On Jul. 1, 1997, the operations, employees and obligations of the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals (MCV), formerly a division of Virginia Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), were transferred to the Authority. In April 1996, Governor George Allen signed legislation that established the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals Authority. The clinical activities of MCV Hospitals, MCV Physicians and the VCU School of Medicine are now coordinated and integrated by and through VCU Health.

The VCU Health System Authority is charged by statute with the missions of operating MCV Hospitals as teaching hospitals for the benefit of the health sciences schools of VCU, providing high quality patient care and providing a site for medical and biomedical research, all of which missions are required to be performed in close affiliation with the Office of the Vice President for Health Sciences.

VCU’s vice president for health sciences also serves as the CEO of the VCU Health System Authority, and five VCU faculty physicians serve as members of the VCU Health board of directors.