Riverside Health System Executive Management

The operational and administrative management of Riverside Health System is vested in its president who is appointed by the Board of Directors of the System and is required by its Bylaws to be an officer of Riverside Health System. Directly under the company president is the management staff that provides day-to-day governance of and services to the various companies within Riverside Health System.

Richard J. Pearce
President/CEO
Riverside Health System

Richard J. Pearce is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Riverside Health System. He joined Riverside Hospital in 1972, and has served in a variety of capacities, including administrator of Patrick Henry Hospital (now The Gardens at Warwick Forest), administrator of Walter Reed Memorial Hospital, and associate administrator of Riverside Regional Medical Center. He became senior vice president in 1977 with responsibilities for shared services, management contracts, and finance, and was named senior executive vice president and chief operating officer in 1984. In 1999, Mr. Pearce became president of RHS and in 2001, became chief executive officer.

A graduate of North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering, Mr. Pearce received a Masters in Hospital Administration from the Medical College of Virginia.

Mr. Pearce is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. He has served on the Board of Directors of The Virginia Insurance Reciprocal, the Peninsula Agency on Aging, and Peninsula Hospital Services, and has been a member of the Long Term Care Committee of the American Hospital Association. A licensed nursing home administrator, Mr. Pearce has conducted educational seminars on long term care staffing and scheduling for the Virginia Health Care Association.

William B. Downey
Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
Riverside Health System

William B. Downey is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Riverside Health System. Mr. Downey joined Riverside Regional Medical Center as assistant administrator in 1985 and served as vice president and administrator of Riverside Walter Reed Hospital from 1986 to 1991, returning to RRMC as Senior Vice President in 1992. From 1995 to 2000, he was President and CEO of Lewis-Gale Medical Center in Roanoke and, from 2000 to 2001, was CEO of Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point in Florida.

Mr. Downey has a Bachelor of Science degree from James Madison University and a Masters degree in Health Administration from the Medical College of Virginia. He is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

He has been involved in many community service projects. He currently serves on the Board of the Virginia Living Museum, Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, the United Way of the Virginia Peninsula and the Newport News Educational Foundation.

Barry L. Gross, M.D.
Executive Vice President/CMO
Riverside Health System

Dr. Barry L. Gross received his undergraduate B.A. degree in English from the University of Alabama, and his M.D. degree from the University of Alabama, Birmingham in 1975. He served his internship and residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Riverside Regional Medical Center, and entered private practice in 1979. He became board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1981.

In 1981, Dr Gross served as the National Chairman of the Junior Fellow Division of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He has served on the national Residency Review Committee for Obstetrics and Gynecology. He has served on the Technical Bulletin Committee for Gynecology for the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He served six years as Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Riverside Regional Medical Center. In 1995, he became Medical Director of the Virginia Health Network. 

In 1996, he became Chairman of the Board of Advisors of Riverside Physician Associates (now Riverside Medical Group) and a member of the Riverside Health System Board. In 1998, he became the Vice President for Medical Affairs for Riverside Health System; and in 2001, Dr. Gross became an Executive Vice President for Riverside Health System.

Wade D. Broughman
Executive Vice President/CFO
Riverside Health System

Wade Broughman is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Riverside Health System. He joined Riverside Health System in January, 2002 as a Senior Vice President and CFO. 

Wade is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a BS in Accounting and a graduate of the William & Mary Executive MBA Program. He is also a certified public accountant.

Wade is an Associate member of the American College of Health Care Executives, a Member of the Medical Group Management Association, a member of HFMA Virginia Chapter, he serves on the Board of Directors of Peninsula Health Care, and on the Board of Virginia Health Network.

Golden H. Bethune, RN, MSN, CNAA, BC
Executive Vice President/Administrator
Riverside Regional Medical Center

Golden Bethune is the Executive Vice President and Administrator of Riverside Regional Medical Center, Newport News, Virginia. Golden grew up in Newport News, Virginia. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, North Carolina and a Masters Degree in Nursing Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia. She is a Certified Nurse Administrator, Advanced through the ANA Credentialing Center, and she is a graduate of the Wharton Fellows Program in Nurse Management, offered through the University of Pennsylvania.

She has received many honors for her achievements in Nursing. She is most proud of receiving the coveted New Jersey Governor’s Award for Excellence in Administration and the achievement of Magnet Status at Centra Health. Golden has served as President of the New Jersey State Board of Nursing, President of the Organization of Nurse Executives, New Jersey, and President of the Morristown Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Incorporated. Since coming to Virginia, she has joined the Virginia Organization of Nurse Executives, and the Lynchburg Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She is also a member of the American Association of Healthcare Executives, Sigma Theta Tau, an international Nursing Honor Society, and the American Nurses Association, and the American Organization of Nurse Executives.

Golden served on many Boards within the Lynchburg community including New Vistas School Board, Amazement Square Board (children’s museum) and the Hospital Boards.  Golden also served on the LifeNet Board, an organ procurement company for Virginia.  She has been appointed for a second term to the Governor’s Advisory Commission for Nursing in Virginia. Since joining Riverside in January 2006, Golden also serves on the Riverside Hospital and Health System Boards.