Discussing the future of EVMS

Medical school is an invaluable resource and the region must work to preserve it

Eastern Virginia Medical School has collectively stuffed its head in the sand — more up to its ankles, really. Should it remain so buried, bereft of situational awareness, the consequences could be dire for this important and valuable institution.

EVMS appears to believe it can achieve and maintain the majesty of full autonomy, that it has sufficient wallop in the region to play games with local leaders, do little pirouettes behind the scenes and manipulate reality.

EVMS deceives itself. Earlier this week, when the school’s leadership rushed to head off the conclusions of a credible, measured and persuasive Manatt Health Strategies report, the machinations were all too obvious and painfully so.

“The process not only lacked transparency, freedom from conflicts of interest, and actual dialogue between all parties, it appears to have been based on a predetermined outcome conceived prior to EVMS’ participation,” an EVMS board resolution furiously declared Monday afternoon.

“Had EVMS known prospectively of the real and perceived conflicts of interest and the lack of objectivity to the engagement, we would not have agreed to participate,” the board huffed.

Nonsense. Whoever crafted this “resolution” has a future in creative literature.

The chronology of the Manatt study, helpfully provided, tells you all you need to know about the relatively quality of EVMS’ “participation.” As month follows month, you see the leadership of this school jumping up and bolting for the exit.

How does this reality avoidance advance the greater cause, of providing health services for an expansive, watered, jurisdictionally divided region embracing close to two million people?

It does not.

The sponsors of the Manatt study — all well-recognized community and business leaders of established reputation — would secure a financially sustainable structure for EVMS, one that gives EVMS a productive and useful future in Hampton Roads.

The present trajectory, sorry to say, will not yield that outcome. On that score, there appears little dispute.

Stop it with the finger-pointing, because hear this: Sentara (same goes for

Riverside, Bon Secours, CHKD and other private hospitals) gets to make its own financial choices.

Should Sentara’s profits, at some level, circle back to the community, in support of other, related institutions, in acts of collaboration?

Of course. Fine. Wonderful.

But the simple existence of Sentara, with its remarkable growth and record of responsiveness — dear heavens, particularly in the face of this year’s COVIDdriven demands and costs — is a good and worthy thing by itself.

Institutional financial strength and the stability derived therefrom — meaning deep pockets, ready reserves and capable leadership — are fundamental to the well-being of Hampton Roads, whether that institution be a shipyard, a bank, a university or a hospital.

Not to put too fine a point on it — though EVMS might benefit from some clarification — Sentara’s 30,000 employees constitute 30,000 very good reasons why it’s in the interest of Hampton Roads to see this business prosper and endure.

There are of course larger dilemmas at work here. The Manatt study repeatedly refers to the challenge of “alignment,” as in having the many regional pieces pull, push and proceed as one.

Well, Hampton Roads struggles with alignment and always has. Time and again, the region’s fractured nature has compromised its future.

It hurts us. “As has been well documented … (t)he current fragmented efforts of each of the region’s leading (health) institutions do not have the level of coordination or scale required to design and implement the systematic health improvement interventions that are necessary,” the study concludes.

The Manatt Health Strategies ought to be read and pondered, not as the last word, but as a necessary catalyst to action.

“The purpose of the study was to stimulate dialogue within our health care community about opportunities and strategies that could be undertaken to make meaningful progress towards improving the community’s health status and economic potential.” John O. “Dubby” Wynne, chairman of Reinvent Hampton Roads, said earlier this week.

Right. Get to the table, EVMS.