VCU news

By Melissa Jones

Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medical College of Virginia Hospitals Authority board of directors has approved a chief executive officer and senior management structure for the new VCU Health System Authority. The VCU Health System will consolidate all the university’s clinical services into one unified organization.

At a joint meeting between the MCV Hospitals Authority board and the VCU board of visitors held on June 12, Hermes A. Kontos, M.D., Ph.D., was affirmed as the CEO of the VCU Health System Authority. Kontos’ selection as CEO of the VCU Health System was designated by General Assembly legislation, which directed that VCU’s vice president for health sciences should serve in the newly created CEO position, pending affirmation by the boards of VCU and the MCV Hospitals Authority. Kontos, who has served as vice president since 1997, will assume his dual role on July 1.

"Dr. Kontos is ideally equipped to oversee the integration of clinical services," said Dr. Eugene P. Trani, chairman of MCV Hospitals Authority board of directors and president of VCU. "He has been a key player in strategic planning for the health sciences and has a clear vision for how the move to an integrated system will promote efficiencies and allow our organization to respond quickly to marketplace changes and opportunities."

A member of the medical school faculty and administration since 1964, Kontos also has served as dean of the School of Medicine since 1994. On July 1, he will relinquish the deanship to Heber H. Newsome, M.D., who currently is senior associate dean of the medical school.

At their June 13 meeting, the MCV Hospitals Authority board approved the senior management structure of the VCU Health System. The senior managers will develop the operational structure for the new health system. MCV Hospitals, MCV Physicians – the practice plan for physicians associated with the university – and the clinical portions of VCU’s School of Medicine have functioned in a coordinated but autonomous manner, with separate budgets and resources.

"These changes will allow the health system to continue to build on its existing strengths and position itself for today=s health-care marketplace, " said Dr. Trani. "We’ve already seen the benefits of some key faculty physician appointments in the departments of surgery and pediatrics. In addition, the hospital is enhancing its physical facility with the addition of the Gateway Building on the downtown campus and the oncology expansion at Stony Point."

The General Assembly also approved legislation that will expand the board of directors overseeing the operation of the health system. From its current 16 members, the board will be expanded by five additional appointments from among the university’s physician faculty. These physicians, nominated by their peers, will ultimately be chosen by the governor or the General Assembly. At this time, only the Virginia Senate’s appointment of John Ward, M.D., a pediatric neurosurgeon, has been announced.