A veteran healthcare administrator, David Brash, took over as the chief executive officer of Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley, on July 7, 2025. Brash grew up in Oak Hill, West Virginia, and enrolled at WVU Tech in the fall of 1982. He initially intended to pursue a mechanical engineering degree in the College of Engineering. Once he started the program, he quickly realized it wasn’t the path he wanted to take. Instead, he completed an associate’s degree in mechanical engineering technology in the Community and Technical College.
“The jobs in that particular field were centered around the coal mines, and that wasn’t really what I wanted to do,” Brash said. “I happened to be walking down the hall and saw there was a new program, a two plus two program, where you could have any associates degree, and in another two years you could have your bachelor's degree.”
It was the degree in healthcare administration that caught his eye while at WVU Tech. He made an appointment with his adviser, who was unsure how a combination of mechanical engineering technology and healthcare administration would come together to make a bachelor’s degree. But this unique combination of academic backgrounds would be one of the keys to his success down the road.
Brash found his niche in healthcare almost by accident. He knew he enjoyed working with people and managing projects, and there seemed to be plenty of job opportunities.
“My adviser said, ‘I'm not sure how you would ever combine a healthcare administration degree with a mechanical engineering technology degree, but it's so intriguing, I'm going to let you try.” I ended up going back and speaking to his class after graduating and getting my first job”, Brash said. “I explained that many issues, particularly in hospitals, are related to the physical plant, processes, or equipment issues. Around the hospital, you have a lot of people that can speak the clinical language. When you start discussing facility problems, utility issues, things of that sort, there are not a lot of people with that type of expertise. It's just been a good combination.”
While finishing his bachelor’s degree, he landed a position for his practicum at Plateau Medical Center, his hometown hospital. He found a mentor and a passion for working in healthcare during this internship which launched the rest of his career.
“Once I got into the health care field, it was like I found what I wanted to do. The CEO I was working with was someone that was into mentoring and taking someone young and with no experience and showing them the ropes,” Brash said.
His mentor at Plateau Medical also encouraged him to pursue his master’s degree. He completed that in 1996 with a master’s in management and an emphasis in healthcare administration from the West Virginia College of Graduate Studies.
“In all honesty, without that type of mentorship and guidance, I wouldn’t have been competitive for some of positions the I've had,” he said.
That internship turned into a part-time job, which became a full-time job and an 11-year career at Plateau Medical Center. He worked his way up from a student in a small office by the elevator, to an administrative assistant, earned promotions to Assistant Administrator and Chief Operating Officer and eventually, the Chief Executive Officer.
Over the past 37 years, Brash has served in hospitals across Appalachia – a decision driven by his love for the region. He’s served as the chief executive officer of hospitals across Virginia, Kentucky, and West Virginia, and most recently serving as the CEO at Logan Regional Medical Center in Logan, West Virginia. He took the position to be closer to home after living in Kentucky for several years. Now he comes back to a facility close to his heart and his personal story.
“Raleigh General is the hospital I was born in, so that's exciting to come full circle. It's kind of always been my dream to lead that hospital at some point. So, this is the fulfillment of that. I've had an opportunity to do a lot of good things and work with a very talented staff here (at Logan Regional Medical Center) Hospital), and I know that work will continue. But I think the big draw for me to lead Raleigh General Hospital is that I get to do the type of work that I enjoy, but to do it back at home.”