Vidant Partners with ECU Brody School of Medicine | Eastern North Carolina Now

New Vidant subsidiary - VECU Medical Group, Inc.

    Early in March 2016 Vidant Health and East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine (BSOM) announced their intentions to align with each other in pursuit of a common goal to become a national model for providing rural health care. This is a big undertaking. The integration of all facets of this endeavor will not happen overnight. There are specialty teams from both entities working on the legal and financial complexities.

    This unique partnering of a private, nonprofit hospital with a public medical school and physicians' practice will be a first for North Carolina - Vidant Health, a burgeoning private nonprofit monopoly and a State funded school of medicine.

    Now it looks like the first step has been taken. Vidant Health filed incorporation papers with the Secretary of State on June 24th creating a new subsidiary "VECU Medical Group, Inc.".

    Based on the incorporation papers it looks like control of the new partnership has been ceded to Vidant Health. It is unclear if this venture will result in a redraft of existing Affiliation Agreements between Vidant Medical Center, ECU Brody SOM and Pitt County. Legal commitments among all parties may be subject to revision as Vidant Health is the parent organization of all Vidant subsidiaries.

    Anytime you combine duplicative steps and streamline a process, there is a loss of jobs. That's reality! With ECU being a major economic engine in Pitt County, any significant changes can upset the apple cart. In addition, Pitt County Board of Commissioners plays a major role in the overall scheme of things. If the parties to the agreement wait until after they finalize a plan, an oversight invitation may end up being too little, too late.

    The Articles of Incorporation offer little insight as to how the corporation's stated purposes will be accomplished. But as far as who is in control, Vidant has left no doubt who has the bulk of the power.

    The purposes of VECU Medical Group, Inc. are not limited to the legislated mission of ECU Brody School of Medicine:

        i.  increase the supply of primary care physicians to serve the State of North Carolina

        ii.   improve the health status of Eastern North Carolina citizens

        iii.   enhance the access of minority and disadvantaged students to medical education

    In addition VECU Medical Group aims to:

        1.   Provide seamless, high quality, transparent and accessible health care

        2.   Manage the quality, costs of care and improve the value of care

        3.   Accommodate a variety of current and future payment models

    These goals will be managed by a Board of Directors made up of appointees by ECU through its Chancellor and Vidant Health's CEO, Michael Waldrum with 51% of the BOD being designated by Vidant Health.

    Vidant's CEO will approve the appointment of the VECU Medical Group President, extending Waldrum's control and authority over the corporation officers, agents and employees through Vidant's approved corporation President. This chain of command ultimately gives Vidant general control of the business affairs and property of VECU Medical Group.

    Now that the ball is rolling, who will be selected as President of this multifaceted corporation? Two equally qualified local names come to mind.

    Steve Lawler - Presently serving as President Emeritus of Vidant Medical Center & Chief, Public Affairs Officer (CPAO), Vidant Health, Lawler is also Senior Vice President Regional Group, Carolinas HealthCare System. October 2015 - Present

    Steve Ballard, now retired after serving as Chancellor of ECU for 12 years hopes to return as a faculty member after taking some time off.