University of Virginia School of Health Sciences calls for layoffs of its administrative staff – The Cavalier Daily

This morning, the university’s Board of Regents received a letter of no confidence for Craig Kent, CEO of U.Va. Health, and Melina Kibbe, dean of the school of medicine, professor of medicine and chief health affairs officer, calling for their termination. The letter, signed by 128 faculty employed by the U.Va. Physicians Group, alleges the two leaders have created an environment that compromises patient safety and creates a culture of fear among faculty.

The letter contains several allegations against Kent and Kibbe that faculty said allowed “egregious acts” to occur at the University of Virginia Health and School of Medicine, including hiring physicians with questionable work quality, harassment of residents, excessive spending on senior staff instead of addressing staff shortages, lack of transparency in financial matters and violations of the Board of Visitors-approved code of ethics.

“Craig Kent and Melina Kibbe have not only undermined but directly attacked the values ​​that inspired us to study, teach and work at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and U.Va. Health,” the letter said.

The letter also states that while the alleged concerns have been longstanding and regularly documented by faculty, U.Va. Health officials have fired, punished, and silenced individuals who have followed U.Va. reporting protocols, threatened to deny promotions in retaliation for speaking out against U.Va. Health officials, and altered or suppressed reports of instances in which U.Va. Health officials have abused their power.

“For over a year, these concerns and egregious acts have been reported through the University of Virginia’s official reporting processes… we are signing this letter of censure as a last resort out of urgent concern for our patients, colleagues, community and the University of Virginia,” the letter said.

The letter notes that the environment fostered by Kent and Kibbe has contributed to a “continued exodus” of qualified staff from U.Va. Health, which faculty say undermines their ability to provide adequate patient care.

In 2017, before Kent joined the university, a group of 25 doctors and professors signed a letter of no confidence criticizing his work as dean of the Ohio State University College of Medicine. The letter was directed at Dr. Sheldon Retchin, the former CEO of the OSU Wexner Medical Center, and alleged that Retchin and his leaders, including Kent, had betrayed the school’s academic mission and created a climate of low morale among faculty.

The U.Va. Health System has received national recognition, including being named the best hospital in Virginia for 2024 by Newsweek and praised for its “top-notch health care.” Kent and Kibbe are also two of the university’s highest-paid officials — ranking first and third, respectively. Kent earns a salary of $1.6 million and Kibbe earns $829,000, according to faculty salary data obtained by The Cavalier Daily through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Eric Swensen, U.Va. Health spokesperson, said U.Va. Health leadership wants to explore faculty members’ concerns more closely and that the organization values ​​its staff’s feedback.

“U.Va. Health and our leaders are committed to providing high-quality care for our patients and an excellent work environment for our 17,000 team members and 1,400 faculty members,” Swensen said. “Feedback is an important part of fostering a healthy culture … (and) leadership looks forward to better understanding and addressing the concerns raised by some faculty members.”

According to the letter of no confidence, the 128 signatures were physically obtained from the signatories and are currently being protected from publication to protect the faculty from retaliation. However, should the board request to see the signature list, the signatories will ensure that their signatures can be viewed by a limited audience, according to the letter.

This is a developing story. This article will be updated as more information becomes available.