UVA LEADERSHIP'S LATEST SALVO IN ITS COORDINATED ATTACK CAMPAIGN AGAINST OUR DOCTORS
The tactics of how targeted PR campaigns use spin, words, and numbers to influence public opinion are fun to track.
That 9/10/24 opinion letter by a UVA Health System Board Member that attempted to disparage and discredit our community’s doctors — who are also our friends and neighbors in Charlottesville — mirrored his attack letter released by Virginia Business on 9/9/24.
Some of the same terminology used by Crutchfield as well as UVA Leadership in their recent communications appears in the 9/18/24 article from The Daily Progress we’ve reposted below intercut with our questions and clarifications in bold in the spirit of continuing the public dialogue UVA Leadership started…
We look forward to the UVA Darden School of Business - Communication Case Study one day that details the behind-the-scenes chaos that has produced the ill-conceived messaging UVA Leadership has released and planted so far.
We’re baffled by UVA Leadership’s responses and in multiple conversations with our doctors we have been asking each other…
Why does it appear to be so difficult for UVA Leadership to do the right thing?
Why has UVA Leadership circled the wagons and attacked our doctors without knowing the full story?
Why has UVA Leadership gone on the offensive and utilized multiple channels and proxies in an attempt to discredit and disparage our doctors?
What is UVA Leadership hiding?
If UVA Leadership has nothing to hide, wouldn’t it have been simpler for them to have stated from the outset, “We take these allegations from our faculty and doctors seriously. We will hire outside counsel to conduct a thorough investigation. In the interest of transparency, we will release the final report to the public — to our students, faculty, employees, patients, alums, donors, Charlottesville community, Virginia tax payers, and fellow stakeholders of UVA?”
Instead, UVA Leadership’s responses remind us of a lesson we were taught when we were young, inspired by Mark Twain:
If you tell the truth you don’t have to keep track of your lies.
By Emily Hemphill
September 18, 2024
- Disgruntled?
- We’ve heard this term used previously by UVA Leadership to disparage our doctors and health care workers who have courageously brought forth serious allegations.
- Perhaps Brian Coy, UVA’s Chief Communications Officer who is quoted in the article, referred to our doctors as disgruntled when communicating with this reporter?
The University of Virginia has brought on an international law firm to investigate claims that the heads of its hospital and medical school committed a number of “egregious” and illegal acts and allowed a “culture of fear and retaliation” to flourish, endangering patients.
At the same time, disgruntled faculty and health care workers at UVa say the university is not doing enough, or anything, to actually address their concerns, even after providing multiple examples of their claims.
- There’s that disgruntled word again.
The Washington, D.C.-based outfit of Williams & Connolly, recognized as one of the world’s premier litigation firms, has been called in to probe the complaints those faculty and healthcare workers lodged against UVa Health CEO Dr. Craig Kent and School of Medicine Dean Melina Kibbe. Its work has already begun.
- Interesting turn of events considering the initial messaging from UVA Health, Craig Kent, Melina Kibbe, and Jim Ryan suggested there was no merit to the allegations.
“The University Board of Visitors and President [Jim] Ryan have agreed to retain outside counsel to conduct an independent review of the complaints and allegations raised by members of the UVa Medical School faculty in their letter dated Sept. 7, 2024,” UVa spokesman Brian Coy told The Daily Progress in a prepared statement.
- Please note the typo: The letter from the doctors was dated Sept. 5, 2024 not Sept. 7, 2024. Perhaps Brian Coy mixed up the dates with Jim Ryan’s inflammatory Sept. 7, 2024 letter? Suggest someone double-checks those internal talking points.
- An independent review? We thought it is an independent investigation?
- On 9/12/24, Williams & Connolly communicated to the doctors that they had been retained by the UVA Board of Visitors to “conduct an independent investigation of the concerns and allegations presented in the September 5 Letter.”
- On 9/17/24, UVA Rector Robert Hardie communicated to the doctors:
Dear UVA Health Faculty members,
The Board of Visitors and President Ryan have agreed to retain outside counsel to conduct an independent review of the complaints and allegations raised in your letter dated Sept. 7, 2024. University leaders, including Dr. Kent and Dean Kibbe, agree on the need to pursue a thorough and independent review. The findings will be reviewed by the Board and President Ryan, and we will work with UVA Health leaders and School of Medicine faculty to address any issues that may arise through this process.
Best,
Robert Hardie
Rector
- There’s that typo again. The letter from the doctors was dated Sept. 5, 2024 not Sept. 7, 2024. Perhaps Robert Hardie was thinking about Jim Ryan’s inflammatory Sept. 7, 2024 letter that contradicted the tactful and respectful tone of Hardie’s Sept. 6, 2024 response to the doctors? Or perhaps the Rector was using the same incorrect internal talking points used for the prepared statement to The Daily Progress by UVA’s Chief of Communications?
- And in this 9/18/24 Daily Progress article, UVa spokesman Brian Coy declared it an “independent review.”
- So which one is it… a review or an investigation?
- We’re going to go with the language used by Williams & Connolly…
It is an independent investigation.
- But independent from who?
- Independent from the Board of Visitors who retained the counsel?
- Independent from Jim Ryan who will review the findings and dismissively declared in his 9/7/24 letter, “Once the dust of this particular controversy settles, we will figure out how best to move forward as a community.”
- Is anyone surprised that our doctors and nurses are deeply skeptical of this independent review investigation?
“University leaders, including Executive Vice President for Health Affairs Craig Kent and Medical School Dean Melina Kibbe, agree on the need to pursue a thorough and independent review,” he added.
- Right. Based on their initial messages, we have no doubt Craig Kent and Melina Kibbe are enthusiastic supporters of the review investigation. We wonder what transpired behind closed doors and on everyone’s Signal apps between the defiant messages sent by and on behalf of Craig Kent and Melina Kibbe 9/6/24, 9/7/24, and 9/9/24 and their about-face communicated to The Daily Progress by Brian Coy on 9/18/24. Does it have anything to do with the Board of Visitors retaining Williams & Connolly?
The review comes not even two weeks after 128 UVa professors and health care workers penned an anonymous letter of no confidence in Kent and Kibbe, claiming that the pair committed a slew of procedural, ethical and legal violations.
- The review investigation comes not even two weeks…
- Anonymous! Where have we seen that word before?
- To refresh: referring to the letter as “anonymous” is simply not true. Let’s recap how we got here:
UVA Leadership and UVA’s Communications Team selects “anonymous” as a talking point to distract from the serious allegations in the 9/5/24 No Confidence Letter.
“Anonymous” then appears in communications from UVA Leadership including Jim Ryan’s 9/7/24 letter to the entire UVA School of Medicine Faculty.
Subsequent articles and opinion pieces cite Jim Ryan’s letter and use of “anonymous” as factual.
UVA’s PR spin campaign utilizes this 9/18/24 Daily Progress article to continue to falsely brand the 9/5/24 No Confidence Letter as “anonymous.”
- But for the record, the cover letter sent from some of the doctors to the Rector and Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia on 9/5/24 clearly stated that the signatories WERE NOT ANONYMOUS:
As indicated in the letter, the signatures are being protected from public disclosure.
To protect the faculty we will arrange for the exclusive, limited audience named below to view and verify the signatures should this be requested by the Board of Visitors:
• Ms. Rachel W. Sheridan and Ms. Porter N. Wilkinson in their capacity as Chair and Vice Chair of the Audit, Compliance, and Risk Committee.
• Dr. Stephen P. Long and Dr. David O. Okonkwo because they have both worked at academic medical centers and can understand the rank and specialties of those signing.
UVA faculty expect the Board of Visitors to take measures to ensure there is no attempt by UVA Health leaders to retaliate against those who signed (or are suspected to have signed) this letter.
- And then the Signature Page on the 9/5/24 LETTER OF NO CONFIDENCE IN CRAIG KENT AND MELINA KIBBE:
Sincerely,
(Signatures signed, verified, and maintained under seal.)
- So once more, for the avoidance of doubt, while the signatures might not be known by the reporter or Brian Coy, they are not anonymous and are available to be viewed by select members of the Board of Visitors.
With 1,400 School of Medicine faculty members, 30,000 UVa Health employees and thousands more who seek medical services from the Charlottesville-based health system, the letter sent shockwaves through UVa, Charlottesville and the commonwealth of Virginia.
- Contrasting 128 with 1,400 and 30,000!
- Where else have we seen this tactic of attempting to diminish the severity of the doctors’ allegations by suggestion the serious concerns of 128 of our medical professionals is statistically irrelevant when contrasted with the tens of thousands of total UVA Health employees?
The 9/6/24 unsigned email “Our Commitment to Continued Excellence” sent from UVA Health Leadership to all of UVA Health?
Jim Ryan’s 9/7/12 email “A Message from President Ryan to Medical School Faculty” sent to the entire Medical School Faculty?
Melina Kibbe’s 9/7/24 email “Message from Dean Melina Kibbe, MD” to the entire UVA School of Medicine Alumni that forwarded Jim Ryan’s 9/7/12 email he sent to the entire Medical School Faculty?
Craig Kent and Melina Kibbe’s 9/9/24 email “RE: A Message from President Ryan to Medical School Faculty” to all of UVA Health that forwarded Jim Ryan’s 9/7/12 email to the entire Medical School Faculty?
UVA Health System Board Public Member Bill Crutchfield’s letters in Virginia Business on 9/9/12 and The Daily Progress on 9/10/12?
- We are sure all of this is a coincidence.
Despite the public interest, the university has already said that the findings of the investigation will not be disclosed to the public.
- Wait, is the university now agreeing that it’s an investigation and not a review? Or did Brian Coy slip up on one of his talking points?
- And by the way, who is the university? Are they anonymous? Or is it The Board of Visitors? Jim Ryan? Craig Kent and Melina Kibbe?
- Who directed Brian Coy, UVA’s Chief Communications Officer, to inform The Daily Progress that the findings will not be disclosed to the public?
- Is the university declaring that no matter what the investigation finds about the state-owned University of Virginia, and state-owned non-profit UVA Health, the public will not be told the entire truth by the Board of Visitors and Jim Ryan?
“The report will be delivered only to President Ryan and the Board,” said Coy. “They will work with leaders in the health system to implement any needed changes.”
- So President Ryan and the Board will work with leaders in the health system to implement any needed changes, even though those health leaders will not get to see the report according to this statement? Very transparent approach. Should work beautifully.
Those changes will likely not include the removal of Kent or Kibbe, as the letter’s authors have demanded.
- Well then. The matter is settled.
- Does this suggest bias that UVA’s Chief of Communications has publicly weighed in on the results of the independent review investigation before it is even conducted?
- Note to Williams & Connelly: since Kent and Kibbe will likely not be removed, this should greatly reduce the time needed to complete your review investigation.
In response to the letter of no confidence, Ryan sent a letter of his own to faculty at the School of Medicine, saying that Kent and Kibbe are the reason the university health system “is in the best shape it has ever been in.”
- Wow. Two administrators are the reason the university health system “is in the best shape it has ever been in.” How much credit goes to the thousands of faculty, doctors, nurses, staff, and employees on the front lines who do the daily work and interact with their patients?
- And it’s our understanding that UVA Medical Center’s ranking in Virginia has gone down in U.S. News & World Report. Or is better today defined mostly by increased revenue and profit?
- Sure reads a lot like what Bill 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.”
He also denounced the manner in which the 128 signatories set about making their concerns heard.
- Would it be reasonable to say that Jim Ryan is disgruntled?
“They have besmirched the reputations of not just Melina and Craig,” Ryan says in his letter.“ Instead, through some of their allegations, they have unfairly — and I trust unwittingly — cast a shadow over the great work of the entire health system and medical school.”
- We thought reputations can only be besmirched if the allegations are false?
- Did Jim Ryan conduct his own independent review investigation in the ~48 hours between the 9/5/24 No Confidence Letter being sent to the UVA Board of Visitors and his 9/7/24 email he sent to the entire UVA School of Medicine Faculty?
- And how does trying to expose the truth about the unacceptable behavior by UVA Health leaders unfairly cast a shadow over the great work of the entire health system and medical school which includes the doctors who made the serious allegations?
- We trust there is nothing unwitting about 128 doctors — who we trust every day with our lives and well-being of our loved ones — ringing the alarm bells about patient safety issues and other serious concerns despite knowing they would likely be retaliated against by UVA Leadership for telling the truth.
Kent and Kibbe are accused of:
• Allocating money to their cadre of executive colleagues despite shortages at the clinical level.
• Turning a blind eye as senior leaders tampered with billing and patient records to modify adverse outcomes and productivity.
• Wielding promotions as a means to intimidate and retaliate against those who spoke up out of concern for patients.
• Pressuring medical personnel to not officially report concerns regarding patient safety.
• Ignoring integrity and quality standards during the hiring process.
• And explicitly threatening those who spoke out against them.’
- We are curious what Williams & Connolly’s independent review investigation will find. Too bad the public won’t be informed of the findings according to the university.
The letter goes on to claim that UVa Health and the School of Medicine’s failure to protect those making confidential reports and their practice of fraudulent billing stands in direct violation of the professional code of conduct detailed in the UVa faculty handbook. The handbook is approved by the school’s governing Board of Visitors.
- Perhaps it’s time to throw out the UVA Faculty Handbook? According to this article and UVA’s Chief of Communications, regardless of what the independent review investigation might uncover, Craig Kent and Melina Kibbe won’t be leaving.
- And Jim Ryan said in his letter that change is hard. Maybe the doctors and nurses concerned with following laws and rules while protecting patient safety are simply making change too hard?
- So get rid of the rules. Or the doctors. Or both. Then change will be easier.
Although the contents of the letter have sent shockwaves through the community, they came as no surprise to Ryan. Over the past several months, the president and UVa Provost Ian Baucom have been meeting with groups of UVa Health and School of Medicine employees to listen to and address some of their concerns, many of them listed in the letter.
- And by “no surprise to Ryan” see: Ryan, Baucom, and other leaders being well aware of serious issues dating back at least three years to 2021 as communicated by some doctors to the UVA Board of Visitors in their follow-up letter on 9/12/24.
The signatories appear to feel that these conversations have not been producing the change they want to see in the institution that employs them. They said the letter of no confidence was a “last resort.”
“Some leaders have dismissed many of these concerns as those of a disgruntled few,” according to the five-page document. “This letter and these signatures demonstrate that these leaders are disconnected from the organization that they have been entrusted to lead.”
Though he did not use the term a “disgruntled few” in his own address, Ryan did say that employee dissatisfaction is to be expected in any organization. He cited a national statistic showing that roughly 8% to 9% of medical school faculty are dissatisfied — the same percentage of UVa professors and health care workers who anonymously signed the letter of no confidence.
- Following the logic of Jim Ryan justifying 8-9% as an acceptable norm for dissatisfied medical school faculty, what would be his acceptable percentage of dissatisfied UVA Health Patients? Dissatisfied UVA Health Donors?
- If we or our loved ones (read: UVA Health Patients and UVA Health Donors) had serious concerns about patient safety would Jim Ryan and UVA Leadership similarly discredit and dismiss us if our complaints fell within acceptable statistical margins from other uncited national surveys?
- And there’s that anonymous word again. Repeat after us: They. Are. Not. Anonymous.
- Every time we read the word anonymous in reference to our doctors, we agree more strongly with their decision to protect their names.
“At this point in time I find it difficult to believe that the right answer here is to force yet another change in leadership, only to bring in new leadership who will inevitably fail to satisfy 1,400 faculty members and thousands more health system team members,” Ryan wrote.
- What a bizarre, cynical statement coming from someone carrying the title of President of the University of Virginia.
- Does Jim Ryan believe there are no other leaders except for Craig Kent and Melina Kibbe capable of leading and satisfying UVA’s faculty members and thousands of health system team members?
- Does Jim Ryan believe that every other leader who might aspire to be the CEO of UVA Health or Dean of the UVA School of Medicine would inevitably fail?
Ryan’s response to the letter of no confidence failed to assure the 128 professors and healthcare workers that UVa is taking their concerns seriously and “destroyed what little trust in him remained,” they wrote in a second letter to the Board of Visitors.
In the follow-up letter, the group pushes back on one of Ryan’s points that there is little to no evidence to substantiate their claims. They provide 22 examples, dating back to September of 2021 — less than a year after Kent’s arrival in Charlottesville — of emails and meetings regarding “no confidence,” “toxic culture,” “retaliation by Craig Kent and Melina Kibbe” and “retaliation and intimidation tactics used by Craig Kent, Melina Kibbe and Department of Surgery Chair.”
According to the second letter, a number of university officials — aside from Ryan, Baucom, Kent and Kibbe — were involved in or aware of these meetings, including Chief Compliance Officer for UVa Health Krista Barnes, Chair of the Health System Board Babur Lateef, Chief Human Resources Officer John Kosky, and Victoria Harker, a member of the Health SystemBoard and vice chair of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
“There has been negligible, if any, follow-up from university administration,” reads the second letter to the Board of Visitors. “We are once again putting the University of Virginia Board of Visitors on notice and imploring you to get control of our leadership before further damage is done.”
Emily Hemphill
(540) 855-0362
ehemphill@dailyprogress.com
Business and nonprofits reporter
We have appreciation for the position we presume this reporter is put in when UVA’s Chief of Communications contacts them with information both on and off the record.
It takes guts and conviction to write articles like these:
Note: Craig Kent and Melina Kibbe earn far more than previously reported amounts. Keep digging. Keep writing!
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 over the past year.
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.
I am siding with the 128 "disgruntled" employees. One thing that really caught my attention was Kent and Kibbe are accused of: "Turning a blind eye as senior leaders tampered with billing and patient records to modify adverse outcomes and productivity." That to me, sounds like crimes have been committed. If so, is it time the Virginia State Police start a criminal investigation instead of a law firm being paid by friends of the accused?