The Ombuds Blog: Meet the Ombuds for Virginia Health Sciences

December 11, 2025

Meet the Ombuds for Virginia Health Sciences

For the past two years, Linda R. Archer has served as the GME Ombudsperson for the Macon and Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University (commonly known as Virginia Health Sciences). In this role, she provides Ombuds services to residents and fellows with training-related concerns. (For a few years starting in 2021, Diane Holland served as the quarter-time Ombuds for Eastern Virginia Medical School, which later merged into Virginial Health Sciences. She continues as Director Of Organizational Development, Training & Ombudsperson for Old Dominion.)

Archer joined the faculty of Eastern Virginia Medical School as professor of family and community medicine over four decades ago and has held a variety of leadership positions, including Designated Institutional Official and Vice Dean of Graduate Medical Education. (VHS GME Ombuds; ACGME Blog.)

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Organizational Ombuds

Organizational Ombuds serve as a confidential, independent, neutral and informal dispute resolution resource for a specific entity. They are accessible to a defined population and can advocate for fairness. These unique characteristics distinguish Organizational Ombuds from Classical Ombuds, mediators, arbitrators, and other alternative dispute resolution professionals. The term "Ombuds" is shorthand for "Ombudsman," "Ombudsperson" and "Ombuds Officer," which also are used widely.

Some other variants include:

Brazil -- Ouvidor

Croatia -- pravobranitelji

France -- médiateur/defénseur

Germany/Austria -- Ombudspersonen and Ombudsleute

Italy -- difensore

Netherlands -- ombudspersoon

Norway -- ombudet

Poland -- Rzecznik

Portugal -- provedor

Russia -- омбудсмен

Spain -- ombudsman organizacional

Sweden -- studentombud

Switzerland -- ombudsmann

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