Alumni/ae Spotlight

William B. Downey (MHA ’85)
Executive Vice President &
Chief Operating Officer
Riverside Health System

By Davina Vaswani

William B. Downey is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Riverside Health System. Riverside Health System a non-profit organization dedicated to improving health and saving lives. The company began as one hospital in 1915, founded by the community and built on a site at Huntington Avenue and 50th Street in Newport News, Virginia. In 1962, the hospital was relocated to the present site of Riverside Regional Medical Center in central Newport News. Since then, Riverside has evolved into a flagship regional medical center with four other Hospitals and a variety of other healthcare facilities and services covering every aspect of healthcare throughout the region.

Mr. Downey has a Bachelor of Science degree from James Madison University in public administration and political science. As a recent college graduate, Mr. Downey learned about health administration during interviews with Ken Axtell, the Administrator at Williamsburg Community Hospital. He earned an externship at Riverside Health System and completed his Master of Health Administration (MHA) at the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University. Mr. Downey completed his residency at Orlando Regional Medical Center. Upon completion of the MHA, Mr. Downey returned to Riverside Regional Medical Center as assistant administrator in 1985. He served as vice president and administrator of Riverside Walter Reed Hospital from 1986 to 1991, returning to RRMC as Senior Vice President in 1992. From 1995 to 2000, he was President and CEO of Lewis-Gale Medical Center in Salem, Virginia and, from 2000 to 2001, was CEO of Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point in Hudson, Florida.

Mr. Downey has been involved in many community service projects. He currently serves on the Board of the Virginia Living Museum, the United Way of the Virginia Peninsula, the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and is the Chair Elect-Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association and Past President of the MCV/VCU Department of Health Administration Alumni Association.