VP Murdock to retire at the end of 2016

Gary Murdock, vice president for health policy and governmental affairs, is retiring, effective Dec. 31.

“It has been a wonderful and fulfilling 25 years,” Murdock said. “There is not a town this size in the world with this level of healthcare. It was good to be a part of the growth.”

In 2015, Murdock helped create a strategic plan for WVU Medicine, which called for more integration across the hospitals in the system.

Prior to his current role, Murdock was vice president of strategic planning and external relations for the then West Virginia United Health System. In that role, he was instrumental in the planning of the J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital northwest tower and WVU Medicine University Town Centre.

He helped plan the WVU Medicine Cheat Lake Physicians facility and oversaw the acquisition of the gamma knife, a high tech tool used for specialized neurosurgery, while he was vice president of marketing  and communications.

Prior to that, Murdock held several positions at WVU Hospitals, including financial analyst, programming analyst, director of Health Information Management, and vice president for program development.

Murdock graduated from WVU in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering. Before joining WVU Hospitals, he worked as an industrial engineer in the textile industry in North Carolina and Virginia, and was a teaching fellow in the WVU School of Engineering.

Murdock will continue to live in Morgantown and will pursue consulting opportunities.

“Gary’s sharp mind and ability to handle a diverse range of tasks made him an indispensable asset to WVU Medicine,” Albert L. Wright, Jr., president and chief executive officer of WVU Medicine, said. “Along with that, he is a good person, a true team player who leaves behind many friends. We wish him the best in the future.”