David L. Bernd is chief executive officer of Sentara Healthcare, an integrated health system with net revenues of $3.5 billion. Sentara, a leading not-for-profit health care provider in Virginia and North Carolina, is comprised of 8 acute care hospitals, health plans with 430,000 covered lives, 500 provider medical group and a medical staff of 3,000 physicians. Sentara was ranked the number one integrated health care network in the United States consecutively in 2010 and 2011 by Modern Healthcare magazine and is the only health care system in the nation to be named in the top 10 for 14 years.
Mr. Bernd received his Master of Hospital and Health Administration from the Medical College of Virginia in 1973. He served his residency at Medical Center Hospitals 1972-73. Mr. Bernd served as assistant administrator at Sentara Norfolk General from 1973 until 1979 when he was named administrator. In 1985 Mr. Bernd was named executive vice-president/chief operating officer of Sentara Health System and president, Sentara Hospitals-Norfolk. In December 1994, he was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Sentara Health System (now Sentara Healthcare).
Mr. Bernd, was named by the Secretary of Commerce to serve as a member of the Measuring Innovation in the 21st Century Economy Advisory Committee of the Department of Commerce. In 2004 he served as chairman of the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees, making him the top elected official of the largest hospital and health system association in the United States. In addition, he is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and currently serves as Rector on the Board of Visitors at Old Dominion University. He has served on the VHA, Inc. Board of Directors; South Trust Bank Board of Directors; the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce Regional Board; and as Chairman of the Hampton Roads YMCAs. He is past Chairman of the United Way of South Hampton Roads Board of Directors and the Virginia Hospital Association Board of Directors. Mr. Bernd was the 1984 recipient of the American College of Hospital Administrators’ Robert S. Hudgens National Young Hospital Administrator of the Year Award.
He resides with his wife Helen in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
