Dr. Karen Shelton — a Bristol native who led three southwestern Virginia health districts during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — was named state health commissioner by Governor Glenn next Thursday. Youngkin.
Shelton, who is currently vice president and chief medical officer at Bristol Regional Medical Center, will assume her new role as head of the state health department on May 1, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
“Experience and leadership matter,” Youngkin said in the statement. “Dr. Shelton brings a wealth of knowledge to patient care and is well placed to recognize the individualized needs of all Virginians. Dr. Shelton will be a tremendous asset to public health throughout the Commonwealth.
She served as Medical Director of Mount Rogers Health District for more than five years and Acting Director of Cumberland Plateau and LENOWISCO Health Districts, and she led those districts to have the fastest deployments of COVID testing and vaccinations in Virginia, according to the press release.
Shelton is also credited with helping students return to the classroom, significantly mitigating learning loss for those in Bristol, the statement said.
In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, she focused on the region’s opioid epidemic and neonatal abstinence syndrome, which occurs when babies are born addicted due to their mothers’ drug use during pregnancy. pregnancy, according to the statement.
R-Washington County Sen. Todd Pillion said Thursday night, “This is a victory for Governor Youngkin, Southwest Virginia and the entire Commonwealth! I have worked extensively with Dr. Shelton throughout the pandemic, particularly on issues to help reopen our schools and businesses. She is a dedicated public servant and I couldn’t be more excited about this choice.
In August 2021, Shelton became chief medical officer at Bristol Hospital, a position she will hold until Friday, according to a Ballad Health spokesperson.
Ballad Health President and CEO Alan Levine also praised Shelton.
“Dr. Shelton did an incredible job as the head of the regional health department during COVID,” he said Thursday evening. “She led efforts to keep schools and businesses open, and she was a reliable partner for the region’s health system Governor Youngkin could not have chosen a better head for the Commonwealth Health Department.
A board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist, Shelton has treated patients in Bristol for nearly 20 years.
“As a healthcare provider, I look forward to helping Virginians lead healthier, happier lives with greater access to appropriate care for themselves and their families,” Shelton said in the statement. . “As an obstetrician-gynecologist, it was an honor to care for patients, their babies and their families one-on-one. In returning to public health, I hope to harness the trust that my patients had in me and advancing the mission of the Virginia Department of Health alongside dedicated healthcare professionals.
Shelton earned an MD from the University of Virginia and completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Eastern Virginia Medical School. She holds an undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University.
In May 2022, she received the Woman of Distinction Award from United Way of Southwest Virginia.
Shelton replaces Dr. Colin Greene, who was one of three Youngkin appointees whose confirmation was rejected in a vote by Senate Democrats in February. He accepted the position in April 2022.
Greene was reprimanded by the Board of Health last year for remarks he made in an interview with The Washington Post in which he called gun violence a “democratic talking point” and questioned the role of structural racism in health outcomes.