Here are six things to know:
1. The Sept. 5 letter calls for the immediate removal of Craig Kent, MD, UVA Health’s CEO and executive vice president for health affairs at the University of Virginia, and Melina Kibbe, MD, dean of the school of medicine.
2. The five-page letter, penned by 128 U.Va. Physicians Group-employed faculty and addressed to the university’s board of visitors, accuses the two of fostering a negative work environment.
3. The two have created a work environment that allegedly compromises patient safety and “is contributing to an ongoing exodus of experience and expertise,” according to the report.
4. The letter alleges the leaders used threats against faculties who raised concerned about safety, used promotion delays as retaliation and allowed for hiring physicians despite quality concerns, among other claims.
5. “For over a year, these concerns and egregious acts were reported via U.Va.’s official reporting processes … we sign this letter of no confidence as a last resort out of urgent concern for our patients, colleagues, community and the University of Virginia,” the letter reads.
6. “UVA Health and our leaders are committed to providing high-quality care to our patients and an excellent work environment for our 17,000 team members and 1,400 faculty,” UVA Health said in a statement shared with Becker’s on Sept. 6. “Feedback is an important part of fostering a healthy culture built on strong relationships across the entire organization. UVA Health leadership looks forward to further understanding and addressing concerns that have been expressed by some faculty members.”
