NORFOLK, Va. – The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has reaffirmed Eastern Virginia Medical School’s regional accreditation through 2019,certifying that the school’s mission and educational programs meet SACS’ stringent standards.

This reaffirmation “is a significant accomplishment and speaks well for the quality of work of our faculty and staff, not in a few areas but in all areas,” said EVMS President Harry T. Lester.

Re-accreditation involves comprehensive internal and external reviews of the school’s operations. According to SACS, successful completion of the review means officials agree that EVMS’ mission is appropriate for higher education, that it has resources sufficient to accomplish that mission, that it has clearly specified education objectives and that it successfully achieves those objectives.

“Literally every process, from admissions to accounting to teaching to evaluation, is reviewed against rigorous performance standards,” said C. Donald Combs, PhD, vice provost for planning and health professions, who chaired the reaffirmation effort. “Everyone involved took the standards seriously and worked hard to ensure that we were in compliance, even if that meant we needed to make some changes.”

In its ruling, the SACS Commission on Colleges did not ask for any further reports from EVMS prior to 2019, a requirement it sometimes places on schools as a way to follow up on areas of concern. SACS’ decision also endorsed EVMS’ Quality Enhancement Plan, known as EVMS 2.0, which emphasizes improving student learning through educational technology.

“Reaffirmation of accreditation is, at the bottom line, a reflection of our continuing work to improve our operations and, more importantly, our effectiveness in teaching, research, and patient care,” Dr. Combs said. About EVMS:

Eastern Virginia Medical School was established in 1973 to provide better health care options for Hampton Roads. The EVMS focus on teaching, discovering and caring ensures high-quality medical education for aspiring physicians and health professionals; the advancement of innovative medical research; and highquality, patient-centered care.