Announcements

Introducing Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University

Sent on behalf of Alfred Abuhamad, MD, President, Provost and Dean of the School of Medicine  

Dear EVMS Faculty, Staff, Residents and Students:

On Friday, June 7, ODU President Brian O. Hemphill, PhD, and I came together in downtown Norfolk to share historic news: the establishment, effective July 1, 2024, of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University.

This new academic health center is the result of nearly three years of dedicated and thoughtful work toward integration among ODU and EVMS leaders, board members, faculty, staff, students, donors, alumni and community members. The effort — supported by our partners Sentara Health, Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Sen. L. Louise Lucas, Del. Barry Knight and bipartisan lawmakers throughout the region and Commonwealth — is a testament to collaboration and our shared vision for a healthier future.

Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University is comprised of five colleges and schools and signifies the highest standard in medical and health education and patient care at both institutions. Both our legacy schools will retain EVMS in their names, as Eastern Virginia Medical School and the EVMS School of Health Professions.

The new entity includes the following:

• Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS)
• EVMS School of Health Professions
• Ellmer College of Health Sciences
• Ellmer School of Nursing
• Joint School of Public Health initiative, in partnership with Norfolk State University

The EVMS Medical Group will continue to provide high quality care to patients while remaining a separate 501(c)(3) under the direction of the EVMS Medical Group Board of Directors and Dean of EVMS. The group’s full name will be Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences EVMS Medical Group at Old Dominion University.

Transformational Investments

Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University is named in recognition of a $20 million gift from Joan Brock, the noted philanthropist and longtime supporter of ODU and EVMS and the greater region. The generous gift, which honors the memory of her late husband and their partnership, will establish and fund the Brock Opportunity Scholarship for promising MD students who attend EVMS, have an interest in caring for underserved populations and plan to practice in Hampton Roads or Virginia upon completion of their residency or fellowship. The gift also supports the expansion of the Barry Art Museum.

Ellmer College of Health Sciences and Ellmer School of Nursing are named in recognition of a $20 million gift from Dennis and Jan Ellmer, whose generosity has long fueled ODU Athletics. Through the Dennis & Jan Ellmer Health Scholars Program and the Dennis & Jan Ellmer Nursing Scholars Program, scholarships will be awarded to students in the EVMS School of Health Professions, Joint School of Public Health initiative, Ellmer College of Health Sciences and Ellmer College of Nursing who remain in the region or Commonwealth following graduation. As a testament to their gift, the new Health Sciences building on the ODU campus also will bear the Ellmers’ name.

We will begin awarding these new scholarships in Fall 2024.

Looking Ahead

In the coming weeks, Dr. Hemphill and I look forward to sharing more with you about this once-in-a-generation transformation and all that it will empower us to do as an academic health center for our students, patients, faculty, staff — and the larger community we are so proud to serve.

Please be on the lookout for important campus updates related to brand usage, standards and our rollout strategy from Dr. Vincent Rhodes, EVMS’ Associate Vice President and Chief Communications & Marketing Officer, along with future messaging and updates from Dr. Rhodes and Kimberly Osborne, ODU’s incoming Vice President for University Communications and Chief Marketing Officer, who steps into her new role on July 1.

If you were unable to join us on June 7, I invite you to read more about the event and see photos and video on EVMS Pulse, our online newsroom.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank you for your dedicated work throughout this process. I know change — even positive change — brings with it feelings of uncertainty, and I recognize the added workload the integration has created for our teams. I am deeply grateful to each one of you for your commitment, your diligence and your belief in EVMS and our future with ODU.

Thank you for being such a vital part of the EVMS community and for joining us on this new journey.

With gratitude,
Alfred Abuhamad, MD