Melina Davis
CEO & EVP of MSV
“Transforming Healthcare & Changing Lives”
Melina Davis, the CEO and Executive Vice President of the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) understands that listening to the MSV members and staff is the most important thing a leader can do. Knowing what the MSV members care about and understanding their current needs is critical to MSV’s focus and work. She and her staff work hard to ensure they have a deep understanding of healthcare to provide their members with what they need. By actively listening to the MSV membership and dedicating time to grasping the complex world of healthcare, Melina has created an environment that always works to align everything MSV does with its mission and purpose.
Melina also knows that a true leader cannot work on an island. So, when she became the CEO and EVP of MSV, she made it a point to understand the staff and the culture. She met with each member of her staff and sat with them to understand their key duties. Through this, she was able to drive effective change to support them and the MSV membership. The staff at MSV have built strong relationships internally and with members and are always willing to go out of their way to support MSV’s physicians, PAs, residents, and medical students.
“I am a firm believer that the answer always needs to be “yes” to women entrepreneurs and young entrepreneurs in general. Can you do this? Will you help me? Can you look at my idea? The answer is always yes,” she says. “It can be so hard to get in through the window or the door, so as leaders we must support these women and their efforts. As successful leaders, we need to support others and their growth. And finally, just remember to listen.” Brilliant people have things that they want to talk about and share, and explore. “I still learn so much in interacting with new entrepreneurs. This might seem simple but it’s true and can really help young women grow in their ideas, their confidence and career paths,” says Melina, who has been taking MSV to new heights. MSV was established over 200 years ago to guide medicine’s development and continuity of care and protect the doctor-patient relationship. From the MSV came many important healthcare bodies, including hospitals, medical schools, the public health department, the board of medicine, and more.
Sharing an instance where she and her staff were able to make a true difference for a member, Melina says, as a pediatrician, Dr. Chung realized she and her colleagues could not get psychiatric help for pediatric patients in a timely manner. As Dr. Chung began working on a program to help educate and provide resources for her colleagues, she realized she needed help to launch the program and ensure it had stability and sustainability. “Dr. Chung came to MSV for support and in the last 18 months, we have helped her grow the Virginia Mental Health Access Program (VMAP) funding over 500% and have established a basic infrastructure to educate over 600 pediatricians and family physicians,” explains Melina. “Also, VMAP has provided over 1,000 no cost consultations with child and adolescent psychiatrists and assistance for families with licensed mental health providers and care navigators.” This program is critical for children and adolescents in the commonwealth of Virginia, especially in the time of the global pandemic.
The MSV has four subsidiaries, the MSV, LLC, MSV Foundation, MSV Political Action Committee, and the MSV Insurance Agency. All four of these subsidiaries work towards the MSV mission and are expected to expand. The MSV has recently launched a clinician well being program, SafeHaven™. As this program continues to grow its national presence, that could become another subsidiary in the next few years. “But most importantly we will continue to focus on our mission to make Virginia the best place to practice medicine and receive care. We are likely to go deeper into innovation with AI, healthcare, and new technologies and solutions,” says Melina. “We will continue to work on expanding telehealth, more affordable access to high quality care, and lowering cost and increasing low-cost access to medical and diagnostic technologies.” IE
Company
Management
Melina Davis
CEO & EVP
Description
The Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) serves as the voice for more than 30,000 physicians, residents, medical students, physician assistants and physician assistant students, representing all medical specialties in all regions of the Commonwealth. The association was founded in 1820 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. MSV strives to advance high-quality health care and make Virginia the best place to receive care and practice medicine.