Cleveland-based MetroHealth Medical Center officials said an external report investigating allegations of financial wrongdoing among hospital executives found no evidence supporting such accusations, according to newsnet5.com.
The hospital's former director of internal audits, Simpson Huggins, filed a complaint in state court in December, claiming MetroHealth placed him on unpaid administrative leave after he reported allegations against the hospital's leaders. He said MetroHealth's vice presidents and an employee's relative had received free Botox injections, and that CEO Akram Boutros, MD, paid for personal international vacations with the health system's money.
MetroHealth leaders maintain Mr. Huggins was not placed on leave for reporting his allegations, but rather because he failed "to uphold his obligations as the director, internal audit for MetroHealth" and because he did not "conduct himself in accordance with the propriety that such a role requires," a response to Mr. Huggins' lawsuit reads, according to the report. Hospital executives added that Mr. Huggins' leave was paid through his accrued personal time.
The hospital hired auditing firm KPMG to investigate the allegations, according to the report. KPMG identified "the business purpose of the transaction" for each of Dr. Boutros' transactions during his two-and-a-half years as CEO, including more than $43,000 worth of travel expenses.
Dr. Boutros said the hospital was not allowed to charge for the Botox drugs in question in Mr. Huggins' allegations because they were donated by a pharmaceutical company, a common practice at research hospitals, according to the report.
Mr. Huggins' attorney told newnet5.com he is skeptical of the integrity of the KPMG report because Mr. Huggins was never interviewed during the investigation.