Community Health: Meet Tonya Smith, Valley Health Sr. VP Acute Care, and President, Winchester Medical Center

We welcomed Tonya Smith to the show today. Tonya was recently (in September) named Valley Health Senior Vice President of Acute Care and President of Winchester Medical Center (WMC). Our conversation is part of our community health partnership with Valley Health where we talk each month with administrators, physicians, and other Valley Health staff about health topics, events, and the community. Tony gave us a bit of insight into her background. She is happy to have returned to the Shenandoah Valley and returned to Valley Health. She had previously served as Vice President of Operations and Ancillary Services at WMC before leaving for Munson Healthcare in Cadillac, Michigan in 2015. She is the first female president of Winchester Medical Center. We discussed the unique challenges facing the healthcare system in the wake of the pandemic. She explained the need for increased training programs, staffing shortages, and supply chain issues. We also talked about the recent lawsuit filed by Valley Health against Anthem in an effort to recoup millions in past-due reimbursements.