The Board of Visitors’ Health System Board reported Thursday that two recent anonymous $25 million donations have put U.Va. Health over their $1 billion goal for the Honor the Future fundraising campaign. The Board also discussed the goals and vision of the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology and voted to approve the fiscal year 2026 operating budget.
The Health System Board oversees the operations of the University Medical Center, providing governance for the School of Medicine, the School of Nursing and U.Va. Community Health — a foundation aiming to support U.Va. Health through philanthropy.
In open session, Mitchell H. Rosner, Interim Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, began by announcing that the University Medical Center received Magnet recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
“I think as a system, as a community, we should be really proud of this accomplishment,” Rosner said. “Nurses are the bedrock of medical care at U.Va. Health and being able to recognize them and their excellence is something that we should all be very proud of.”
Rosner also acknowledged the recent School of Medicine and School of Nursing graduates — more than 500 degrees were awarded in total — and introduced Stephanie Schnittger, who will be joining U.Va. Health in July as the new Chief Financial Officer.
The Board then heard about the vision and purpose of the Manning Institute of Biotechnology which is funded by Health System Board Chair Paul Manning, Diane Manning, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the University.
According to Mark T. Esser, inaugural Chief Scientific Officer and Head of the institute, the Manning Institute will be a catalyst for biomedical innovation and economic growth in Virginia.
“We want to be that talent magnet,” Esser said. “This is going to be a great recruiting tool to recruit the best and brightest scientists, physicians, engineers, computer scientists to come to Virginia, not only for school, but to work and to train and to hopefully enable industry collaborations.”
Esser also noted the rapid growth of the biopharmaceutical industry in recent years and how developments of medicine and vaccines are needed as the strain on the healthcare system grows.
“Chronic conditions in an aging population are going to stress healthcare systems not just here in Virginia, but across the country and literally across the world,” Esser said. “In fact, 60 percent of Americans have one or more chronic conditions, and 40 percent have two or more.”
Esser said that these chronic conditions, including obesity and Alzheimer’s disease, are big problems, but they are also opportunities for the Manning Institute to step in and create change through research, drug development and clinical trials.
To conclude, Esser shared the draft vision statement of the Manning Institute.
“By 2030 the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology will become a global leader in biomedical research by attracting top tier scientists and physicians, fostering a vibrant culture of entrepreneurship and advancing public-private partnerships,” the statement reads.
Esser said he is collaborating with advisory panels and experts in the pharmaceutical industry to plan the hiring and budgeting processes for the Institute's 2027 opening.
Directly before entering closed session, Vice President for Advancement Mark Luellen announced two anonymous $25 million donations, both earmarked for the Manning Institute. The donations put U.Va. Health over their $1 billion goal for the Honor the Future campaign which had the goal of collectively raising $5 billion across different University schools by June 30, 2025.
Luellen gave a special thank you to the fundraising efforts of Amy Karr, U.Va. Health Senior Associate Vice President.
“I remember when I promoted Amy five-and-a-half years ago, I gave her a very simple charge, and that was to double philanthropy for U.Va. Health,” Luellen said. “And that is not a small undertaking, but Amy has done it.”
After hearing of the two anonymous donations, the Board entered closed session to discuss “proprietary, business-related information about the operations of the Medical Center, the School of Medicine, and the School of Nursing,” according to the agenda. The agenda states that disclosure of this information may threaten the “competitive position” of the health system.
According to the agenda, these sensitive topics include strategic personnel recruitment, growth initiatives, partnerships, confidential data regarding “adequacy and quality of professional services, competency and qualifications for professional staff privileges, and patient safety in clinical care.
The meeting’s agenda also noted that three written annual reports would be discussed — one on the Medical Center from Chief Executive Officer Wendy Horton, another on the School of Medicine from Dean Melina Kibbe and one on the School of Nursing from Dean Marianne Baernholdt.
The Medical Center report includes newly received certifications, expanded center projects such as the expanded Cancer Infusion Center at Pantops and recent recognitions and honors the Medical Center has received.
For its part, the School of Medicine report includes staff appointments, newly opened clinics such as the Orthopedic Walk-In Injury Care Clinic, current research projects and grants and the news that 142 medical students matched to residency programs in March.
Finally, the School of Nursing report includes application statistics for each of the School’s programs, new faculty members, research recognition and events held by the School in the past three months.
In closed session, the Board’s Financial Working Group also reported on the Health System’s finances for fiscal year 2025, and the Board voted to approve the Health System’s fiscal year 2026 operating budget.
The Health System Board will reconvene during the meetings of the Board on Sept. 11 and Sept. 12.
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