The Blueprint for Rural Health Success w/ Albert L. Wright Jr., President & CEO, WVU Medicine

Oct 31, 2025

Albert L. Wright Jr., President and CEO of the West Virginia University Health System, shares insights on transforming rural healthcare. He discusses innovative strategies for expanding access and enhancing care delivery through Peak Health. Albert addresses the unique challenges of West Virginia’s dispersed populations, emphasizing the importance of telemedicine and local chronic disease management. He also highlights workforce development initiatives to engage youth in healthcare careers, aiming for sustainable, community-focused health solutions.

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ANECDOTE

From Pharmacist To Health System CEO

Albert Wright Jr. described his path from pharmacist to CEO after running hospital departments and becoming a pharmacy director.
He emphasized wearing many hats in small hospitals helped him transition into broader administrative leadership.

INSIGHT

Mission Drives System Structure

WVU Medicine was formed to keep health system decisions local and serve West Virginians' needs first.
The system balances improving population health with West Virginia University's teaching mission.

INSIGHT

Rural Geography Shapes Delivery

West Virginia's entirely Appalachian geography makes it the definition of rural health care in the U.S.
WVU Medicine builds financially viable local hospitals and community boards to anchor care and local economies.

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What if rural hospitals could thrive instead of just survive?

In this episode of CareTalk Executive Features, WVU Medicine President & CEO Albert L. Wright, Jr. joins host David Williams to share how the health system is redefining rural healthcare, expanding access, advancing innovation, and aligning care delivery through initiatives like Peak Health.

🎙️⚕️ABOUT ALBERT L. WRIGHT JR.
Albert is the president and CEO of the West Virginia University (WVU) Health System, the state's largest private employer. Before joining the Health System in 2014, he held several senior-level leadership positions at some of the nation's most prestigious healthcare systems and academic medical centers, including Ohio Health and UPMC.

As president and CEO, Albert has transformed the WVU Health System into a fully integrated network of 25 hospitals and clinics spanning a four-state region that includes West Virginia, Western Maryland, Eastern Ohio, and Southwest Pennsylvania. He has significantly expanded the Health System's specialty and sub-specialty care and directed greater than $3.0 billion in capital investments to build new hospitals and clinics or refurbish existing ones while modernizing the Health System's infrastructure and electronic medical record.

Today, the WVU Health System is West Virginia's largest network of hospitals, clinics, and specialty institutes, with over 3,000 licensed beds, 3,000 providers, 35,000 employees, and $7 billion in revenue. An 881-bed, Magnet-recognized academic medical center anchors the network of hospitals and clinics. In 2023, the Health System launched Peak Health, its health insurance company, with Albert as its board chair.

Albert obtained his Master of Health Administration degree at The Ohio State University, a Doctor of Pharmacy at the University of Florida, and a Doctor of Public Health at the University of North Carolina. He is involved in several charitable and civic organizations and serves on numerous boards.

🎙️⚕️ABOUT CARETALK
CareTalk is a weekly podcast that provides an incisive, no B.S. view of the US healthcare industry. Join co-hosts John Driscoll (President U.S. Healthcare and EVP, Walgreens Boots Alliance) and David Williams (President, Health Business Group) as they debate the latest in US healthcare news, business and policy.

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