By Stephen Smoot
“If I faithfully observe this oath, may I thrive and prosper in my fortune and profession, and live in the estimation of posterity; or on breach thereof, may the reverse be my fate!”
This statement concludes the classic version of the Hippocratic Oath written in the 5th Century BC.
Dr. David Hess, native of Lumberport and a recently returned resident of the area, took this oath when he first started practicing medicine. The values inherent in embracing this oath have led him to his current post as President and Chief Executive Officer of WVU Medicine’s United Hospital Center.
He would say, however, that the foundation of thriving and prospering in medicine and in life had even deeper roots than his conduct as a physician and administrator.
A small town childhood, Hess said, gave him the values needed to grow into a great doctor and leader in medicine. He shared that “when I grew up in Lumberport, I was kind to everyone and did the right thing.” One could not succeed otherwise in a place where “everyone knew and took care of each other.”
That even extended, as he recalled, to “Dave at the Dairy Mart” who allowed him to make a purchase even when a little short of funds, knowing that his mother would settle up later. “I had a lot of people looking out for me,” he remembered.
Hess learned from these examples that relationships serve as the basis of success, stating that “if you don’t cultivate and keep relationships, you can’t be a good leader.
Growing up in Lumberport also provided the first push that would eventually take him into serving others through medicine. He remembered Dr. Julian Gasataya, who later served as Chief of Surgery and President of Medical Staff at United Hospital Center. At this point, Dr. Gasataya was a family doctor serving the area.
“I was out weedeating for my Mom. I hit a hive of bees.” which resulted in painful stings and swelling. His mother promptly called the doctor’s office.
“They snuck me in the side door,” he remembered,” because I was crying. Dr. Gasataya soothed his young patient with kind words and a shot.
Hess said “in that moment, I realized that this person not only takes away pain and takes away fear, but he’s also respected.” he went on to say “My hero, my Mom, looked up to him and respected him.” Hess then added that he concluded at the time “this would be incredible to do for other people.
His Mom, and personal hero, also provided inspiration toward a life of service. She worked as a registered nurse at United Hospital Center. “I grew up seeing patients coming up to her and thanking her.”
Lincoln High School also played a huge role in developing a powerful set of positive values, but also reinforced that tight sense of community he knew in Lumberport. “Every teacher I had growing up,” Hess said, “knew someone in my family.”
Hess remembered Tom Tucker, now on the Harrison County Board of Education, when he taught at Lincoln. He “was head of the Key Club back in the day.” Hess described Tucker as “a great man and a great human being,” but best remembered the teacher as someone who “taught us how to be a servant leader.”
Another important part of growing up in a small town involves giving young people opportunities to try and either succeed or fail in a safe environment. At 12 years old, Hess embarked on entrepreneurship. He told of “selling bait out of an old washtub” that he filled with soil and critters for bait. Hess then took it down to Lake Stoney to earn money.
Servant leadership comes naturally from a heart of a person of faith. “I grew up in Lumberport Baptist Church. I had a lot of men that I looked up to in the church.” The fellow congregants and church experience “raised and shaped me into the man I am today.” He added “faith is at the center of what I do and how I conduct myself.”
After earning undergraduate degrees in economics and chemistry, then a very brief dipping of his toe in the water of Wall Street, Hess went to medical school. He served as a primary care physician for 15 years before turning to administration.
Since 2014, Hess has served in the chief administration of four hospitals in the WVU Medicine system. He started at Reynolds Memorial Hospital in Glen Dale. Along the way, he also led the WVU Medicine facility in Uniontown, Pennsylvania where he established OB-GYN services.
After returning home in 2022 to lead UHC, Hess aggressively pushed to advance service and services at the hospital, establishing it as a respected and trusted regional referral hub.
That said, Hess never forgot that small towns can produce big results. He makes a point of recruiting and recognizing talent from small towns, especially Shinnston. When reminded that he always notes during staff meetings when a person attending hails from Shinnston, Hess replied jokingly that “it may get on people’s nerves” how often he does it, but says it purposefully reminds all that everyone is someone at UHC, no matter who they are or where they come from
Hess brought his wife Nicole, five daughters, and one son back to the area to enjoy the same quality of community life that helped him succeed and thrive in life.
He said “I wanted my kids to be raised in that same area. I love the fact that my kids will grow up in that same type of environment.”