UPDATE - UVA INVESTIGATION INTO 9/5/24 NO CONFIDENCE LETTER
116 days since the University of Virginia Board of Visitors received notice about urgent matters of patient safety and public concern.
A letter sent from our doctors via TheTruthAboutUVAHealth.com:
UPDATE - UVA INVESTIGATION INTO 9/5/24 NO CONFIDENCE LETTER
Dear Colleagues,
We write to share updates with you regarding the UVA Board of Visitors’ investigation into the serious issues brought to their attention in the 9/5/24 No Confidence Letter.
• It has been 116 days since the UVA Faculty Letter of No Confidence in Craig Kent and Melina Kibbe signed by 128 UVA Physicians Group-employed faculty was delivered to the Board of Visitors.
• Williams & Connolly, the law firm that the Board of Visitors hired to conduct their investigation, has been made aware of evidence concerning:
COMPROMISED PATIENT SAFETY
CULTURE OF FEAR AND RETALIATION
DEVALUING THE ACADEMIC STANDARDS OF PROMOTION AND TENURE
EXCESSIVE SPENDING ON C-SUITE EXECUTIVES AND SUPPORT
FAILURE TO BE FORTHCOMING ON SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL MATTERS
CONSISTENTLY VIOLATING THE BOARD OF VISITORS APPROVED CODE OF ETHICS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA FACULTY HANDBOOK
WEAPONIZING ASPIRE VALUES
SUBJECTING RESIDENTS TO BULLYING AND HARASSMENT
• The Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery departed UVA Health. Her last day was 12/6/24.
• We continue to hear from UVA School of Medicine faculty as well as employees in other areas of the university who have been mistreated. This includes a number of colleagues with negative experiences resulting from their attempts to report patient safety concerns to leadership via official channels.
• Michael Kennedy (Past Faculty Senate Chair and current Faculty Senate Representative to the BoV) delivered the following statement to the Faculty Senate from BoV members Rachel Sheridan and Porter Wilkinson:
On behalf of the Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee of the Board of Visitors and in keeping with our commitment to transparency, I would like to share a brief update on the independent investigation into the matters raised by a group of UPG-employed faculty.
We wanted to begin by expressing the Board's sincere gratitude to those who have given their time and energy to participate in the investigation thus far. The Williams & Connolly team has conveyed how important - and appreciated - the cooperation and transparent engagement they've received has been.
As an update on where things stand: The investigation is ongoing, with the Williams & Connolly team currently in an extremely active phase of the investigative work. To date, they have spoken to dozens of individuals from the School of Medicine and UVA Health, and there are many more conversations that still need to take place. They are also reviewing a large volume of documents and communications related to the topics at issue.
While some broad themes have begun to emerge, there is a great deal of work that remains. We currently anticipate that the investigation will conclude ahead of the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Visitors in March.
We understand and share a sense of urgency to see this investigation completed. The fact is that an investigation of this nature takes time to get right, and we must get it right.
Given this expected timeline, we also want to encourage those who are still considering whether to participate in the investigation to please reach out to Williams & Connolly to coordinate an interview as soon as possible.
The Board of Visitors is grateful for your commitment to the investigation and to the University more broadly. We wish you and your families happy holidays and look forward to continuing our shared dedication to the University community in the new year.
• Should you wish to meet with Williams & Connolly and are interested in being advised and accompanied by an attorney pro bono, please let us know.
While we await action from the Board of Visitors, we will continue to care for our patients, conduct our research, teach our trainees, look out for our colleagues, and do all we can to protect the University of Virginia School of Medicine and UVA Health.
We wish each of you a hopeful, Happy New Year.
- Concerned UVA Health Physicians & UVA School of Medicine Faculty
What is going on at UVA Health?
We are Concerned Citizens of Charlottesville and Patients of UVA Health who are troubled by what we have heard from many UVA Health professionals for the past year and a half.
These professionals are not only our doctors and nurses but also our friends, family and neighbors. We believe our community should value and protect its health care workers who have dedicated their lives to helping UVA patients.
A Parrhesiastes is someone who speaks the truth in a clear and honest way…
It's about the courage to speak one’s mind even when it's difficult or unpopular…to prioritize truth over social niceties or personal gain...
But speaking the truth can be dangerous. A Parrhesiastes understands this risk and is willing to face the consequences, from social disapproval to vindictive employers or even violence...
Because ultimately Parrhesiastes act out of a sense of duty.
They believe speaking the truth is necessary for the greater good and to protect the people and institution they love.