Fully outfitted in scrubs, Joe Wilkins walks into the Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center and heads to the rehab unit. Long before he became the hospital’s president, Wilkins was a physical therapist – and that part of him shows up every first Friday of the month.

“I still do the PT thing,” he said, smiling. “I’m a second set of hands – lifting, walking, stairs, whatever they need. It keeps me grounded in the work that brought me here in the first place.”

Wilkins, a three-time VCU graduate – two physical therapy degrees and a master's in health administration – is as comfortable navigating strategic expansion plans as he is adjusting a gait belt. In each role, he keeps a sharp eye on providing the best care for every patient.

Wilkins’ calling came in seventh grade, after witnessing the long recovery his father endured following a serious car accident. “He had a compound fracture in his leg, a punctured lung and spent time in the ICU. He actually came to VCU to get his leg saved,” Wilkins said. “I didn’t even know what a physical therapist was, but, seeing how they helped him walk again, it made a lasting impression. That was it for me. I wanted to help people walk.”

Wilkins, D.P.T., MSHA, fulfilled that goal and more, launching his dream job at Sheltering Arms, a physical rehabilitation facility where he focused on stroke and spinal cord injury rehab. That passion deepened with a role at a Veterans Administration Hospital, where he worked with current and former Service members on their recovery. “They’re an amazing population,” he said. “Even when newly injured, they were thinking about how to get back out there to support their fellow soldiers. It taught me a lot about purpose and service.”

As his clinical career advanced, however, Wilkins realized he wanted to help more people – not just one patient at a time, but by creating the systems that serve them all. “I knew I needed to grow my leadership skills,” he said, noting that was what brought him back to VCU to study health administration. “It was humbling to recognize what I didn’t know, but I’m grateful for that clarity.”

Today, as president of St. Francis, Wilkins uses those PT experiences to help shape his decisionmaking. “There’s no substitute for direct patient care,” he said. “That experience lets me understand what our patients are going through – and what our staff are going through too. It helps build trust and meaningful communication.”

He brings that same mindset to strategy. Under his leadership, the hospital recently added two new floors and 55 beds, and it already is petitioning the state for 40 more beds to serve fast-growing Chesterfield County and environs. “But people don’t choose hospitals just because they’re nearby,” he noted. “They choose you for your care. If you’re not delivering that, they’ll drive past you every time.”

For Wilkins, delivering that care means holding high expectations – and he attends every onboarding session to ensure new employees understand that commitment. “I show them a photo of my mom, Orelia,” he said. “She passed away in 2016, but she’s still part of this hospital. Her name stands for the kind of care we demand: Outstanding, Reliable, Evidence-based, Loving, given with Integrity and Accountability.”

He tells new hires: “If it wouldn’t be good enough for my mom, it’s not good enough for our patients.”

His commitment is deeply rooted in his faith and Bon Secours’ mission to bring good help to those in need. “Every day, we get a chance to show people compassion through how we treat them,” he said. “It’s not just clinical care. It's a ministry.”

Wilkins shares credit for his path to a 25-year marriage and partnership he shares with his wife, Tonya Parris-Wilkins, D.D.S., who studied with him as a William & Mary undergraduate before earning her dentistry degree at VCU. 

During December’s VCU Commencement, the couple received the Edward A. Wayne Medal, which celebrates alums who have made outstanding contributions to the university. Their support includes establishing the Parris-Wilkins Scholarship, which has supported 18 students in achieving their educational goals since 2012. Wilkins also was named outstanding alum for the Department of Health Administration in 2021, a decade after completing his master’s degree.

“It’s been a blessed journey,” he said. “We’re both grateful for where God and VCU have taken us.”

Their children are forging their own paths – in business, engineering and perhaps the arts – and while none have chosen health care, Wilkins values how they’re following their own passions. And, he added, “there’s room in every field to serve others.”

Reaching this point in his career where he can have an impact in dual roles has been the perfect fit. “There’s nothing like laying hands on a patient and helping them walk again,” he said. “And now, I get to help a whole hospital move forward. That’s a privilege I don’t take lightly.”

by Kyra Newman