In case you couldn’t join us for last week’s Town Hall meeting, video from Tuesday’s session is posted online.
Dates for next quarter’s meetings will be decided soon. In the meantime, please leave your idea in the comments if you’d like to suggest a discussion topic for next time.
The EVMS community will have two chances to hear from senior leadership at Town Hall meetings scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 8 and 8 a.m. Wednesday, March 9. Topics will include changes in the national Graduate Medical Education system, the move toward accountable care organizations (ACOs), the search for EVMS’ next dean and an update on campus construction.
The meetings will be in held in McCombs Auditorium in Lewis Hall. To accommodate varying schedules, the same material will be presented at both sessions.
Want to recommend a discussion topic? Please leave a comment below to have your suggestion considered.
The remaining key initiatives listed below are currently under development. Additional information will be posted as available.
Key initiative: Implement an integrated system to identify, allocate and coordinate the clinical teaching for all educational programs.
The following key initiative discusses the best way to continue to evaluate and elevate our faculty members to ensure that our students are receiving the best possible training.
What is this key initiative?
This key initiative was put in place to better utilize our full-time salaried and community faculty for the clinical education of the MD and HP programs; to expand modeling and simulation opportunities; and to align faculty teaching efforts and core salary reports.
By implementing this key initiative, EVMS can expand the number and type of clinical trainers to better serve our educational needs and develop professional training opportunities.
How does this key initiative impact me?
Mostly impacting students, this initiative reflects EVMS’ commitment to ensuring that the school is utilizing the best methods to train students and providing excellent educators to facilitate that training.
When will actions take place?
The following actions are already taking place:
• EVMS has developed a comprehensive database of full-time and community faculty.
• Department chairs are evaluating the expertise of all community faculty to assure that all clinicians in the community serving as LGM mentors are qualified and formally affiliated with EVMS as they are evaluating student performance.
• Department chairs are working with the Office of Education to utilize Modeling and Simulation to assure consistency of learning experiences across the multiple training sites.
How will we measure progress?
This key initiative is being spearheaded by Dean Pepe and will become a top priority when the new dean arrives later this year. The metrics for this initiative will be reported on a quarterly basis through the strategic plan blog and can be discussed at quarterly Town Hall meetings.
What resources or funding are required?
The budget for FY 2010 included new software to develop a comprehensive database of community and full-time faculty and to implement formal faculty reviews. Budgets for FY11 and FY12 will include funds for data support positions and coordination of community faculty.
Thank you for visiting the Mission:Possible blog. The next post, which discusses the strategic plan’s emphasis on faculty recruitment and development, will be up on Thursday. Please check back then, and be sure to leave a comment telling us what you think.
Key Initiative: Gain state funding comparable to other state medical schools
What is this key initiative?
Since its inception in 1973, the state has provided modest support for EVMS relative to Virginia’s other medical schools at the University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Currently, our MD education funding is based on a formula that provides EVMS with just one-half the funds supplied to the other two medical schools. In addition, EVMS receives education funding for only two Health Professions programs, modest financial aid and no funds for operations/maintenance received by the other medical schools.
The key thrust of this initiative is to demonstrate the value EVMS provides to the region in order to gain state funding that is comparable to the other medical schools in the commonwealth.
How will this impact me?
This potential increase in state funding means that EVMS should begin receiving state funding based on guidelines like those used for the University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University medical schools. Full comparable funding over time would amount to millions more dollars in the EVMS operating budget. The additional funds will be used to hire faculty to support increased class size and therefore assist in reaccreditation efforts.
How do we measure progress?
Over the last 18 months, President Lester has met with the Governor and key state legislators. Recently, Governor Bob McDonnell announced that as a part of his amendments to the current biennial budget, he will request $5 million in increased education funding for EVMS in FY 2012.
What resources will be required?
The only additional expenses associated with this effort include the cost for lobbying efforts through Kemper Consulting.
How can I be involved?
Be an advocate. Write your state delegate and senator telling them about the great work taking place at EVMS and encourage them to support comparable funding for Eastern Virginia Medical School.
As employees and students of the school, we know how important EVMS is to Hampton Roads; tell others so that they know as well. Be an ambassador for EVMS in order to boost public support. Encourage your friends and neighbors to contact their state legislators to support additional funding for EVMS.
Key initiative: Develop and implement a brand strategy and strategic marketing plan.
Eastern Virginia Medical School sometimes is referred as one of Hampton Roads’ “best-kept secrets.” This key initiative aims to change that. It is designed to guide our marketing strategy and to improve our profile and reputation in the community. In doing so, we will develop a stronger brand and better define EVMS’ value to this region.
What is this key initiative?
This initiative marks the first time EVMS will have a comprehensive, widespread marketing and advertising plan. It will emphasize active engagement with audiences throughout the community and will include efforts to promote the school prominently in a variety of ways.
How does this key initiative impact me?
You will see and hear more about EVMS in the community, which in turn will give you more opportunities to talk with others about what you do here and how each of us is working hard to advance EVMS’ missions for the benefit of Hampton Roads.
When will actions take place?
This initiative is already underway. In addition to completing the rollout of the updated brand, EVMS is working with a local marketing firm to develop a cohesive marketing plan that will highlight EVMS’ value to the community. The ongoing website redesign <link to website blog> also is part of this plan.
We’re developing partnerships with local media outlets to help underscore the services we offer to this region. For instance, a new partnership with WVEC Channel-13 will create an EVMS Medical Minute segment on the channel’s news broadcasts that will provide EVMS faculty and EVMS Health Services clinicians a highly visible platform to share good news about their work.
Others steps include outdoor advertising (such as billboards) and similar tactics that strengthen the EVMS brand.
How will we measure progress?
One of the reasons this key initiative exists is to ensure that people in the community know about EVMS’ programs, understand what an asset we are, support our efforts and seek out our providers for care.
We’ll know progress is being made as we see increases in donations to the school and in the number of patients using EVMS Health Services. Another important element is the establishment of a community outreach program.
Surveys and/or focus groups that gauge how effectively our messages inform that community will be an important part of measuring progress.
What resources or funding are required?
Increased funding for marketing initiatives was allocated as part of the FY 11 budget. Additional funding may be required as this plan develops through FY12.
How can I be involved?
As EVMS becomes increasingly visible throughout the community, you will have more opportunities to discuss our mission, vision and values (and your role in each). You can also help tell the EVMS story by being involved in our social media efforts, such as on Facebook and Twitter.
Key initiative: Develop and implement a plan to strengthen our alignment with and commitment to our values of excellence, collegiality and integrity.
As part of our strategic plan, we revised our mission statement, added a vision statement and identified three core values:
Our mission statement addresses where we are now and what our purpose is. Our vision statement talks about where we want to be in the future. Our values are the vehicles that will take us from point A to point B.
What is this key initiative?
We don’t want the values listed above to become three words that have no meaning and carry no weight. This key initiative is about ensuring these values are the driving force in everything we do — that they foster greater teamwork and inspire us to achieve excellence.
How does this key initiative impact me?
The expected outcomes of all key initiatives center around the successful execution of this one; so it is going to impact the entire campus. By creating and implementing a plan, we will gain greater stakeholder commitment to EVMS and will attract more stakeholders.
For example, when our hospital partners experience value from EVMS, they will provide more support. When our students excel in our educational programs, EVMS will attract stronger applicants. When our research produces translational results, we will attract more funding.
When will actions take place?
Actions have already begun to take place. The entire EVMS campus came together on Sept. 16 to unveil the mission, vision and values and to deliver the message that every one of us plays a part in the future of this institution.
How will we measure progress?
We are currently exploring appropriate survey instruments to assess how well we understand and are implementing our core values. Since these are new measurement tools, we will establish numerical improvement targets once we receive and understand the results and institute report cards that will define value to each stakeholder and measure institutional performance on delivering that value.
What resources or funding are required?
The resources necessary for achieving this key initiative are still being determined.
How can I be involved?
Our hope is that every member of the EVMS community will strive to make EVMS the most community-oriented medical school in the nation by living our core values of excellence, collegiality and integrity each day.
Faculty, staff, students and residents can learn more about this initiative and check on the progress being made by continuing to check the Mission: Possible blog for
updates and by attending quarterly town hall meetings.
We also encourage you to nominate your co-workers for a values award by emailing values@evms.edu with the nominee’s name, department, value they embody and examples of how they are living this value.
The Town Hall meetings originally scheduled for Dec. 13 and 14 have been rescheduled for:
At both sessions, school leaders will discuss specific key initiatives of the strategic plan (values alignment, community outreach, business case framework, QEP implementation, educational assessment methods, marketing, fundraiser and state funding and affiliations), as well as construction, parking and the search for EVMS’ next dean.
Time will be set aside to ask questions about these topics.
For those unable to attend, video will be posted online, and additional questions can be posted on this blog.
At EVMS, collegiality is one of our greatest strengths. And, as an institution founded by the community, for the community, EVMS is, in part, defined by its partnerships with other academic affiliates and hospitals in the region. For instance, several educational programs are the result of a joint effort between EVMS and Old Dominion University. In addition, EVMS faculty members regularly collaborate with scientists at other schools.
What is this key initiative?
This key initiative involves broadening these types of collaborations. It is tied to the goal of determining and delivering value to our affiliates. We are looking to expand the institution’s strategic relationships to the benefit of all parties.
The dean and other members of the senior leadership team are currently collecting memoranda of understanding from current and potential affiliates. Opportunities for collaboration will be evaluated over the next year and decisions about the best candidates for strategic partnerships will be determined based on the most beneficial alignment of goals and resources.
This key initiative in particular focuses on opportunities for growth in several key areas including the MPH program, the Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, the EVMS modeling and simulation program, and joint clinical research endeavors.
Collaborative possibilities are being explored with organizations including ODU, the University of Virginia, the Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters.
How will this impact me?
Affiliate relationships are an effective way to grow the school and expand not only our course offerings, but the scope of our research and patient care as well. In doing so, we have the potential to deliver better healthcare to more people and more quickly find cures or treatments for illnesses affecting our society. Ultimately, achieving these ends will raise EVMS’ national and international reputation and strengthen our financial viability.
How do we measure progress?
Measures of progress will be determined once appropriate areas for collaboration have been determined.
What resources will be required?
Resource allocation will be also determined once collaborative efforts have been defined. Potential needs include funding to hire additional clinical staff, a clinical research manager, residents, and faculty. Additional monies also may be needed to create a jointly sponsored translational research program.
How can I be involved?
When we perform well as an institution, we become a more attractive partner for potential affiliates. As an important component in EVMS’ current and future success, your commitment to excellence in fulfilling your role at this school is the best way to further the goals of this initiative.
