Members of the University of Virginia Faculty Senate in Charlottesville are showing support for their colleagues in the university's medical school in response to an alleged toxic work environment at the medical school and UVA Health, The Daily Progress reported.
Stephen Culp, MD, PhD, an associate professor in the medical school, addressed the allegations in front of fellow faculty senators on Sept. 20.
Dr. Culp told faculty he rejected assertions made in a letter UVA President Jim Ryan sent Sept. 7 to all 1,400 UVA School of Medicine faculty members, according to The Daily Progress.
The letter from Mr. Ryan, shared with Becker's, described allegations made Sept. 5 by a group of faculty as "generalized and anonymous claims of wrongdoing." Mr. Ryan also stated that he and Ian Baucom, executive vice president and provost of the university, have met with faculty in small groups and that they have addressed some concerns and are working to address other concerns.
Dr. Culp told senators that the assertions Mr. Ryan's letter related to anonymity are "categorically false," and that university administrators have known about the allegations for "better part of the year, if not more," according to The Daily Progress.
Dr. Culp addressed senators one day after the university board of visitors and Mr. Ryan agreed to retain outside counsel to conduct an independent review of the complaints and allegations raised by faculty in the Sept. 5 letter.
In early September, 128 UVA Physicians Group-employed faculty signed a no-confidence letter against K. 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.
The five-page letter, addressed to the university's board of visitors and published in The Cavalier Daily, calls for immediate removal of the leaders. It accuses Drs. Kent and Kibbe of fostering a negative work environment that compromises patient safety and for "contributing to an ongoing exodus of experience and expertise."
The letter specifically accuses the leaders of allowing "egregious acts" at the health system and medical school, including hiring physicians despite quality concerns; using threats against faculty who raise issues about safety, capacity and moral distress; using promotion and tenure delays as retaliation; and excessive executive spending amid staffing shortages.
On Sept. 20, after hearing Dr. Culp speak about the letter and Mr. Ryan's subsequent assertions, the university faculty senate pledged to address the complaints. As proposed by associate professor Brian Pusser, the body pledged to "as soon as possible create a resolution regarding the issues in the School of Medicine currently the subject of review by the university administration and Board of Visitors."
University and health system officials defended Drs. Kent and Kibbe and emphasized their commitment to reviewing and understanding the concerns.
The university shared the following statement with Becker's on Sept. 22: "We are deeply committed to UVA Health and value the voices of our people. We fully support the external examination of faculty concerns and are committed to working together in good faith to hear all feedback and have constructive dialogue."