Making Rounds
Sonja McLendon’s Vision for Cape Fear Valley Hoke Hospital
To say Sonja McLendon hit the ground running as President of Cape Fear Valley Hoke Hospital in July 2024 is, well, an understatement.
This year alone, the hospital has added a new Sleep Clinic, cardiology imaging, more providers in its OB-GYN and Family Practice clinics, two orthopedic surgeons and a nurse practitioner in cardiology.
Providing excellent patient care close to home is the impetus behind the improvements.
McLendon joined Cape Fear Valley Health after working for Northeast Georgia Health System for 11 years as Chief of Operational Excellence and Interim President at two of its hospitals. A Wake Forest native, she moved back to the state to care for her parents, Bob and Elizabeth Ford.
While her primary focus was caring for them, she eventually explored local health systems and was intrigued by Cape Fear Valley’s mission and strategic plan.
“The health system isn’t as focused on the bottom line as much as serving the community,” McLendon said. “The leadership’s focus on access to care in rural areas, their commitment to longevity through education and mission of providing exceptional care for all its patients were all really attractive to me.”
McLendon, who holds degrees from UNC Chapel Hill, the University of Virginia and the University of South Carolina, realized shortly into her interview, Cape Fear Valley Health is a special organization. “I knew in just a few hours I wanted to be a part of this team. I’m really grateful they selected me.”
Likewise, leaders are glad McLendon accepted their offer.
Hoke Hospital Pharmacy Manager Brad Hughes said McLendon impressed him as a charismatic, articulate, engaging, experienced and strong leader whose commitment to safety and quality, open community and all-in stance on accountability have “heightened trust within Hoke Hospital across all departments.”
Chief Nursing Officer Sheri Dahman appreciates McLendon’s upbeat personality, democratic management style and accessibility and said her daily leadership huddles “have brought an overall transparency that we all benefit from, from a patient and staff safety standpoint.” Moreover, the daily sessions have facilitated communication and collaboration campuswide that has “strengthened our culture and drive for providing exceptional patient care delivery,” Dahman said.
McLendon puts in as many hours per week as necessary, but when she’s not working, she enjoys traveling, cooking, exercising and spending time with her husband of 25 years, Scott, a landscape architect, and their daughter, Molly.
She’s proud of Cape Fear Valley Hoke Hospital’s five consecutive Leapfrog A ratings, its top-quartile ranking for patient satisfaction and its designation as a CMS Five Star facility. A bone-density scanner is scheduled to be in operation by early 2026 at the hospital, and plans call for opening a step-down unit on the inpatient side and expanding capacity in the operating rooms, imaging facilities and outpatient clinics.
“We don’t do what we do for these external ratings but because we want the trust of our community,” McLendon said. “It really is a privilege for us to care for our community.”
