The president of SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, N.Y., resigned in light of charges that he allegedly padded his pay with income from two affiliated companies, according to a Post-Standard report.
David Smith, MD, became president of SUNY Upstate in 2006. He was placed on administrative leave last Tuesday while the university investigated allegations that he padded his salary without permission from State University of New York. On Thursday, Dr. Smith issued a statement that he would resign.
Preliminary investigation findings show Dr. Smith received substantial pay increases from Pediatric Services Group and MedBest Medical Management, according to the report. A deferred compensation arrangement with MedBest was worth more than $349,000. As a point of comparison, SUNY paid Dr. Smith $363,537 in 2012, according to the report. Specific details on the PSG arrangement were not included in the report.
PSG, a partnership of pediatricians who teach at SUNY Upstate and care for children in the university's children's hospital, said it triggered the investigation by informing SUNY about the compensation arrangements. MedBest provides billing and many other services to doctors affiliated with SUNY Upstate, which includes University Hospital.
Dr. Smith said he was resigning "so that this great institution can move on to even greater success," according to a Post-Standard report. He said he will cooperate with the investigation and do all he can to "bring the review to a swift conclusion."
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