The number of physicians who have expressed serious concerns with Columbus-based OSU Wexner Medical Center CEO Sheldon Retchin, MD, and his top executives, is growing, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
Twenty-five physicians and professors of Columbus-based Ohio State University College of Medicine on May 1 signed a letter of "no confidence" in Dr. Retchin and his executive team. Among other concerns, their letter asserted Dr. Retchin and Craig Kent, MD, dean of the College of Medicine, are undermining the medical school's academic mission by pushing faculty physicians to prioritize working in the hospital and winning more research dollars over teaching, according to the report.
On May 3, five senior leaders of the medical center's Neurological Institute penned a letter describing similar concerns, according to the report. Their main worry is that unsupportive leadership is contributing to low morale at the institute, which causes talented physicians to quit and makes it more difficult to recruit replacements.
The second letter also states that OSU Wexner Medical Center's leaders are unfairly pinning the medical center's problems on faculty and disrespecting physicians. It states, "The failure to provide the culture and environment to allow this institute and other institutes to flourish is at best weakening, if not significantly damaging, to the reputational excellence achieved over the past decade by this great medical center," the five leaders wrote, according to the report.
OSU President Michael V. Drake and Provost Bruce McPheron met May 5 with 14 clinical department physician leaders at the medical center who have also expressed concern with the organization's leadership. Neither Drs. Retchin nor Kent have participated in the meetings with the clinicians, president and provost, according to the report. OSU spokesperson Chris Davey said university leaders are communicating with the medical center executives separately.
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