Pressroom

VHHA Elects 2026-2027 Officers to Board of Directors at Spring Meeting Amid 100th Anniversary Celebration

April 16, 2026

The New Slate of Officers Includes HCA Healthcare Capital Division President Dr. William Lunn, Riverside Health President and CEO Dr. Mike Dacey, and Bon Secours Mercy Health State President of Virginia Mike Lutes

RICHMOND, VA – During its annual Spring Meeting, the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) Board of Directors unanimously elected three distinguished hospital leaders to serve as Board officers for the 2026-2027 term, which overlaps with the 100th anniversary of VHHA. HCA Healthcare Capital Division President Dr. William Lunn is the new Board Chair, Riverside Health President and CEO Dr. Michael J. “Mike” Dacey is the new Board Vice Chair, and Bon Secours Mercy Health State President of Virginia Michael “Mike” Lutes is the new Board Secretary-Treasurer.

The VHHA Board of Directors features hospital and health system leaders from across the Commonwealth. Other Board officers include Valley Health President and CEO Mark Nantz as the Immediate Past Chair and VHHA President and CEO Sean T. Connaughton. VHHA Board officers are elected to 12-month terms. In addition to the Board officers, VHHA’s Executive Committee includes Sentara Health Executive Vice President for Acute and Post-Acute Care Eric Conley, Inova Fairfax Medical Campus President and Inova Pediatric Service Line President Dr. Steve Narang, and Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters President and CEO Amy Sampson.

“Virginia’s hospitals are proud to be trusted and reliable community partners, particularly as society navigates rapid change across so many aspects of life,” said Lunn. “Alongside people in the communities we serve, healthcare providers are developing new strategies to adapt to evolving technology and government policies. In the current environment, I am honored to be named Chair of the VHHA Board of Directors to work with hospital leaders across Virginia and the Association as it enters a new century of advocacy, engagement, and leadership on behalf of Virginians.”

Added Connaughton: “As time marches forward, our mission remains consistent – to support Virginia hospitals and health systems in the work of making this the healthiest state in the nation. Together, we have done much work over a century of advocacy and engagement to enhance access to care, improve quality, and serve public health. Our new Board officers share a passion for patient- and family-centered mission-based service that aligns with our continued pursuit of a more healthy Commonwealth for Virginians.”

Officers elected to the VHHA Board of Directors during the annual Spring Meeting are:

  • Dr. William Lunn, President of HCA Healthcare Capital Division, is the new Board Chair. Dr. Lunn is a physician leader who previously served as CEO of Chippenham and Johnston-Willis Hospitals, President and CEO of Tulane Health System, Chief Operating Officer of Christus Health Northern Louisiana, and Assistant Dean of Clinical Affairs and Vice President of Medical Affairs at the Baylor College of Medicine.
  • Dr. Michael J. “Mike” Dacey, President and CEO of Riverside Health, is the new Board Vice Chair. He previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer at Riverside Health, and held leadership roles at Kent Hospital in Warwick, RI and Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, a Brown University School of Medicine teaching hospital. In an earlier role, Dr. Dacey served as chief clinical integration officer for Care New England and oversaw the Care New England Physician Organization.
  • Michael “Mike” Lutes, Bon Secours Mercy Health State President of Virginia, is the new Board Secretary-Treasurer. He joined Bon Secours Mercy Health in 2022 as market president of Bon Secours Richmond, overseeing seven acute-care hospitals across Richmond, the Northern Neck, Petersburg and Emporia. Lutes brings more than 25 years of healthcare experience to his role. Before joining Bon Secours Mercy Health, he served 15 years in various leadership roles at Atrium Health, a nonprofit health system based in Charlotte, NC. 

About VHHA: The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Associationis an alliance of 117 hospitals and 26 health delivery systems that develops and advocates for sound health care policy in the Commonwealth. Its mission is to achieve excellence in both health care and health. Its vision is through the power of collaboration to be recognized as a driving force behind making Virginia the healthiest state in the nation. Connect with VHHA through Facebook, X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Julian Walker
Vice President of Communications
(804) 297-3193 office
(804) 304-7402 mobile
jtwalker@vhha.com