Detroit-based Wayne State University's efforts to expand its relationship with Henry Ford Health System remained stalled while questions arose about payments the university made to people who worked on the deal, according to documents cited by The Detroit News.
WSU signed a partnership agreement with Henry Ford in September 2018 to make the Detroit-based health system its primary academic partner. Currently, WSU students train at both Henry Ford and Detroit Medical Center.
However, negotiations collapsed. Now WSU is questioning the $7.5 million it paid executives and consultants who worked on the now-stalled deal over a three and a half year period. The payments have become a point of contention between WSU President M. Roy Wilson, MD, and the university's board, with Dr. Wilson nearly stepping down amid the controversy. Dr. Wilson has defended the spending, while the board has raised concerns about a lack of WSU stakeholder input.
WSU's board of governors recently said the proposed partnership with Henry Ford was "dead in the water." Advocates of the deal claimed the partnership would bring in millions of dollars and overhaul medical delivery in Detroit, according to The Detroit News.