Details surrounding the departure of Richard Cleland, CEO of Buffalo, N.Y.-based Erie County Medical Center Corp., have come to light in a recent report by The Buffalo News.
ECMC contends it terminated Mr. Cleland for cause Nov. 3, the same day it accepted the resignation of COO Mary Laski Hoffman, RN, BSN. Mr. Cleland, on the other hand, has said he exercised his right to terminate his employment agreement for cause.
Here are four things to know about Mr. Cleland's departure and circumstances leading up to it.
1. ECMC board members informed Mr. Cleland he had to fire Ms. Hoffman and, from then on, report to Thomas Quatroche Jr., the hospital's president, if he wanted to stay at ECMC, according to The Buffalo News. That started a standoff between Mr. Cleland and the board.
2. Before his departure, and after receiving an invitation from the NFL's Buffalo Bills, Mr. Cleland and his wife flew on a plane to London with other local VIPs, many of whom brought spouses. The all-expenses-paid weekend included afternoon tea, a Tower of London reception, three nights at a five-star hotel and a game between the Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars, according to The Buffalo News.
3. Mr. Cleland realized immediately after receiving the invitation from the Bills that he couldn't accept the free excursion, as he was an employee of a state public benefit corporation, according to a person familiar with Mr. Cleland's version of events and who spoke to The Buffalo News on condition of anonymity. The team sent him a bill for $8,000, which Mr. Cleland paid. However, disagreement remains as far as the value of the excursion.
4. According to The Buffalo News, legal talks are currently underway to reach a settlement with Mr. Cleland.