David J. Masterson will join Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital in South Boston, Va. in July as President. Masterson has been President of Sentara Obici Hospital and its Sentara BelleHarbour outpatient campus in Suffolk, Va., since November 2021. He previously helmed Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center for eight years.
Masterson succeeds Brian Zwoyer, who will take on a corporate role as Vice President of Nursing for Special Projects. Zwoyer was appointed to the Interim President role at Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital in December 2019 and assumed the permanent role in April 2020. Over the past 5 years, under Zwoyer’s leadership, Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital navigated the challenges of COVID-19, successfully achieved Rural Health Clinic status for the division, and launched the new hospital construction project.
“I have enjoyed my time with Sentara Halifax and will greatly miss this incredible team. I wish them all the best, and I am grateful for all the opportunities and experiences we shared,” said Zwoyer. “I look forward to taking on this new role and being able to use both my leadership and operational skills to improve care delivery at the system level.”
Under Masterson’s guidance, Sentara Obici Hospital and the Sentara BelleHarbour outpatient campus have strengthened their positions as medical destinations in the Western Tidewater region and reduced outmigration. Sentara Obici Hospital serves the city of Suffolk and neighboring Southampton and Isle of Wight Counties, and patients from border counties in North Carolina.
“I look forward to joining the community and residents in South Boston and Halifax County, and working alongside the outstanding team at Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital,” Masterson said. “Overseeing the construction and launch of the new hospital is an honor. It demonstrates Sentara’s commitment to serving the community now and into the future,” he added.
“David brings proven success as an inspirational leader and a champion of clinical quality,” said Kapua Conley, Sentara senior vice president and acute care eastern market president, who oversees the southern Virginia region. “He cares deeply about his team members, and he is passionate about rural healthcare. He brings out the best in everyone, which benefits our patients and their health outcomes.”
Prior to joining Sentara in 2013, Masterson held executive positions with health systems in North Carolina, Indiana, Georgia, and South Carolina leading health systems of various sizes and descriptions, from a 25-bed rural hospital to a 700-bed tertiary referral center. His breadth of experience in rural healthcare includes hospital operations, practice management, long-term care, home health, ambulatory imaging, surgery and therapies, and wellness centers.
He earned his Master of Health Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. and his undergraduate degree from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va.
He is a Fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and a recipient of the 2018 ACHE Regent’s Award for Virginia.