ECU Health and the Brody School of Medicine
In 2021, what was then Vidant Health and East Carolina University (ECU) announced that Vidant and ECU’s Brody School of Medicine (BSOM/Brody) would align to become a clinically integrated, academic health care organization in order to provide efficient, effective and high-quality care to patients in eastern North Carolina, become the national model for academic rural health care and develop a shared brand.
As a first step toward this integration, Dr. Michael Waldrum, CEO of the health system, was appointed Dean of the BSOM effective July 1, 2021.
The next step of the process was signing a Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) permitting the two organizations to work together to formalize clinical integration through unified operational processes and strategic goals while remaining legally separate entities.
Employees of ECU and Vidant Health remain employees of their respective organizations.
FAQs
Why is it important to integrate the health system and the medical school?
The shared vision leading to the JOA is predicated on the following:
- The most efficient use of clinical staff to provide excellent patient care, regardless of which organization employs them
- A world class, streamlined patient experience for all, whether health system or formerly ECU Physicians patients
- Implementation of leading-edge strategies and interventions for the most prevalent health needs of eastern North Carolina.
- Operational inefficiencies and redundancies will be identified and eliminated in order to reduce costs.
- A shared leadership and governance structure will chart a course to meet the challenges of health care in the 21st Century.
What is the purpose of having Dr. Waldrum as the leader of both?
Dr. Waldrum is empowered to make decisions that unify operations and clinical services and standards that lead to the best outcomes for patients and communities in eastern North Carolina. This integration helps both organizations. Simply, it is the best hope for becoming the national model for rural health care that we are determined to be.
What does the JOA mean for the overall clinical integration process?
The JOA provides the legal framework that allows the two organizations to move forward with formalizing clinical integration, through unified operational processes and strategic goals while remaining legally separate entities. The JOA grants certain authorities to achieving clinical integration between the health system and the university as well as guiding principles and formal structures.
Each of the JOA components (ECU, the medical school, the health system, the medical center, etc.) will maintain their corporate/legal existence. The JOA does not involve the transfer, sale or acquisition of assets from or to the health system or the university.
The purpose of the JOA is to align clinical patient care efforts for the benefit of patients. Furthermore, it utilizes revenues to sustain the patient care, education and research activities of all components of the JOA.
Who approved the JOA?
In June 2021, ECU Chancellor Rogers appointed Dr. Waldrum as dean of the BSOM, effective July 1. This announcement also included Vidant Health and ECU’s intention to move forward with a defined framework to achieve greater operational integration to complement its current clinical integration.
The signed JOA provides the legal framework and governance structure for the future ECU Health. The JOA explains how the organizations will operate as a unified system and Dr. Waldrum – as CEO/Dean – will make operational decisions to achieve integration.
Who approved the JOA?
The JOA between the health system and ECU was approved by the ECU Board of Trustees on Nov. 12. This was the first step in the approval process. Subsequently, the Pitt County Board of Commissioners, Vidant Medical Center Board of Trustees, Vidant Health Board of Directors and the UNC Board of Governors also reviewed the JOA.
What is the vision and future for ECU Health?
Leaders from both the health system and the medical school continue to work with faculty, staff, patients and other stakeholders to elevate these two community-focused organizations in the hopes that the single brand — ECU Health — symbolizes the strengths of both organizations with the goal of providing the most effective, high-quality and efficient care for patients and our communities throughout the region.
What is the vision and future for ECU Health?
The work to fully integrate Vidant and BSOM clinical operations has been more than 40 years in the making. This work will continue in the weeks, months and years ahead. Leaders from both organizations will work with faculty, staff, patients and other stakeholders to elevate these two community-focused organizations under one brand – ECU Health – in a way that combines the strengths of both organizations with the goal of providing the most effective, high-quality and efficient care for patients and our communities throughout the region.
The CEO and dean roles are important for each organization. How can one person do both effectively? What resources will be available to leadership to ensure we are successful in this unique situation?
Dr. Waldrum has a team at both the health system and the medical school to help manage responsibilities. He reports to both the chancellor for the medical school’s interests and the health system’s board of directors for the health system’s interests. As executive dean, Dr. Jason Higginson as executive dean is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Brody School of Medicine. Similarly, Brian Floyd remains responsible for ECU Health hospitals and Dan Drake for ECU Health Medical Group.
What is Dr. Waldrum’s role at the medical school?
Dr. Waldrum represents the Brody School of Medicine in internal and external matters including, but not limited to, chair of the Brody Council, board and committee meetings, medical school operation decisions, ceremonies, fundraising and academic conferences. At BSOM, he reports to the university’s Chancellor. Through this shared leadership structure, Dr. Waldrum remains CEO of the health system.
Is ECU planning to build a new medical school?
In 2021 the North Carolina General Assembly approved, and the governor signed into law, a roughly quarter-billion-dollar state appropriation to build the Center for Medical Education — a 195,000 square-foot building that integrates with the existing medical school facility on seven floors. The investment marks a historic commitment from the state to medical education in the east. It will trigger a 20-30% jump in class sizes to 120 new students each new academic year. It will come with vast new investments in educational technology, and it will benefit the entire Health Sciences campus at ECU.
Will health system team members become state employees? Or, will university employees become ECU Health team members?
No, there will be no change in employment status.
Will benefits change?
No, at the BSOM, benefits will also remain the same, with the exception of small changes already planned and unrelated to the JOA starting Jan. 1, 2022.
Will roles or departments be consolidated between the organizations?
At this time, no decisions have been made to combine departments or areas. In the coming months, Dr. Waldrum will work with the JOC to determine how workflows will be organized going forward. This includes improving efficiencies and avoiding duplication across the organizations, which may include combining select non-clinical support services/departments.
Will health system team members be able to take on dual roles (working for ECU and Vidant)?
At the effective date of the approved JOA (Jan. 1, 2022), there are no changes to the current employment structure. We will communicate if decisions are made to offer a dual employment model to other positions in the organization.
Will the medical group and ECU Physicians be combined?
Today, what was the university’s physician group is ECU Health Physicians.
The provider groups remain two distinct organizations, operating under the ECU Health brand with shared leadership and shared services to support operations. This integration will be focused on the development and adoption of a high performing, clinically integrated set of multi-specialty services across sites of care that is physician led, professionally-managed and patient centric.
How will this be structured?
University clinical spaces and the health system share the same workflow processes and approach to work, incorporating consistent clinical evidence-based protocols and unified clinical expectations.
Who can I reach out to for additional questions?
ECU Health team members, physicians and credentialed providers can send questions about the clinical integration to ClinicalIntegration@VidantHealth.com. BSOM or ECUP physicians, faculty and staff can go to Brody School of Medicine Dean’s Office Feedback to submit questions.