UVA Health begins its rebuild, names interim CEO for University Medical Center

UVA Health has tapped a Sentara Health professional to serve as its interim CEO of the University Medical Center after a tumultuous year with accusations that key employees created a culture of fear and retaliation.

Teresa “Terrie” Edwards has been appointed the chief executive officer of UVA Health University Medical Center, taking over for Wendy Horton, who departed for a senior VP role at University of California San Francisco Health this month.

Horton was not named in a letter of no confidence but is the third executive to leave UVA since 120 professors and healthcare workers demanded the resignations of two other key employees.

The letter demanded the immediate resignation of Melina Kibbe, the UVA School of Medicine dean and UVA Health chief health affairs officer, and K. Craig Kent, UVA Health Chief Executive Officer.

After an independent review of the allegations, Kent met with the university’s Board of Visitors in February and offered his resignation approximately two years after joining UVA Health. The findings of the review were not released to the public.

Kibbe left UVA last week to serve as president of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston; Colin Derdeyn, MD, was named the interim dean in mid-August and vowed to bring steadiness, collaboration and transparency to the position.

Dr. Mitch Rosner, a nephrologist, stepped in as acting executive vice president for health affairs following Kent’s resignation.

ICYMI

• UVA Health’s Melina Kibbe is sole finalist for UT Health Houston presidency
• Physicians to UVA: Kent resignation important, but ‘issues to be addressed’
• UVA Board of Visitors to take up push to remove UVA Health leaders on Tuesday
• Developing: UVA Health CEO Craig Kent steps down following BOV meeting
• Review promised in response to letter seeking resignation of two top UVA employees

Edwards will begin her role with UVA Health University Medical Center on Sept. 15.

She previously served as senior vice president and regional president of Sentara’s eastern division where she oversaw five hospitals. In 2023 and 2024, Edwards served as interim president for acute and post-acute care delivery for Sentara, responsible for all acute care at 12 hospitals. Prior to joining Sentara, Edwards was an executive vice president and administrator at Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center in Richmond.

“Serving as interim CEO of UVA Health’s University Medical Center is a hugely exciting opportunity,” said Edwards. “I look forward to working with all the team members to build on the exceptional patient care UVA Health already offers for patients across Virginia and beyond.”