UC, UCSF Issue Statement About Leadership Changes at UCSF School of Medicine

UCSF Chancellor J. Michael Bishop, MD, today announced that, effective immediately, Professor Sam Hawgood, MB, BS, has been named as interim dean of the UCSF School of Medicine. Bishop also announced that Professor David Kessler, MD, has left office as dean of the UCSF School of Medicine and vice chancellor for medical affairs. In June of this year, Chancellor Bishop asked Dr. Kessler for his resignation no later than January 1, 2008, and invited Dr. Kessler to work with the University on an appropriate severance and transition over the six-month period. The position of dean of the UCSF medical school, is an at-will appointment, meaning Dr. Kessler held the appointment at the pleasure of the chancellor. Unfortunately, Dr. Kessler did not relinquish his position, forcing the chancellor to formally dismiss him, which was done on Dec. 13. Dr. Kessler distributed the following notification of his circumstance: "Shortly after arriving at UCSF as Dean, I discovered a series of financial irregularities that predated my appointment. I reported these issues to appropriate university officials at the time, and have endeavored to work with the university ever since to solve these problems. The university characterized me as a whistleblower. During the summer, Chancellor Bishop requested my resignation. I continued to try to solve these problems. Yesterday, Chancellor Bishop terminated my appointment as Dean, effective immediately. Over the course of the past four years, it has been my pleasure and honor to work with the outstanding faculty, staff, students and donors of this remarkable school and institution. I want to thank all of you for the opportunity to foster and nurture outstanding programs on behalf of UCSF." Dr. Kessler first raised these issues with the University in the spring of 2005. The University investigated the matter through its whistleblower policy as a whistleblower complaint and referred the concerns to the University auditor for investigation. The University auditor completed his final report in June 2007, concluding that the whistleblower allegations were not sustained. The University then conducted two additional reviews, one by a UCSF work group of senior financial officers and another by an independent, outside accounting firm. These additional reviews found no evidence of financial irregularities and, in addition, concluded that the School of Medicine is in very strong financial condition. With respect to Dr. Kessler's whistleblower statement, the University has a formal policy protecting whistleblowers from retaliation, as well as a formal and confidential whistleblower retaliation grievance procedure to which Dr. Kessler has access. To protect Dr. Kessler's personnel privacy, the University cannot state anything further with respect to the matter.