University and health system officials are responding to 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.
On Sept. 7, after 128 U.Va. Physicians Group-employed faculty called for the leaders' immediate removal, University of Virginia President Jim Ryan sent a letter to all 1,400 UVA School of Medicine faculty members.
Mr. Ryan's letter, which was shared with Becker's, said some allegations in the no-confidence letter "are fairly evident references to specific matters that we have already addressed or are actively working on. Others are new to us, but we will do our best to run them to the ground and get to the bottom of them."
The letter also defends Drs. Kent and Kibbe.
"What is described in that [no-confidence] letter is not a full or fair representation of who I have seen. It also does not give them any credit for the remarkable work they have done to strengthen the health system," Mr. Ryan wrote.
He added that he believes the best step forward is a thorough review and "com[ing] together as a community to have a conversation — a real, honest and ongoing conversation — about how to manage change."
A statement from University of Virginia Health System board member William Crutchfield Jr., along with a separate health system statement shared with team members, both conveyed similar sentiments and were shared with Becker's.
Mr. Crutchfield wrote: "It is my opinion that our health system is better today than it has been at any time over that period. And it is evolving into one of the truly top health systems in the nation. Drs. Kent and Kibbe must be given an enormous amount of credit for this accomplishment."
The statement shared with team members says: "We truly believe that healthy organizations thrive on constructive feedback, and we are committed to doing the work to better understand the concerns of this group of faculty members."
The Sept. 5 no-confidence letter at the center of the officials' responses came from 128 U.Va. Physicians Group-employed faculty, addressed to the university's board of visitors and published by The Cavalier Daily. The five-page letter accuses Drs. Kent and Kibbe of fostering a negative work environment that compromises patient safety and "is contributing to an ongoing exodus of experience and expertise."
The letter specifically accuses the leaders of allowing "egregious acts" at the Charlottesville-based 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.
Mr. Crutchfield's letter disputes various allegations in the no-confidence letter.
UVA Health has 18,000 employees total.