Ten years after earning his Master of Health Administration from VCU, William Clinton has emerged as a seasoned executive shaping musculoskeletal care across Virginia. Now executive director for OrthoVirginia’s Central and East regions, Clinton oversees a rapidly growing footprint: over 20 orthopedic and physical therapy sites with hundreds of total employees.

Clinton earned his bachelor’s in clinical radiation sciences from VCU in 2009 and worked as a technologist for several years before returning to complete his MHA, which he received in 2015. This trajectory reflects the blend of technical acumen and people-centered leadership that the VCU Department of Health Administration aims to cultivate.

Among his many milestones, Clinton led the development of OrthoVirginia’s Westchester campus in Midlothian from initial concept through the facility’s October 2024 opening. The project’s scale — including 96 exam rooms, four operating rooms, a procedure suite and Virginia’s largest physical therapy space — required him to develop new skills in real estate acquisition and financing.

But Clinton said the project also played to his natural strengths: “It allowed me to do what I do best: align multiple stakeholders on a vision and lead teams to deliver high quality patient care.”

Clinton’s leadership philosophy is rooted in collaboration and continuous improvement, shaped by experiences across Bon Secours, VCU Health and OrthoVirginia. His approach is guided by three core principles: work together, build strength and inspire action — a framework he traces back to his VCU training.

“Much of the didactic portion of the VCU MHA program is built around group projects,” Clinton said. “That taught me one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned: I can’t do anything by myself; it takes a team.” This emphasis on group-based problem-solving, paired with the department’s residency model, equipped him with the operational grounding needed to lead in various health care settings.

Service has been another throughline of Clinton’s career, especially as he aims to model servant leadership to his team: “Health care is bigger than just what happens in the clinic or the hospital. It starts with what is happening at home.” He has devoted over a decade to community mentorship through organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Richmond, Junior Achievement of Central Virginia and the Greater Richmond YMCA.

As Chair of the VCU Health Administration Alumni Advisory Council, Clinton remains committed to the department’s mission of developing innovative, compassionate, and business-savvy leaders. “The program was essential in my journey to becoming a leader,” he said. “I feel that it is my duty to give back to the students as many before me have.”

That attitude meshes naturally with Clinton’s stated career aspirations moving forward: “to expand my scope as a servant leader in health care and as a positive role model in the community.”

By John Battiston