University of 蜜柚直播 President Ann Weaver Hart is asking for an independent investigation into allegations of misuse of public funds by the university鈥檚 health-sciences leadership.
In a statement released late Monday, Hart said she was caught unaware by 蜜柚直播 Board of Regents President Eileen Klein鈥檚 comments at the beginning of a regents meeting held in 蜜柚直播 on Friday.
Klein referred to allegations of both misuse of public funds and the questionable accuracy of public documents when she opened the meeting, which focused on the leadership of the UA鈥檚 two medical schools 鈥 the UA College of Medicine 蜜柚直播 and the UA College of Medicine Phoenix.
The special four-hour meeting of the regents鈥 Health Affairs Committee in 蜜柚直播, and another one held in Phoenix on Aug. 5, were convened after the 蜜柚直播 Medical Association took a vote of 鈥渘o confidence鈥 in the UA鈥檚 health-sciences leadership.
People are also reading…
Public attention on the executive leadership of the UA鈥檚 two medical schools began after six top leaders at the UA College of Medicine Phoenix left earlier this year, including its dean, Dr. Stuart Flynn.
Dr. Joe G.N. 鈥淪kip鈥 Garcia, the senior vice president for health sciences who earns $870,000 per year, has also come under public scrutiny afteran 蜜柚直播 Republic article that focused on his travel expenses, including taxpayer-funded, chauffeur-driven car rides between 蜜柚直播 and Phoenix that cost upward of $475.
Garcia, who reports directly to Hart, oversees all of the UA鈥檚 health colleges 鈥 the UA College of Medicine 蜜柚直播, the UA College of Medicine Phoenix, the UA College of Pharmacy the UA College of Nursing, and the UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.
Garcia, through a spokesman, would not comment Tuesday.
Hart has not received information that there was any criminal wrongdoing, UA spokeswoman Pam Scott said Tuesday night.
The Phoenix-based 蜜柚直播 Medical Association earlier this summer asked the regents to conduct an independent investigation into the executive health-sciences leadership at the UA. And association Executive Vice President Chic Older has made it clear that the association wants the investigation conducted at the behest of the regents, not the UA.
Hart originally told the regents at both meetings that the UA was hiring a third party to conduct a 鈥渃limate survey鈥 in the UA health-sciences colleges and to also do exit interviews with the UA College of Medicine Phoenix leaders who left.
But on Monday, she issued a statement calling for an independent third-party law firm to conduct an investigation with no UA or regents employees involved.
鈥淚 applaud the action. Whether it comes from President Hart or ABOR, they are doing what we have urged them to do,鈥 Older said Tuesday.
鈥淲e are very pleased because we feel what is at stake here is the medical schools. That is our No. 1 commitment when it comes to this issue.鈥
In her statement, Hart said Klein鈥檚 comments at the beginning of Friday鈥檚 meeting went 鈥渇ar beyond鈥 complaints about leadership, style, morale, organizational climate and resource allocations.
鈥淢s. Klein鈥檚 allegations, including misuse of public funds and alteration of public documents, were previously unknown to me,鈥 Hart said in her prepared statement.
鈥淚 expect the full cooperation and candor of everyone at the University of 蜜柚直播 in this process,鈥 Hart said in her prepared statement.
At Friday鈥檚 meeting, Garcia had a long line of supporters during the public comment period, some of them UA health-sciences employees who called him 鈥渢ransformational鈥 and a 鈥渟uperstar.鈥 Some said that over the next decade he could help make Banner-University Medical Center 蜜柚直播 one of the best hospitals in the nation.
Older said that under Flynn, the UA College of Medicine in Phoenix was on its way to becoming one of the best allopathic medical schools in the country. So it was a, 鈥渉uge blow鈥 when Flynn left, followed by major members of his staff, Older said.
And while Garcia has said it is not unusual in academic medicine for a dean to leave and be followed by members of his staff, not everyone agrees. Older said the 蜜柚直播 Medical Association, which has 4,000 members, cannot find a working example of an entire dean鈥檚 staff leaving any allopathic medical school in recent history.
鈥淭hat sent a very clear signal that there needs to be a better understanding of what prompted that,鈥 Older said. 鈥淓very member of ours has either graduated from medical school or is in medical schools. We understand medical schools and how important they are. We are not casual observers.鈥
Last year, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education wrote a letter to the school saying changes would be needed in order to secure full accreditation of the Phoenix medical school.
Among other things, the accrediting body expressed concern about a recent academic affiliation between Phoenix-based Banner Health and the UA that was created when Banner merged with the 蜜柚直播-based $1.2 billion UA Health Network.
Banner was the surviving entity in that merger and now owns both Banner University Medical Center 蜜柚直播 and Banner University Medical Center South, which are both academic teaching hospitals.
The Phoenix medical school has since been granted provisional accreditation this year, which puts it on pace for full accreditation in 2017, UA officials say. But the 蜜柚直播 Medical Association is concerned that the departure of so many senior leaders at the medical school could adversely affect that accreditation process.
The association wants the 蜜柚直播 Board of Regents to take 鈥渃orrective action鈥 based on an investigation 鈥渢o ensure long-term excellence in medical education at the U of A College of Medicine Phoenix and 蜜柚直播.鈥
In an emailed statement Tuesday, Klein said her remarks at the beginning of Friday鈥檚 regents meeting in 蜜柚直播 reflected 鈥渕any, many concerns brought forward by constituents who have reached out to me in my capacity as president.鈥
Klein said she felt the issues raised were significant enough and chronic enough that she needed to speak publicly about them.
鈥淚 have made no allegations myself; I simply relayed to the board the serious and troubling concerns brought to my attention,鈥 she wrote.
鈥淔urther inquiry into these matters is imperative. It is important that the board be able to document the issues that exist and address them. It is our job to run these universities to the best of our ability on behalf of the citizens of this state whom we serve.鈥
Contact health reporter Stephanie Innes at 573-4134 or email sinnes@tucson.com. On Twitter: @stephanieinnes