Hayti, Mo.-based Pemiscot Memorial Health Systems is being sued by its former CEO after she claimed she faced discrimination and retaliation.
Joanie White-Wagoner took on the leadership role in September 2023 and was dismissed about four months later, according to the complaint. She filed the complaint Sept. 14, 2024, alleging she was wrongfully terminated.
Here are five things to know about the lawsuit.
1. After taking over as CEO, Ms. White-Wagoner learned of and reported potential violations by the hospital to state and federal agencies, which contributed to her termination, the complaint said.
Throughout her tenure, Ms. White-Wagoner reported potential violations to CMS, the Missouri attorney general's office's Medicaid fraud control unit, the USDA Office of Inspector General and the Labor Department.
The reports focused on issues regarding potential misuse of grant funds, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement compliance, and wage and hour regulation violations.
2. Ms. White-Wagoner allegedly received less total compensation than her predecessor and successor, both of whom are men, according to the complaint.
Sunil Gungee, the previous permanent CEO, who was terminated about a year before Ms. White-Wagoner was hired, received benefits such as a car stipend, housing allowance and life insurance premium payments; those benefits were not offered to her, the complaint said.
David Ketchum, who replaced Ms. White-Wagoner, also received a higher total compensation than she did, according to the complaint. Ms. White-Wagoner, who has almost 30 years of healthcare administration experience, alleged she was more qualified for the position than both of them.
3. Along with her gender, Ms. White-Wagoner claimed she was discriminated against because of her age and disability.
Ms. White-Wagoner was diagnosed with Graves' disease in 2017, which interfered with daily activities such as thinking, concentrating, speaking and walking. The hospital allegedly contacted her repeatedly while she was hospitalized because of the disease and created an abusive work environment, according to the complaint.
She was "marginalized and treated inferior to her co-workers based solely on her disability," the complaint said.
Mr. Ketchum, her successor, is also "substantially younger" than she is, the complaint said.
4. Ms. White-Wagoner was allegedly terminated without written notice, as required by her employment agreement, the complaint said.
She was instead dismissed in January through a phone call from Lance Crawford, former hospital board chair, according to the complaint.
Pemiscot Memorial Health Systems includes Pemiscot County Memorial Hospital and its affiliated clinics.
5. The system declined to comment.
This story will be updated if more information becomes available.