How the Integration of ODU and EVMS could ease the region’s healthcare woes: An interview with Dr. Alfred Abuhamad
By Kristen De Deyn Kirk / Photos courtesy of Old Dominion University
Dr. Alfred Abuhamad, who has served as president, provost and dean of Eastern Virginia Medical School since 2021, recently added a new title: executive vice president of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University.
He also subtracted a bit of anxiety: “I don’t have to worry about tomorrow,” he says.
On July 1, ODU and EVMS integrated, 51 years after EVMS’s founding. Together they form the state’s largest academic health sciences center with 56 programs, and EVMS staffers become state employees.
The merger comes decades after talk about such a partnership started circulating, with support from funders and leaders seeming to seesaw every few years.
Abuhamad, who joined EVMS in 1992, may have once observed the challenges of a union from a distance, only to later conquer them up-close. In an interview conducted by email, he shared his experience and hopes for the new school:
Coastal Virginia Magazine: Why is now the right time to establish Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University?
Abuhamad: Historically, Eastern Virginia Medical School and Old Dominion University have shared much in common—a focus on collaboration; renowned experts in our respective disciplines; complementary cultures; proven track records of emphasizing diversity, equity and inclusion; and a commitment to making our community a better place to live.
With regards to timing, we experienced a confluence of positive political will, availability and commitment of resources, especially from Sentara Health, and renewed optimism about the impact the health sciences center would have on the region. State, private and educational partners came together and found a meaningful way to assemble all the pieces. Alignment of the administrative and governance teams of both institutions played a critical role in our success.
What major steps did you personally take in creating Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at ODU—and why were they important to you?
From the outset, I approached the integration with a focus on what is best for the region and what can secure the growth of EVMS into the distant future. Total alignment with ODU President Brian Hemphill on the vision of what we are creating was critical to our success, and I am glad to report that this was achieved from our first meeting, three years ago, and continues today.
Many staff and faculty members worked tirelessly. Specifically, we spent a significant amount of time meeting with legislators, community leaders and academic and healthcare partners to raise awareness about the integration and its positive impacts.
We engaged consultants to share best practices and to avoid mistakes. Transparency in all our decisions and constant communications to all our staff and externally were key. We communicated often and in different venues including emails, meetings and town halls. We also fully engaged our Board of Visitors to guide the process with the formation of an executive committee with EVMS and ODU Board of Visitors members.
The Virginia General Assembly allocated $65 million for your 2024-2026 budget. What is your overall budget in comparison and how do you fill the gap?
The overall budget of EVMS is $381 million and includes support for education, including tuition and graduate medical education, as well as revenues from patient care services, research, auxiliary enterprises, affiliates and philanthropy.
Why does it matter that you have become the largest academic health sciences center in Virginia?
Hampton Roads is now home to the most comprehensive health sciences center in Virginia—backed by the power of an R-1 research institution [an elite designation recognizing universities with the highest level of research activity]. The integration allows us to better address challenges that threaten our region’s well-being—many of which have never been more timely or critical.
One such challenge is addressing the region’s healthcare industry workforce shortage. By 2030, almost one in five residents in Hampton Roads will be 65 or older and therefore more likely to require medical care, increasing the strain on the system.
In parallel, Hampton Roads’ healthcare providers are competing with other healthcare systems in Virginia as well as neighboring states for a dwindling supply of healthcare workers. Investment in healthcare education will build capacity in our classrooms to grow this critical workforce.
In addition, to improve health outcomes, our healthcare workforce needs to mirror the diversity of our communities. Only about 8% of Virginia’s roughly 22,800 active physicians identify as African American. In recent years, U.S. News and World Report has ranked EVMS among the nation’s top third of medical schools in student diversity.
How will Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences help Coastal Virginia overall and the health of its residents?
Barriers to care—including a lack of insurance coverage, an inadequate supply of healthcare providers, systemic social inequities and difficulties navigating the healthcare system—all contribute to the glaring health disparities that prevent many Virginians from achieving optimal health.
Sadly, Hampton Roads leads Virginia with higher instances of diseases such as colorectal and breast cancer. We are empowered to better recruit and retain faculty to expand clinical, educational and research programs, training more health professionals to meet the needs of Hampton Roads and Virginia.
Notably, Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University is named in recognition of a $20 million gift from Joan Brock largely earmarked for scholarships for promising M.D. students who attend EVMS, have an interest in caring for underserved populations and plan to practice in Hampton Roads or Virginia.
In addition, through the Dennis & Jan Ellmer Health Scholars Program and the Dennis & Jan Ellmer Nursing Scholars Program—created through a $20 million gift from the Ellmers—scholarships will be awarded to students in the EVMS School of Health Professions, Joint School of Public Health, Ellmer College of Health Sciences and Ellmer School of Nursing who remain in the region or state following graduation.
How might future physicians be better trained through the merger?
By housing five schools and colleges in one entity, Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University allows for greater interprofessional collaboration and cooperation and creates more opportunity for team-centered approaches to learning and patient care.
The integration also ensures the longevity of EVMS and ODU schools and programs while positioning them for future growth. Sentara’s critical support helps solidify existing and new opportunities for preceptors and residencies.
When EVMS was a self-standing school, my colleagues nationally often asked what I wished to have. My answer was always a university to help provide me with more research and academic collaboration. I am very happy to say that this has been achieved with the merger with ODU, a thriving R-1 university.
What goals do you hold for the next year and then the next five years for Eastern Virginia Medical School? Will that name still be used?
Both “legacy” EVMS schools have retained EVMS in their names, as Eastern Virginia Medical School and the EVMS School of Health Professions.
There is a lot of work ahead of us, most important of which is creating a common culture and vision and providing an infrastructure that supports collaboration among various programs. We need to spend a big part of the first year to learn about our great institutions and how we can facilitate and build relationships within our education, research and clinical offerings.
The long-term outlook is focused on the community and how we can work collaboratively to address healthcare shortages and health equity in our neighborhoods. We will also be focused on elevating the national status of both institutions through expansion of research and academic initiatives.
What’s the most important thing for Coastal Virginians to know about this change?
The creation of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences represents a true inflection point—a time where our growth and research curves could take a sharp upward trajectory for the benefit of our institution and the region.
We will be able to uphold the same level of excellence in research, education and patient care and recruit even more high-quality students, educators and healthcare professionals to the area. Backed by an R-1 institution, our scientists will be empowered to tackle new research. All this helps ensure the legacy of EVMS and the future health and well-being of Hampton Roads.
I have every confidence we will look back on this time as a defining moment and turning point in the health and story of our region. I am so grateful that I was afforded the high honor to lead this process for EVMS.
In addition to his role as executive vice president of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University, Dr. Alfred Abuhamad is a maternal and fetal medicine physician and was selected as a 2024 Coastal Virginia Magazine Top Doc.
Kristen De Deyn Kirk
