Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff:
Following nearly two years of hard work and significant planning, we are so pleased to share that the Virginia General Assembly has approved and Governor Glenn Youngkin has signed the state's amended Fiscal Year 2024 budget, including funding for the Old Dominion University (ODU) and Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) integration. This exciting milestone highlights the continued care of our legislators and the strong support of our two institutions joining forces to better serve our communities and the Commonwealth.
We could not be more pleased with this most recent development and continued progress! We are especially grateful to Chairman Barry Knight and Senator Louise Lucas for their advocacy and leadership throughout this process, as well as the support of all members of the General Assembly. In addition to the outpouring of legislative support, we are extremely thankful for the efforts of Governor Youngkin and his team, including Secretary of Finance Steve Cummings, who have provided ongoing support and guidance throughout the process.
Our Future Together
As you know, EVMS is one of the few remaining standalone medical schools in the country, and we are excited by the opportunity to expand our available resources, expertise, and community reach, so that we can continue to innovate and lead the way in medical and health instruction. Recognizing this, we are confident that these most recent actions by the General Assembly and Governor Youngkin prioritize the long-term interests of our integration to better serve our students, faculty, staff, and the broader community.
As our integration remains on schedule for January 1, 2024, we look forward to identifying functions that can begin working together more closely in advance of day one in order to have seamless integration of services that will be critical to our ongoing operations. As we approach the next stage of this process, we are excited about the future and all it has to offer through the joining of our two institutions, especially our collective insights, expertise, and resources.
Lastly, we thank the many individuals involved in this important work, including our internal stakeholders, who have actively engaged in the planning efforts, as well as our external partners, who have offered immense support and counsel along the way. Our success has been possible due to the engagement and support that we have received to date and that which we will continue to receive in the months and years ahead!
With Sincere Appreciation and Forward Momentum,
Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D. Alfred Abuhamad, M.D.
President President, Provost, and Dean
Old Dominion University Eastern Virginia Medical School