Chief of Wexner resigns
Days after complaints about the leadership of Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center became public, Dr. Sheldon Retchin has resigned as CEO of the medical center and as the university’s executive vice
president of health sciences.
Ohio State announced Retchin’s departure Tuesday evening, praising his two-year tenure
and dismissing at least some of the concerns raised by the faculty.
“Although allegations raised in letters sent to the news media this week were untrue, these letters may have damaged important relationships necessary
for continued future success, and Dr. Retchin has chosen to move on in the best interests of the university, himself and his family,” the statement reads.
A statement from Retchin issued through Ohio State was more
strongly worded. In response to the letters, he wrote, “I must clear my name and address these preposterous allegations by simply and unequivocally stating that they are untrue. These baseless accusations have damaged me and the University I love.” He said he will take a leave of absence “and then will assume a new role at the University to pursue health policy research and teaching.”
Since May 1, at least three groups of physicians had either signed letters to top university officials or engaged in discussions saying that morale at the medical center had suffered under Retchin, in part because his system of performance expectations was undermining the academic mission of the hospital and the College of Medicine.
The complaints said talented physicians and researchers were leaving the university because of a culture of hostility toward faculty, and that word of the conflict was hurting recruitment.
A May 1 letter signed by 25 physicians and others, mainly in the hospital’s oncology division, also said Retchin had damaged the working relationship between the Medical Center and the OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center, which is managed by Dr. Michael Caligiuri, independent
of the Medical Center and Retchin.
“We are concerned now of an active ongoing effort to enable Dr. Retchin and/or his team to assert his leadership over the (cancer center),” it read.
The letter also charged that Retchin had publicly blamed medical center problems on “avarice, sloth and lack of accountability” by physicians.
None of the physicians called and emailed by The Dispatch have been willing to talk about the allegations.
University officials have said that discussions with the faculty about their concerns will continue.
Retchin’s base salary as CEO was $1.1 million, and he was eligible for annual performance bonuses of 25, 35 or 45 percent of that base if he met or exceeded performance goals. The bonuses were paid as lump sums to a retirement plan. When he took the position in March 2015, he received a one-time, $460,000 “transition payment” to his retirement plan.
In a separate statement to OSU faculty and employees Tuesday, President Michael V. Drake said Retchin recruited “one of the country’s strongest teams of senior health-care administrators” and “has been a trusted adviser.”
Drake said that, since Retchin’s arrival, hospital performance indicators — including patient volume, operating surplus, federal research funding and the quality and diversity of medical students — had “reached historically high levels.”
He said he will share information about a transition in leadership “in the coming days” and that he has asked David McQuaid, chief operating officer of the medical center, and Dr. Craig Kent, dean of the College of Medicine, to remain in their positions. Kent, who was hired by Retchin, also was a target of faculty complaints.
“The time is now to heal and move forward with the same boldness that reflects the pride in our hearts for the Wexner Medical Center and our campus community,” Drake wrote.
In his statement, Retchin said, “I arrived here in February 2015 as a capstone to my career as a leader in academic medicine,” adding, “I was charged with making significant transformative change, which entailed facing complex challenges and making difficult decisions. Change can be difficult — particularly at a time of great uncertainty.”