PHOENIX β An independent review of criticism leveled against the leadership at the University of Arizona's two medical schools is to be kept from the public, the Arizona Board of Regents announced today.
The board, which made the public announcement after a two-hour executive session, also says no further inquiry is needed.
Todayβs closed-door discussion stemmed from public criticism of the UA's Health Sciences leadership, aired during a public meeting in Tucson over the summer. That scrutiny followed the Arizona Medical Associationβs vote in June of "no confidence" in the executive leadership of the UA medical schools as well as accrediting concerns for its Phoenix campus.
After a special meeting held in August, the Arizona Board of Regents announced it would hire an outside expert to review concerns about the UA's two medical schools.
The board said today it reviewed the completed report, but that its contents are protected from public discussion by, "attorney-client privilege."
"While the board does not believe that additional board inquiry is necessary at this time, we have asked President (Ann Weaver) Hart and her team to advance a comprehensive business plan to guide the future operation of the UA Colleges of Medicine," board chair Greg Patterson said.
"The board will also provide detailed guidelines to the university on reporting back to the board related to the colleges of medicine. We also have asked for strong oversight of the workplace culture as well.β
Regents called for the August meeting due to increasing scrutiny of the medical schools and their leadership.
In the Arizona Medical Associationβs June vote, the 4,000-member association of physicians and medical students also called for an independent investigation into why six top leaders at the UA College of Medicine Phoenix, including dean Stuart Flynn, left the school earlier this year. The association also expressed concern that the departure of so many top leaders could affect the school's attempt to see full accreditation, a process that is ongoing.
The association asked for exit interviews with the departed deans and publicly called on the Arizona Board of Regents to initiate an investigation into, "any U of A organizational impediments or policies that contributed to the departures of the well-respected and quality team that was in place."
Dr. Joe G.N. "Skip" Garcia, who reports directly to Hart and earns $870,000 per year, oversees all of the UAβs health colleges β the UA College of Medicine-Tucson, the UA College of Medicine-Phoenix, the UA College of Pharmacy, the UA College of Nursing, and the UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. The total health sciences budget is $595 million per year.
Last year, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education wrote a letter to the Phoenix medical school saying changes would be needed in order to secure full accreditation.
The accrediting body had concerns about the recent academic affiliation between Banner Health and the UA. But the Phoenix medical school has since been granted provisional accreditation, which puts it on pace for full accreditation in 2017, UA health science officials say.
Garcia has defended himself against public criticism over his travel costs, which have included chauffeur-driven limos between Tucson and Phoenix. The Arizona Republic earlier this month did a story analyzing three years of Garcia's travel costs, which included 56 trips between Tucson and Phoenix at a cost of $475 or more per day.
He has said he was maximizing his time as he needs to work during those trips, and says that hiring a driver was suggested by Hart. He also said he'd be willing to re-think how he travels if there's a more effective and cost-efficient way to do it.
