health System chief executive officer and market president.
Prior to Johnston-Willis, Payton held numerous administrative roles within the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers for over a decade.
Originally, from Cleveland, Payton earned his Bachelor of Arts in organizational communications and Master’s in health services administration from Xavier University. Payton is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and the National Association of Health Service Executives (NAHSE).
About LewisGale Regional Health System
LewisGale Regional Health System includes 44 HCA Virginia Health System-owned patient care facilities including four hospitals, two freestanding ERs, two regional cancer centers and affiliations with both employed and independent physicians. HCA Virginia Health System operates 14 hospitals, 27 outpatient centers, six freestanding emergency rooms and is affiliated with 3,000 physicians. The private hospital system is one of Virginia’s largest employers, provides $105.7 million in charity and uncompensated care, and pays $88.9 million in taxes annually.
