Old Dominion University and Eastern Virginia Medical School Integrate, Establish Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University
Two Institutions, One Incredible Future
This past month, two staple institutions for higher education in Norfolk created history by finalizing the integration of their health science programs. Old Dominion University (ODU) and Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) are officially renamed as the Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University. This merger, initiated July 1, 2024, has placed a focal point on Hampton Roads as Virginia’s Health Education Hub. Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University has been supported by $65 million in state funding from the General Assembly and will offer the largest portfolio of health sciences across the entire Commonwealth of Virginia, including 56 academic programs. Nearly 2,200 EVMS employees and more than 1,440 students from EVMS are now part of the ODU Monarch family.
Support from Every Angle
Governor Glenn Youngkin, a strong supporter of the merger, says, “As one of the few independent medical schools remaining in the nation, EVMS will significantly enhance regional health outcomes through its merger with ODU. This significant merger in the Hampton Roads community will help tackle the pressing shortages of nurses and doctors. It will also boost our medical programs, attract top talent, and ultimately provide better healthcare services and outcomes to our entire Commonwealth.”
Donors include Sentara Health which has pledged approximately $350 million of their budget over the next decade to ensure high-quality training. Dennis and Jan Ellmer donated towards the establishment of the Dennis & Jan Ellmer Health Scholars Program, which plans to provide over 275 scholarships within a decade, totaling $3.3 million in direct support to students. Macon and Joan Brock, whom the merger is named in honor of, donated $20 million to establish the Brock Opportunity Scholarship Program which will provide financial support to students who live in Virginia and plan to practice in Hampton Roads or Virginia upon completion of their residency to replenish the healthcare workforce in our area.
A New Era for Hampton Roads Healthcare
The integration of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University is a prime example of initiatives that will lead the continuous evolution of Hampton Roads healthcare and overall economy. Norfolk’s advanced and specialized hospitals, medical research facilities, and numerous educational programs and institutions make the merger an ideal location for advancement in the healthcare, life sciences, and biomedical fields. Norfolk is home to CHKD, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, and Sentara Leigh Hospital.
Additionally, this advances Norfolk’s position as the region’s educational hub. The Norfolk region benefits from 11 colleges and universities, as well as 17 trade and technical schools. Nearly 22,000 students graduate with Associates’, Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees across the region every year. An additional 5,000 complete certificate programs. Regional colleges and universities have a combined enrollment of nearly 70,00 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) students, 39% of which are enrolled in Norfolk-based institutions
About the Institutions
EVMS is best known as the first institution in the U.S. to have produced a viable fetus through in vitro fertilization. EVMS is also known for its Cancer Research Center, which has received recognition for new cancer detection treatments. The school’s clinical and research missions purposefully target health issues that impact the people of Hampton Roads. Old Dominion University is a powerhouse for higher education with six colleges: Arts and Letters, Business, Education and Professional Studies, Engineering and Technology, Health Sciences, Sciences, and an as well as eightschools: Cybersecurity, Data Science, EVMS, EVMS Health Professions, Graduate School, Honors College, Nursing, Supply Chain, Logistics and Maritime Operations. Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University will include over 50 medical programs, some of which are not offered anywhere else in Virginia. The school is broken up into 6 sections: Ellmer College of Health Sciences, Ellmer School of Nursing, EVMS Medical Group, EVMS School of Health Professions, EVMS School of Medicine, and the Joint School of Public Health. The central goals of this merger are set to address health disparities, enhance the Commonwealth’s medical expertise, and foster innovation in health sciences. Delegate Barry D. Knight commented, “This is going to be good not only for the state, but more especially for our area. We’re going to graduate doctors, and we’re going to retain these doctors. I can envision five or 10 years from now some earth-shattering medical advances that are going to come out of this. I can just see it happening, and we’re all going to make strides together.”