WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., June 6, 2019 — Hospital CEO Dr. David Hess will deliver the commencement address at West Liberty University’s Physician Assistant (PA) Commencement Ceremony, 6 p.m., Friday, June 14, in Kelly Theatre.
WLU PA Program Director Dr. William Childers will welcome graduates and guests and WLU Provost Dr. Brian Crawford will confer the degrees on the new PAs.
Hess is the president and CEO of WVU Medicine Reynolds Memorial Hospital in Glen Dale and CEO of Wetzel County Hospital in New Martinsville.
Functioning as the chief executive officer of the local hospital since December 2014, he has overseen quality initiatives, physician recruitment, and resource utilization. Hess also is medical director of community hospitalist programs for WVU Health Systems, providing medical and clinical leadership for three WVU Medicine system hospitalist programs and one hospitalist program outside of the local system.
Dr. Hess also was named West Virginia’s Rural Health Physician of the Year in 2009.
Originally from Lumberport, W.Va., Hess attended the West Virginia University School of Medicine and completed his residency at the University of Kentucky. He also earned bachelor degrees in both economics and chemistry at WVU.
Dr. Hess and his wife Nicole have six children and just welcomed their first son.
A reception for graduates, guests and families will follow the ceremony.
WLU’s physician assistant program began as a new master’s degree program in the summer of 2012 and with the addition of the Class of 2019, has graduated 98 PAs that now serve across the state and country.
For complete information on the physician assistant program at WLU, please visit westliberty.edu/physician-assistant or call 304-336-5098.