As a newly minted graduate in biology and environmental sciences in 1978, Howard P. Kern saw the healthcare industry as full of opportunity and substantial growth potential. After 39 years of executive management experience in healthcare and in his current role as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sentara Healthcare, Kern has helped play a key role in the tremendous industry evolution he projected at the start of his career. Sentara Healthcare is a not-for-profit integrated healthcare system headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia. It is one of the top-five largest employers in the Commonwealth of Virginia with 28,000 employees, net revenue of $6.3 billion and operations in three states. The healthcare system also includes Optima Health, a health insurance plan serving more than 550,000 members across Ohio, North Carolina and Virginia. Howard P. Kern not only leads the integrated healthcare system, he also serves as an influential leader in the healthcare industry and his community. He participates as a member or board member for numerous organizations such as the Becker’s Hospital Review CEO Advisory Board, Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance, the Wall Street Journal CEO Council, and is ranked 58th in Modern Healthcare’s 2018 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare.  [hide for=”all” exclude=”logged”]CONTINUE READING[/hide][hide for=”logged”][LOGIN TO VIEW LINK][/hide]