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This monthly community newsletter from Dr. Mitchell Rosner, interim Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, highlights how UVA Health serves our patients and the community. To stay up to date on operations, clinical services, and research efforts featured in UVA Health Community Update, subscribe.

Dear Friends of UVA Health,

This month, I am pleased to share news about our incoming University Medical Center leader and also celebrate national recognition for the quality of care we provide. Additionally, this edition of Community Update highlights several examples of how our teams are working to improve health today while advancing the treatments of tomorrow. 

From expanding access to care in our clinics and hospitals and strengthening care at home, to accelerating the development of new medicines and improving cancer screening, these efforts reflect our commitment to delivering exceptional care and creating healthier communities throughout Virginia.

Mitchell H. Rosner, MD, MACP, FRCP
Chief Executive Officer, UVA Health
Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, UVA
Henry B. Mulholland Professor of Medicine

UVA Health Names Tammy Snyder, MPH, CEO of University Medical Center

I am pleased to share that Tammy Snyder, MPH, has been selected as the next Chief Executive Officer of UVA Health University Medical Center. Tammy will join UVA Health in August, bringing more than two decades of experience leading hospitals and health systems through periods of growth, transformation, and change. 

The search attracted an outstanding group of candidates from across the country. Throughout the process, Tammy distinguished herself through her leadership experience, commitment to patients and team members, and clear understanding of what it takes to build a strong, high-performing organization. She is a thoughtful, collaborative leader who shares UVA Health's commitment to excellence in patient care, education, and research. I was particularly impressed by her focus on people, her ability to navigate complex challenges, and her passion for creating environments where teams can thrive. Those qualities will serve our organization well.

I look forward to partnering with her in the years ahead and am confident she will be an outstanding addition to our leadership team and a strong advocate for our patients, team members, and communities. Learn more.

UVA Expands Efforts to Turn Scientific Discoveries into New Medicines

The University of Virginia recently joined SPARK GLOBAL, an international network of leading research institutions dedicated to helping to make promising scientific discoveries become new treatments for patients. The collaboration provides UVA researchers with access to expertise and resources that can accelerate the journey from laboratory breakthrough to real-world medicine.

To help lead those efforts, biotech entrepreneur and former UVA School of Medicine faculty member Brian Wamhoff, PhD, has been named as the inaugural Chief Strategy and Business Officer of the Manning Institute. In this role, Wamhoff will direct the institute's SPARK discovery and development program and help researchers navigate the complex path from scientific discovery to clinical development. 

Wamhoff brings more than two decades of experience spanning academic research, biotechnology startups, and drug development. We are thrilled to welcome him back to UVA.

Together, UVA's participation in SPARK GLOBAL and the continued growth of the Manning Institute reflect a broader commitment to ensuring discoveries have the opportunity to reach patients. One of the institute's first initiatives, the SPARK Tank Competition, will bring innovators together this summer to pitch promising ideas for future medicines and receive support to advance their work.

Celebrating Five Years of UVA Health Expansion into Northern Virginia

This July marks five years since UVA Health expanded to include three hospitals, a physician practice, and dozens of primary and specialty care outpatient locations in Northern Virginia and the Culpeper region (formerly Novant Health UVA Health System).

Over that time, we have worked to build a more connected health system — one that combines the strengths of community-based care with the resources, research, and specialized expertise of Virginia's leading academic health system. Patients have greater access to advanced treatments, specialty services, clinical trials, and coordinated care, while continuing to receive care close to home whenever possible.

As we recognize this milestone, I am grateful to the thousands of team members across our entire health system whose dedication makes the partnership successful. I look forward to continuing that work in the years ahead.

New Colorectal Cancer Screening Options May Help More People Get Tested

Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, now claiming approximately 55,000 lives each year. While overall death rates have declined thanks to advances in screening and treatment, cases among younger adults have risen at an alarming rate. Today, colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for men under 50 and the second-leading cause for women under 50.

In response to these troubling trends, the American Cancer Society now endorses new stool-based screening tests, giving patients additional options beyond traditional colonoscopy. Andrew Wolf, MD, a cancer-prevention expert at UVA Health, led a blue-ribbon panel of cancer experts that conducted a systemic review of the available colorectal cancer tests to determine which are most effective. In addition to recommending a next-generation DNA stool test and a new type of RNA stool test, the group is advising doctors to recommend blood tests only to patients who decline all other options. Learn more.

Continuum Home Health Earns Highest Ranking from U.S. News & World Report

For more than three decades, UVA Health Continuum Home Health has provided in-home nursing, therapy, rehabilitation, and support services to patients across Central Virginia. The program, established in 1995, helps patients recover from illness, injury, or surgery in their homes while remaining connected to the care they need. 

This year, U.S. News & World Report awarded Continuum Home Health its highest possible rating, placing it among the nation’s top-performing home health providers. The recognition is based on measures that include patient outcomes, quality of care, and performance compared to other home health agencies across the country. As healthcare continues to evolve, home-based care is playing an increasingly important role in helping patients recover safely, maintain independence, and avoid unnecessary hospital visits. Learn more.

Research Highlight: UVA Discovers Chimeras That Influence Women's Health

Who: Hui Li, PhD, of UVA Department of Pathology and UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center, and colleagues 

Focus: UVA researchers sought to better understand naturally occurring “chimeric” RNA — genetic instructions for our cells that were long thought to be mistakes caused by cancer.

Discovery: The researchers found that chimeric RNA is an important controller of women’s health and wellness, including influencing their susceptibility to infectious disease and autoimmune disorders. The chimeric RNA affects women exclusively because it is a product of their second X chromosome, the UVA researchers found. (Men have an X and a Y chromosome.)

Why It Matters: The discovery offers new insight into a little-understood aspect of human biology and could help researchers better understand autoimmune diseases and other health problems women face. The findings could open the door to blood tests to help diagnose diseases or identify women at greatest risk for bad outcomes from those diseases.

The researchers have published their findings in the scientific journal Science Advances. Learn more.