Two pastors at Chillicothe, Ohio-based Adena Health System walked out of a May 14 pastor meeting due to disagreements over the governance structure at the health system.
Adena's board of trustees and the corporate member churches hold responsibility for the organization's governance structure. The two parties have been on a "two-year journey to discuss governance structure and diversification of the board" in an attempt to bring advancements and new ideas to the health system, Steve Hirsch, Adena board chair, said in a May 16 statement shared with Becker's.
"While there was a disagreement during the recent scheduled vote at the corporate pastor meeting, we are hopeful that through continued collaborative discussion between the board and the corporate pastors we can resolve the issue of governance structure and chart the best path forward to continue to provide our communities with the care they deserve," Bob French, vice chair of Adena board of trustees, said in a May 16 statement shared with Becker's.
News of the disagreement comes after a recently unsealed federal lawsuit against the health system, filed Oct. 10, was brought to light. The suit claims that Adena Health System, Adena Medical Group and Adena Health Center performed unnecessary heart surgeries and filed false claims.
"Adena cannot comment on ongoing legal matters or on any of the specifics outlined in this initial complaint and its accuracy," a system spokesperson said in a May 15 statement shared with Becker's. "However, we have protocols in place that ensure the privacy and protection of any employee that comes forward with any complaint. These issues are taken extremely seriously and investigated to ensure that appropriate actions are taken."