When you talk with long-time hospital employees, you invariably hear them discuss how VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital is a family. That was not lost on Dr. Ikenna Ibe (last name is pronounced like “eBay”) when he first arrived at VCU Health CMH in November 2018.

“I noticed how much this hospital felt like a family. You could hardly feel the hierarchy among the employees, and that impressed me as the type of hospital I want to be a part of,” he said. 

Dr. Ibe came to VCU Health CMH as the Medical Director of the hospitalist group. Prior to coming to VCU Health CMH, he had been a hospitalist and the director of the hospitalist program at St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond, VA.

In December 2019, Dr. Ibe was named the new Vice President of Medical Affairs & Chief Medical Officer at VCU Health CMH. In this role, Dr. Ibe will among many other tasks, work to enhance the collaboration between the clinical programs at VCU main hospital and the members of the medical staff at VCU Health CMH. His role will also include being the liaison between the medical staff and the hospital administration. He plans part of his role as VPMA to include, “creating a collaborative environment where ideas and innovation are welcome, and also ensure that the medical staff are provided with all of the resources needed to perform their duties effectively.”

Dr. Ibe will also continue to see patients in the hospital and provide direction to the hospitalist team while he works to establish new leadership in that department.

Regarding the hospital, he continued, “Since joining VCU Health CMH, I’ve seen first-hand the positive impact this hospital has had on the health and overall wellbeing of the community it serves. South Hill and its environs is a tight knit community, made up of people who genuinely care for one another and have the best interests of their community at heart. Having the opportunity to work with CMH means that I can be a part of impacting the lives of residents by providing excellent medical care, in a hospital that aims for the best experience for its patients and employees.”

Dr. Ibe appreciates the role technology plays at VCU Health CMH and health care in general, as a tool to enhance the care provided to patients. “Technology should help us be more efficient in caring for patients, but that should not take the place of the personal interaction physicians need to have with their patients. If technology is not helping us see patients more efficiently, then we are not using technology correctly,” he added.

He also wants to promote a strong culture of safety and efficiency especially with decisions that impact patients, and ensure the best and safest care possible.

“The medical staff at CMH are known for their great care and clinical knowledge in treating patients; and by advocating for and supporting them, it is my hope that they will continue to stand out, above and beyond expectations,” he said.

Dr. Ibe obtained his medical degree from the University of Calabar in Nigeria, and did his Internal Medicine residency in New Jersey, and a fellowship in Occupational & Environment Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.  He is board certified by both the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Preventive Medicine. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Yale University and an MBA from VCU.

“I felt getting an MBA was important because it broadens your points of view as a physician when looking at the hospital from a business perspective” he said.

Dr. Ibe and his wife, Ngozi, have two sons, 15-year-old Jordan and 13-year-old Tobe and a daughter, 10-year-old Amara. Dr. Ibe’s non-hospital life revolves around his family. When the Ibes are not shuttling their children around to various sporting activities, gymnastics, soccer and basketball, they enjoy traveling – both locally and internationally.