Thursday, February 20, 2014

I received the following message today from Bill Burton, Interim Associate Chancellor for Public Affairs at the University of Illinois, presumably in response to my blog post concerning the propriety of the Dean of Medicine being on the board of Novartis, and specifically my question: How can this person exercise a proper duty of care and loyalty to both institutions, not only in terms of time commitment, but also in terms of the overlapping scientific research and clinical interests of the two organizations?

The following statement is issued on behalf of the University:
"Dean Dimitri Azar has adhered to various policies set out by the University and the state, including a University Policy on Conflicts of Commitment and Interest; a University Code of Conduct; and the Illinois Ethics Act (all online at www.uillinois.edu). Provisions are made within all these policies for active participation by academic staff members in external activities. The University of Illinois views Dean Azar’s service on the Board of Director of Novartis as appropriate, given that the conflict of interest and commitment is well-managed. The UIC leadership and Dean Azar have commendable records of integrity and in dealing with conflict of interest issues associated with external activities."
This is a specially pertinent comment in light of the following excerpt from today's Chicago Tribune story:

Benedetti, the head of surgery, sought advice and permission from Jerry Bauman, interim vice president for health affairs, and Dr. Dimitri Azar, dean of the College of Medicine, according to an Oct. 23 email obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

"On one side it would be a lot of free publicity for our program, on the other side we could be criticized to be included in an industry generated campaign," Benedetti wrote. The two responded separately that the visibility would be good for the program.

Related Posts:

  • Professor Sager offers lessons in market powerBoston University Professor Alan Sager has filed comments with the Trial Court about the proposed settlement between the Attorney General and Partners Healthcare System.  They are cogent and powerful.  (I include th… Read More
  • Let's give credit, not throw brickbatsA recent story in the Washington Post makes a common error that causes the casual reader to reach an inappropriate conclusion.  Here's the background.  The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality offers to help h… Read More
  • A letter to the Trial CourtHere are my comments to the Court on the proposed settlement offered by the Attorney General and Partners Healthcare System.  (I include them here even though the AG has recently asked for a delay in the court proceedin… Read More
  • Coaching through failureI hope you enjoy my latest submission at the athenahealth Health Leadership Forum.And please be sure to read Jim Conway's commentary on that site.Thanks. … Read More
  • Barry opines on the AG-Partners dealBarry Carol often offers thoughtful comments on this blog about health care issues in general and about Massachusetts in particular (even thought he lives out of state.)  He has chosen to comment to the Trial Court about… Read More

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Blog Archive

Powered by Blogger.

Popular Posts