Central Virginia M S Society Celebrates The Employees Of Bon Secours Hospitals With The Hope Award

PRLog (Press Release) - Oct 12, 2009 -
During a premier black tie event, over 250 CEOs and business leaders from Central Virginia will gather to honor the outstanding civic and community services performed by The Associates of Bon Secours. Peter J. Bernard, CEO will accept the award on their behalf. The event also has a very special guest; the newly selected head of the Congregation of the Sisters of Bon Secours, Sister Patricia Eck, who will be flying in from Paris to attend the ceremony.

As Senior Vice President of Bon Secours Health System, Inc. and Chief Executive Officer for Bon Secours Virginia, Peter Bernard leads the Commonwealth’s fourth largest health system with 11,000 employees and total net annual operating revenues of $1.4 billion.  He is responsible for seven hospitals and a network of physician practices, outpatient and diagnostic facilities, home care services, long term care and hospice care providers.   Eck, was until recently Chairperson of the Board of the Bon Secours Health System, Inc. and was named earlier this month as head of The Congregation of the Sisters of Bon Secours, an international Catholic order founded in Paris 185 years ago. She received her Masters in Health Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Peter brings more than 30 years of healthcare leadership experience to Bon Secours Health System.  He has held a number of hospital leadership roles including being president and CEO of CARITAS Health Services in Louisville, Kentucky.

Under Peter’s leadership, Bon Secours has consistently been recognized for its commitment to patients, employees and the community it serves.  Bon Secours was named “Corporate Philanthropist of the Year” by the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2005, and has received recognition from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and other community groups for its outreach and care for the underserved


and was named to the list “Companies that Care” in both Richmond and Hampton Roads in 2009.  Bon Secours’ clinical programs have also received recognition, including two nursing Magnet Hospital certifications and designations as centers of excellence for bariatrics, stroke care, and “Favorite Place to Have a Baby.”  

Benefits offered to employees such as on-site child care and flexible work-environment, have given Bon Secours Richmond nine consecutive years of national recognition by Working Mother magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers,” with a “top ten” honor in 2006, and led to the organization’s selection as “employer of choice” two out of the past three years.  Bon Secours Richmond has also been named one of the “Best Places to Work for Workers over 50” by the AARP for five years running, holding the number three position on this list in 2005 and 2006.  Also in 2006, Bon Secours Richmond received a Gold Level WELCOA award recognizing the organization’s dedication to the health and well-being of its employees, the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility, and was named one of the top ten employers in the nation by the National Association for Female Executives.  

Peter is a member of the board of directors for a number of community-based entities including the Greater Richmond Chapter of the American Red Cross, which he presently Chairs, the St. Joseph’s Villa, and Venture Richmond.  He served as the Chair of the 2007 United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg campaign and is a member of the Management Roundtable and the Chair of The Forum Club.  Peter also participates in the Health Executive Network, the Leadership Institute, and is credentialed as a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Peter received a bachelor’s of science degree from Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, and a master's degree in healthcare and hospital administration from the University of Minnesota. Peter and his wife, Colette, have four boys.


   The Chairman for the event, Robert Sledd, Managing Partner, Pinnacle Ventures LL Dinner Chair, along with the Multiple Sclerosis Society Board Chair Mark Hubbard, Vice President McGuire Woods Consulting will present the award during the twenty-fourth Annual Dinner of Champions, on October 14, 2009 in the Grand Ballroom of the historic Jefferson Hotel.  Distinguished speakers including Sister Patricia Ecks, Chair Bon Secours Health System Inc., Marilyn West, CEO of M.H. West & Co. and William C. Boinest, and a video message will provide special insights into the many contributions and impact Bon Secours have made in Central Virginia and beyond.  

Business and community leaders are clearly inspired by Bon Secours and as evidenced by the overwhelming involvement of the dinner committee which includes Chairman, Robert Sledd and 6 vice chairmen:  George C. Freeman, Chairman, President, and CEO Universal Leaf, g. Gilmore Minor, Chairman, Owens and Minor, James E. Sok, President and CEO, Sheltering Arms Rehabilitation Hospital, C.T. Hill,  Chairman, President and CEO, Sun Trust Bank, James E. Ukrop, Chairman, First Market Bank, and Marilyn H. West, CEO, M.H. West 7 Company.

The Dinner of Champions proceeds will benefit the Central Virginia Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.  The funds are used for financial assistance, programs and services for the 3,000 people affected by multiple sclerosis in central Virginia In addition, 40% will go towards research to discover the cause and ultimately the cure for this complex disease. For more information about MS, the National MS Society, or the Dinner of Champions, please call Sherri Ellis at (804) 356-9622 or visit our website at www.moveva.org .