CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – Well over 100 UVA faculty are calling for the immediate firing of two top UVA Health officials.
A group of 128 faculty members employed by UVA Physicians Group have signed a letter of no confidence against UVA Health CEO Craig Kent and School of Medicine Dean Melina Kibbe.
The five-page letter, first obtained by UVA student-run newspaper Cavalier Daily, lists what the faculty say are violations by Kent and Kibbe.
The anonymous allegations say the two turned an award-winning hospital into a nightmare.
The two are accused of endangering patient safety, exerting undue pressure on teaching staff, ignoring patient safety concerns and carelessly employing unqualified doctors.
In an appeal to UVA’s Board of Visitors, the undersigned faculty wrote, among other things:
“We are signing this letter of censure as a last resort out of urgent concern for our patients, colleagues, community and the University of Virginia.”
Other alleged violations include diverting hospital funds from patient care to benefit executives.
Kent joined UVA Health in 2020 and has a contract through January 2030.
Kibbe came on board in 2021. Her employment lasts until 2025.
According to Cavalier Daily, Kent and Kibbe are two of the university’s highest-paid officials.
The letter said a so-called “culture of fear and retaliation” had resulted in those who raised concerns about how the hospital was operating being silenced or punished.
Late Friday afternoon, UVA Health’s leadership team sent 29 News a statement, which is also being shared with team members.
The statement reads in part:
“We are committed to doing the work necessary to better understand the concerns of this group of faculty members.”
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