Unhealthy relationship

Re “EVMS leaders fear Sentara is trying to force the school to merge with ODU, emails show” (Nov. 25): I read the article examining a potential Eastern Virginia Medical School and Old Dominion University merger, and possible Sentara incentives for such, with both sadness and amusement.

I read with sadness because, in my view, the unhealthy relationship between Sentara and EVMS never changes to the probable detrimental impact on the state of health care in Tidewater. I read with sardonic amusement because it seemed beyond belief that Gov. Ralph Northam, an EVMS graduate who practiced at the Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, might actually think Sentara wished EVMS well.

I practiced medicine for almost 30 years in Tidewater and for the last 19 years as a faculty member in the Department of Internal Medicine at EVMS. My position as medical director of the sleep laboratory required frequent interactions with Sentara. Those interactions left me with the unhappy but strong belief that Sentara’s interest in EVMS was seeking out those EVMS areas that generated profit and leaving the remainder to EVMS.

To be transparent (and perhaps more so than Sentara given CEO Howard Kern’s position on ReInvent’s board) I left EVMS three years ago in part to join a medical school unencumbered with such a “partner.”

Sentara looks to be divesting itself of EVMS just when EVMS requests an increase in support. Respectfully, I suggest that $70 million is a pittance given what I view as inadequate support over so many years given the services provided to Sentara by EVMS.

Dr. Robert Vorona, Charleston, South Carolina